Anybody else suffering from the 40s metabolism slump?
pez9375
Posts: 59 Member
About three years ago, I dropped 40 lbs but put it right back on and then some. Now here I am starting again (lost 20 lbs with 30 more to go) and I'm finding it much more difficult to get the weight off. I'm eating right and exercising and the weight just won't come off! I've heard and read that once you hit 40, your metabolism crashes. Anybody else finding it difficult to get the weight off? I'm open to suggestions on what I can do to get the scale moving in the right direction!
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I think this is true for most of us. I did some research and found that adding strength training will certainly help to boost metabolism. I am not as limber as I used to be and also have some knee problems, I have a new found love for Yoga. It is very calming, energizing, and the poses stretch and strengthen at the same time without being boring (like my free weights routine.....it's like pulling teeth). If you are interested, check out Sarah Beth Yoga on Youtube. She has everything from beginner to advanced and from 5 to 30 minutes or even more.0
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If mine slowed, I somehow managed to speed it back up. How much exercise, what kind of exercise are you doing and are you consistently meeting your calorie weight loss goal?0
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I'm have that problem, but I am aware of what derails my diet and I am finally putting it together.0
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I think the reason behind that truism is that in general people let their musculature decline over time. As we move less and less we lose more of our lean body mass and so our metabolisms slow down. It's nothing that can't change with good diet and exercise
I hope...! 0 -
I can't say I can blame it on age. If anything I know my body better now than in previous years. But I find that if I track honestly and consistently and I get my workouts in the rest just falls into place. I do a lot of resistance training though so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
What kind of workouts are you doing?0 -
I can't say I can blame it on age. If anything I know my body better now than in previous years. But I find that if I track honestly and consistently and I get my workouts in the rest just falls into place. I do a lot of resistance training though so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
What kind of workouts are you doing?About three years ago, I dropped 40 lbs but put it right back on and then some. Now here I am starting again (lost 20 lbs with 30 more to go) and I'm finding it much more difficult to get the weight off. I'm eating right and exercising and the weight just won't come off! I've heard and read that once you hit 40, your metabolism crashes. Anybody else finding it difficult to get the weight off? I'm open to suggestions on what I can do to get the scale moving in the right direction!
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There was a study a few years ago about menopausal women and resistance training. The conclusion was that resistance training was very effective in reducing fat (especially abdominal!) and increasing lean body mass in menopausal women. HRT helped to preserve lean body mass, but resistance training led to a significant increase in lean mass whether or not the woman was on HRT. As resistance training also helps to preserve bone density, it's a really good thing for 40-something women to be doing whether or not they are menopausal. I am 12 weeks into a very simple full body program using machines. It took about six weeks to see any real movement on the scale, but the weight is coming off very steadily now. I'm about four inches smaller around my abdomen. I plan to transition to more free weights in the near future, but just a simple machine routine that takes about a half hour twice a week has had a lot of impact. If you don't have access to machines or free weights, body weight and resistance band workouts are also effective.
I also hike and walk. I try to get in a 5+ mile hike every week and walk or hike a shorter distance a couple of other times during the week, but I don't do it intending it to be a cardio routine or on any particular schedule. I just like to get out in the sun and nature.0 -
I need to introduce a stricter exercise regime! when I was younger I could just cut out snacking, walk 10k steps a day and the weight would steadily drop off.... That doesn't happen now. I'm going to have to work hard to drop this 20lb!!0
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I am also having a hard time losing weight that I give up but then return when more weight pile up and my body starts reacting in ways I don't want it to. What I think I need is a fitness buddy to keep each other encouraged and accountable. My husband is great but he simply refuses to see the extra pounds always telling me I am beautiful in any size. And as much as I like that he accepts me, he fails to understand that it isn't really about beauty per se, but about being healthy. I need to drop 20lbs and yes, at 43 I can't help but think my age makes it harder.0
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What is resistance training & what is HRT?0
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Resistance training is exercise that relies on resistance - weights, body weight, or resistance bands, for example. HRT is hormone replacement therapy.0
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Just got my hormone levels checked and everything is normal, so I cannot use that as my excuse anymore. Cleaned up my diet this week, but can't seem to fit in a workout due to my schedule. Will start again on Monday. I hate cardio so I am going to do a 3 cardio/ 2 strength training week to see how I manage. My five year old will be back from summer break with my parents and she keeps me really busy.0
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47 here. I sit 11+ hours a day between a desk job and commute. I'm not an expert, but I'll share what worked for me: 3 weight days (push/pull/legs) with 2 cardio days each week (35 min, 85% max HR). I'm seldom in they gym more than an hour a day, I have active weekends. If you're on a 1k a day deficit including cardio or HIIT each day can help give you extra calories to eat. Use an HRM for the first year or so. All these online tools are just estimates, you need to adjust until you see scale movement and continue to adjust calories within reason all the way to goal weight. If you're starving yourself you're doing it wrong. You may also want to consider that you're on a deficit and beating your 40 year old self up doing brutal workouts - so think about refueling accordingly.
Maintaining as much lean muscle as you can while on a deficit is really important. Weights, keeping your protein count up, not crashing your calorie count will all help. The more muscle you keep, the higher metabolism you're going to have. I highly recommend doing some research regarding the subject, there's lots of articles.
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I'm 43 and struggling so bad with losing weight. I'm always tracking my food and exercising 4 times a week but not seeing results. Frustrating.0
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Just got my hormone levels checked and everything is normal, so I cannot use that as my excuse anymore. Cleaned up my diet this week, but can't seem to fit in a workout due to my schedule. Will start again on Monday. I hate cardio so I am going to do a 3 cardio/ 2 strength training week to see how I manage. My five year old will be back from summer break with my parents and she keeps me really busy.
I had a nurse tell me that the trick sometimes is to break up your workouts into 10 minute bites. Try 10 minutes in the morning of exercise before you hit the shower, put in 10 mins of walking or something active at lunch, and 10 minutes in the evening. It gets easier as the results start to show, and suddenly you find you actually have time to exercise if you do it that way. I did abdominal exercises (8 minutes on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL6ncmu3JFUOe-3DlKsZWW1Yg_k8Ry5ToA and it started to whittle my waist away. The P4P also have other exercises that are geared to tone other parts of your body, also broken into bite sized pieces. Great way to add workouts to your day without feeling overwhelmed.0 -
Oh, and my daughter would exercise with me when she was younger. She's harder on me than I am on myself (got to the point I would hide from her so we didn't have to exercise.....lol.) It's a great way for her to also learn to incorporate exercise into her daily routine and see it as a normal part of life.0
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Yes, I am struggling, too. I know my problem is portion control. I've to get out the scale & Measuring cups. It just doesn't come off like it use to. A good week of high hydration & vegetables, and I could drop 5 pounds. Not any more.
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Me! I'm in the process of doing a metabolism reset. I need to find my TDEE and then letting my metabolism repair to do a cut. I was eating at too big of a deficit I found out; and my body adapted to it, and it wouldn't let me lose. It hung on to everything and even gained. I will be doing 3 days of strength training and minimal cardio. Strength training and protein is the key from what I am hearing.0
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In 2004, I lost 30 pounds in 7 months. Nice and slow. Kept it off for awhile. But it was too low of a weight for my sedentary lifestyle here in the US. It was perfect for living in the mountain town of Teplice in the Czech Republic when I was teaching English there after college. Effortless 110lbs. Not effortless here in Missouri. Constant diet. So I let it go. And eventually surpassed the 140 that made me want to lose those 30 back in 2004. I stopped myself at 147.4 in mid-April and got back on track. And yes, I find the weight is coming off slower now. I'm 43 this time around. I used to lose around .5 a day back then, with fluctuations here and there. Now, I think it's more like .2, with fluctuations of course. So it's a slower loss. But it's a loss and I'm trying to be patient with it. Aiming for 125lb.s this time around. Presently: 134lb.s0
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Almost 47 and finding it next to impossible to drop the pounds. I have blood work done and everything is fine. Back in January I started exercising every day on the elliptical. I eventually added weights and sit-ups and was watching what I ate. After 8 weeks, I lost a total of 2 pounds. Talk about feeling discouraged! I am now ready to get back on track. I am currently at my heaviest and not liking it at all! I need motivation!!!!0
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Almost 47 and finding it next to impossible to drop the pounds. I have blood work done and everything is fine. Back in January I started exercising every day on the elliptical. I eventually added weights and sit-ups and was watching what I ate. After 8 weeks, I lost a total of 2 pounds. Talk about feeling discouraged! I am now ready to get back on track. I am currently at my heaviest and not liking it at all! I need motivation!!!!
That can be frustrating. When you say watching what you eat what does that mean exactly? Are you eating enough? What was your elliptical workout like?
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I second (third? fourth?) the comments re resistance training (free weights for me). It is consistently the difference between me being able to lose and not lose. Plus seeing the definition in my muscles gives me motivation to continue on the right path, which can be difficult if you have a long way to go (or even if you don't). I've read that second only to tracking calories, weight training is the most important thing you can do for fat loss.0
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I'm 41. I got my fairness trainer certification andalso aabout to get my sports nutrition certification. My motto is, if I can stay in fit shape and can perform many execises,then anyone younger than me has no excuse. I'm nota ripped chilsel guy. But I cconsider my self to be fit and lean. Eat your calories fir the day and give yourself sat or sunday to cheat. Workout 6 days. Include yoga and a few two a days a week. Meaning extra cardio later in eveining. If you have a stationary bike or treadmill at home get on it while you watch yourtv shows instead of sitting on couch. Eat more protein build muscle. More muscle. Kills fat. There are so many ways.0
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Mine slowed. I had some blood work done and my iron, vitamin d, vitamin b12 and another b vitamin folic acid were deficient so within a few weeks of getting more sun, eating more foods with those vitamins, and taking supplementation a lot of symptoms and tiredness went away. I guess it is growing more common for people to be deficient in vitamin d and they did a study that shows that more women than men have the deficiency, and that if obese and deficient in vitamin d then getting vitamin d back in optimal range of at least 50 helps with weight loss. It takes at least six months and supervised by a physician.0
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I'm 43 and struggling so bad with losing weight. I'm always tracking my food and exercising 4 times a week but not seeing results. Frustrating.
The same thing was happening to me - I went to my MD and they found nothing wrong - I went to a holistic doctor and they found my liver and adrenals aren't working properly - so with clean eating and herbal supplements I have lost 10 pounds this month!0 -
I am too... struggling! It is like pulling teeth to get off just a few pounds. I can only do light exercising right now, but I hope to incorporate a little strength training in. But I only drop if I fast and I am sure that is just water weight.0
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Almost 47 and finding it next to impossible to drop the pounds. I have blood work done and everything is fine. Back in January I started exercising every day on the elliptical. I eventually added weights and sit-ups and was watching what I ate. After 8 weeks, I lost a total of 2 pounds. Talk about feeling discouraged! I am now ready to get back on track. I am currently at my heaviest and not liking it at all! I need motivation!!!!
I'm 45 and found myself at 283 , i decided to come back and try losing the weight again after so many failed attempts. I managed to lose 19 lbs in the last 3 weeks, But it took me 3 strait weeks of hard work and measuring every bite on a scae to lose weight.. I also had to cut out All processed foods and began eating whole foods. i love chocolate so struggled with not being able to have my sweets but found a black bean low calorie recipe , I now am able to have my protien & chocolate and been having them as a prework out before i began my work out for energy. stick to it and moniter all your intake. your body will adventually give in and start letting go of the lbs.. p/s make sure your taking a multi vitimin to ensure your getting your daily nutrients..
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I don't struggle with my metabolism any more because I had an awakening. Around 5 weeks ago I started eating cleaner by juicing and having more whole grains and plant based foods in my diet. I also started carrying a water flask with me wherever I went. This helped the pounds to shift.
In terms of exercise I train in taekwondo (3 hours a wk), run (3 x 20 mins a wk) and lift (3 x a wk). I cycle as a mode of transport. All of this has helped to boost my metabolism and mood. I must stress that I gradually added activities in and didn't start all of that in one go. With all of that being said, what you put in your body and strength training makes such a difference. I hope you find the posts helpful.
I have just turned 47 and have a new lease of life.0 -
I meet with a personal trainer - I was doing cardio and hour to two a day and not losing anything. Where in the past once I start exercising I can usually drop weight. The trainer suggested adding weights and I have started to loss some weight now. I do 40 - 50 minutes of cardio and a half an hour of weights six times a week.
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