Maybe at 52 I shouldn't eat my exercise calories...

It's very possible you aren't eating enough. You HAVE to eat in order to lose weight. Plain and simple.

As for eating back exercise calories, MFP already includes a deficit in your calories when it gives you your daily calorie allowance. It assumes you aren't going to exercise at all.

If you eat 1200 calories - 400 burned with exercise = 800 NET calories - this is the actual number of calories you are consuming. 800 calories is NOT enough calories for anyone to live on + 400 calories you eat back = 1200 which is your original goal.

I see sooo many people on here say "I only eat 1200 calories a day and I'm not losing weight!". So very many. I would suggest checking to see what your BMR is and go from there.

I eat between 2200-2400 calories a day. If I only ate 1200 calories, my body would go into starvation mode and would STOP losing weight!

You must fuel your body in order to lose the weight. Yes, most people who follow a strict 1200 calorie diet see a loss for awhile, but eventually your body says "WHOA! We're starving here!" and starts to store and hold onto fat. It'll begin burning muscle for fuel. This is completely opposite of what we want - we want to build muscle, not burn it. We want to burn fat, not store it.

I highly suggest upp'ing your calories for a few weeks and see what happens. Also, make sure you're drinking enough water and switch up your workout routine. Our bodies get used to what we're doing and stop working as efficiently because it is used to it. Keep your body guessing! I try and switch it up every time I go to the gym - just to keep it guessing.

I am a 50-something and I too think it sounds silly. I mean I've had half a century of hearing this and that gimmick about losing weight. Yes, eating too few calories is bad for your health, but it does not make you gain weight (duh!). Eat healthy, don't overeat, and exercise. That's still how you do it.

I had the same problem. Sounds like you are not eating enough calories. Go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm to see how many calories you should eat to lose weight. (I was eating way to little) This calculator will adjust your calories per day to keep your mtblsm going so that you will not plateau. Hope this helps

I am a 50-something and I too think it sounds silly. I mean I've had half a century of hearing this and that gimmick about losing weight. Yes, eating too few calories is bad for your health, but it does not make you gain weight (duh!). Eat healthy, don't overeat, and exercise. That's still how you do it.

Eating too few calories may not make you gain weight - but you won't lose weight either. Google "Starvation mode" and read what it says. When you don't give your body enough calories to fuel itself to do everyday functions (like breathing, growing hair, digesting food) it sure as heck isn't going to burn off the fat that is already on you. It's worried you're going to stop feeding it and it shouldn't burn the fat --- just in case it may need it later.

Eating = losing weight (and I am a perfect example of that!). From my own personal experience, I'm telling you that this is true. Ask around on here. You'll find sooo many people who will tell you EAT! Don't starve yourself.

My BMR is 1330. So, if I laid in bed ALL day long and didn't do ANYTHING (not even get up!) my body would still need 1330 calories just to perform basic bodily functions. If I only eat 1200 calories a day, I'm not even giving my body enough to perform basic functions on a day when I'm laying in bed not doing ANYTHING. Add in all the stuff we do in a day and you'll find that you need far more than what you think. Does this mean go out and eat 2000 calories worth of quarter pounders with cheese? NO. But, if you eat healthy foods -- you WILL lose weight.

hi my mom is 55 and she's having the same problem. i thought that it was just her metabolism slowing down and she was eating too little and she was just maintaining. she wouldn't listen to me to eat more, becuase she believes "eat less, lose more" but after MONTHS of bugging her, and her seeing me lose a lot of weight by increasing my calories, she listened. she ate 5 small meals a day for a couple days and lost 3 lbs right away. i TOLD her!!

i really think that eating a little more (the right way, and with healthy food) can do wonders. yes, everyone is different, but that's just what worked for me...and my mom

good luck!!

I'm 39....but I am losing very slowly as well. I asked my Dr if I should eat back my exercise calories and he told me NO! I know this is a controversial subject here on MFP, but I think you should do what works for you. I am only 5'1 and I can feel satisfied on 1200 calories a day as long as I stick to whole, non-processed foods (lots of protein, healthy fats, veggies and fruit - no sugar, & no empty calorie grains!) I don't feel the need to eat back exercise calories. Also when I exercise I do it first thing in the morning. If I work out later in the day I would probably be way too hungry at dinner.

I say unless you are starving, don't eat them back and see if it works for you.

Nicole

The difference between most programs and MFP is that MFP has already included a deficit in the calories it's given you for a day. It assumes you aren't going to exercise, so it gives you a number based on your goals and NO exercise.

So, if you exercise and don't eat the calories back - you'll be far below what MFP recommends and it's already given you a deficit.

Have you tried switching your percentages around - more calories from protein, less from carbs or vice versa, try it for a couple of weeks see if it makes a difference? I too am not a fan of the eat the calories back brigade, though I do allow myself to eat some of them back if I'm hungry! I think it's more important to eat little and often, and make sure you get at least 20 minutes exercise a day. I personally feel that MFP gives too many calories for exercise on its calculations - take it with a large pinch of salt! I'm preparing myself to be shouted at now...

I am 49 and I am having the same problem. My Dr. said it is could be a variable of things like menapause, possible thyroid issues, slower metabolism. She suggested 50 minutes of cardio and to cut back on carbs but not calories. I am gonna try and see if it helps! Kathy

I am 52 and I was at the same holding pattern, so I don't eat all my calories back. I eat between 1100-1300 and I burn about 300-500 a day..... and it seems to be working......as long as I get my 1200, and I have my diet balanced I have started to loose weight again, in the past week I dropped 2 pounds (I only have 10-15 to lose)

As you can see this is a hot topic and you can read at least a hundred different post about it.
I am 53, been here since Jan 1st. Have lost 77.6 pounds to date. My opinion and that is all
it is (and you know what they day about opionions and everybody having one...)

Use common sense. If you have made it to your fifty's and have been dieting off and on,
and have always had more than say 50 pounds to lose. You know your body, you know
how it reacts. I do not eat back all of my exercise calories. Yes, starvation mode is real.
Yes, the body is "hard headed" (hey, just like us) and wants to hold on to weight at different
times. Remember the old "set point theory" - it's real. When I exercise more than normal,
yes, I eat extra calories as my body lets me know it needs it.

Do your research, be totally honest about what you are taking i n. Log it (weigh it, measure it
- until you really get the hang of it, count every nibble and taste). Drink your water... the body
is made up mainly of water..if you do not get enough it holds on to it too ! when you drink
enough (not so much that your urine is clear and looks like water), the body will balance out.

Check out the, dang can't remeber the name... but where you eat say 1200 calories for a couple of days,
then eat say 1400, then back to 1200, and then maybe 1300...keeps the body from knowing just what
you are going to do next. A suggestion to add to all of this...lol... make sure the calories you consume
are nutrition dense and spead them out over 3-5 meals.

We older ladies, can do this. This site is full of them that have and are..

Read, learn, use common sense along with nutritional advise...
Go out there and get healthy!!!

best wishes along your journey
Margie

I'm a few months shy of 47 and I eat most, if not all of my exercise calories because there's no way I can make it on 1200 calories a day or less. I can't argue with the merits of doing that since I have lost almost 17 pounds in the 3 months since I joined MFP. But in the end we all have to find the way that works best for each of us. Maybe this is the approach that will work best for you. Congrats on your progress thus far.

I am a 50-something and I too think it sounds silly. I mean I've had half a century of hearing this and that gimmick about losing weight. Yes, eating too few calories is bad for your health, but it does not make you gain weight (duh!). Eat healthy, don't overeat, and exercise. That's still how you do it.

Eating too few calories may not make you gain weight - but you won't lose weight either. Google "Starvation mode" and read what it says. When you don't give your body enough calories to fuel itself to do everyday functions (like breathing, growing hair, digesting food) it sure as heck isn't going to burn off the fat that is already on you. It's worried you're going to stop feeding it and it shouldn't burn the fat --- just in case it may need it later.

Eating = losing weight (and I am a perfect example of that!). From my own personal experience, I'm telling you that this is true. Ask around on here. You'll find sooo many people who will tell you EAT! Don't starve yourself.

My BMR is 1330. So, if I laid in bed ALL day long and didn't do ANYTHING (not even get up!) my body would still need 1330 calories just to perform basic bodily functions. If I only eat 1200 calories a day, I'm not even giving my body enough to perform basic functions on a day when I'm laying in bed not doing ANYTHING. Add in all the stuff we do in a day and you'll find that you need far more than what you think. Does this mean go out and eat 2000 calories worth of quarter pounders with cheese? NO. But, if you eat healthy foods -- you WILL lose weight.

Maybe this has something to do with being very obese, which I've never been so I can't speak to that. But I have been "overweight" many times and lost it (max 40 lbs over). The most recent time the beginning of this year. I've never counted calories before joining this site (after most of the weight was already lost). If you eat less food than you burn you'll lose weight. It does not have to healthy food, many times when I was younger I lost by eating nothing but a piece of pizza and a snickers all day long. Now I eat healthy foods till I'm full. My body will tell me when it needs more, and I'll give it more.