Looking to lose 20 pounds and I just turned 50

As a 59-year-old active person who's lost a bit over 40 pounds so far, I'd speculate that already being active is something that has helped me lose weight, as compared to some other 50+ women I see in the forums who report having age-related difficulty losing. If you weigh what you eat, and log consistently, MFP will help you learn a lot about your body and metabolism.

While I don't agree that it's *essential* that you ramp up your workouts (I haven't done so very much), it does help you "buy" extra daily calories & make the process easier, plus some form of resistance training will help you avoid losing muscle/strength as you lose weight, and of course helps keep bones strong as we age.

With only 20 pounds to lose, most folks would recommend that you adopt a slow loss rate, too, which will also make it easier day-to-day. Read the "stickies" (permanent posts at the top) of the "Getting Started" and "General Diet & Weight Loss" forum topics: They're a great help.

I would suggest that you don't make your calorie limit too aggressive. A loss of .5 lb/week provides for a workable amount of calories. Add exercise (cardio) to earn more calories.

You'll find lots of success here.

You can do this! I am proof! I'm 47 and have lost 56 lbs. Eating in moderation, not depriving myself of what I want to eat as long as it's within my daily goal and getting up and moving/walking was key for me. Good luck!