Losing weight after 40
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kshama2001 wrote: »trn2bthin11 wrote: »Thanks so much for all your replies, I will try to add a bit more activity in my daily routine maybe that will help
Using a FitBit motivates me to increase my activity, as does earning extra calories from exercise.
This helps me as well, especially if I know we're going out for dinner I can 'pre-earn' the extra calories by walking more that day.0 -
Twenty years ago I walked tens of thousands of steps every day, I was so busy with full-time work and full-time school that I barely thought about food as anything other than an energy source, and I was so broke that I couldn't afford to eat anything more than what I needed to get that energy. Today there are days I can end up with 1000 steps if I don't go out of my way to get more, I spend lots of time thinking about food because I enjoy cooking for myself and my family, and I can afford (within reason) to eat whatever and whenever I want. So, I'm sure I've had a decrease in BMR, but that's such a small part of the story! In fact, I'm almost back down to the same weight I was at 20 and there's only a 150 calories difference in BMR.
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kshama2001 wrote: »trn2bthin11 wrote: »Thanks so much for all your replies, I will try to add a bit more activity in my daily routine maybe that will help
Using a FitBit motivates me to increase my activity, as does earning extra calories from exercise.
I have been thinking about investing in one of those! Thanks for the tip0 -
for me it has been harder. Im 41 and about 13 years ago I lost like 25 lbs without trying just doing a little more than I was. then I started overeating and got fat. now this time around Im more active, lift heavy,I weigh all my food,I log it and still havent lost anything in over 6 months.still have about 25lbs to lose, but gave up for now and decided to eat a little above maintenance and see where it gets me in the next several months.I dont have any issues that should prevent me from losing it either. I even ate less than what MFP told me to(went from 1700+ down to 1500+).so for some of us I think it is harder. kudos to those who have no issues.0
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trn2bthin11 wrote: »Does anyone find it more difficult to lose weight, I am 43, about 5 years ago I lost about 55 pounds with weight watchers in about 6 months. So far with mfp it's going very slow. Anyone have this experience? Thanks for any input
I'm 48, and was surprised how quickly the weight fell off. I didn't think it would. In fact, I kind of started here to prove that I couldn't lose weight anymore what with perimenopause and all.
16 weeks later, I had lost 15 kg.
I took a month break, then went on to lose another 10 kg.
Guess I can't use age and perimenopause as an excuse.
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trn2bthin11 wrote: »Does anyone find it more difficult to lose weight, I am 43, about 5 years ago I lost about 55 pounds with weight watchers in about 6 months. So far with mfp it's going very slow. Anyone have this experience? Thanks for any input
I would call it different, but I don't think it's more difficult.0 -
trn2bthin11 wrote: »Does anyone find it more difficult to lose weight, I am 43, about 5 years ago I lost about 55 pounds with weight watchers in about 6 months. So far with mfp it's going very slow. Anyone have this experience? Thanks for any input
Nope. I'm almost 54 and it still just involves eating less and moving more. I actually think it's easier than before because I've learned more about nutrition, fitness/training and the weight loss process, and have the patience/perspective to deal with losing it at a more gradual pace this time. It makes the whole process more enjoyable.0 -
GuitarJerry wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »for me it has been harder. Im 41 and about 13 years ago I lost like 25 lbs without trying just doing a little more than I was. then I started overeating and got fat. now this time around Im more active, lift heavy,I weigh all my food,I log it and still havent lost anything in over 6 months.still have about 25lbs to lose, but gave up for now and decided to eat a little above maintenance and see where it gets me in the next several months.I dont have any issues that should prevent me from losing it either. I even ate less than what MFP told me to(went from 1700+ down to 1500+).so for some of us I think it is harder. kudos to those who have no issues.
Too many issues to address here. But, I'm not convinced, based on what you wrote, that you really trying.
I have been here over a year and yes I really am trying. I lift weights,do cardio, weigh EVERYTHING and log it correctly. yet nothing has happened in the last 6 months.I own 2 food scales at that.I always lost very slowly,when I went to higher calories before the plateau,again I lost very slowly. I keep losing and gaining the same 3-6lbs. I was 168.8 and my weight has been stalled at 171-174. I do know what I am doing. and have asked for advice before. my thyroid tests and hormone tests come out normal. I eat fast food maybe once a month if that. most of my meals are cooked at home.I know most people will say you need to eat less, I did for months after my plateau lasted more than 2 months. and 4 months later not a dang thing. Ive been on this journey almost 3 1/2 years(over one year on MFP) and only have lost 44 out of the 69 I have gained.so you tell me what issues I have,when I am trying short of starving myself on less than 1500 calories?0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I even ate less than what MFP told me to(went from 1700+ down to 1500+).
I have to limit myself to about 1300 ... plus half my exercise calories.
I upped it to 1600 calories just recently, and started gaining weight again. So I've dropped it to 1450 this week, and will drop it again to 1400 next week, and probably 1350 the week after, and then 1300.
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I'm sure it is for me, because we used to practice for over 3 hours at least 5 days a week. I don't do that anymore, lol. But who remembers how much they used to eat? Not me.
I did notice that I can eat a couple of hundred more calories than my stats now suggest! That's very cool. I don't know if that was always true or if it's because I have more lean mass than the average 45-year-old my height. My frame (from the bones) is definitely wider than the average girl my height, so it might've always been true. OTOH, I do lift and most 45-y-o women probably don't. I'm not very active for long periods, though. That part has changed a lot. Apparently I used to get to eat a whole lot, lol.0 -
trn2bthin11 wrote: »Does anyone find it more difficult to lose weight, I am 43, about 5 years ago I lost about 55 pounds with weight watchers in about 6 months. So far with mfp it's going very slow. Anyone have this experience? Thanks for any input
Nope, not harder to lose after 40. Have even gone through menopause with no issue of weight loss. I do tend to hold more weight around my stomach compared to when I was younger, that is about all.0 -
trn2bthin11 wrote: »Does anyone find it more difficult to lose weight, I am 43, about 5 years ago I lost about 55 pounds with weight watchers in about 6 months. So far with mfp it's going very slow. Anyone have this experience? Thanks for any input
Nope, not harder to lose after 40. Have even gone through menopause with no issue of weight loss. I do tend to hold more weight around my stomach compared to when I was younger, that is about all.
Now that I've noticed ... I look at photos of me in my 20s and 30s at the same weight I am now, and my stomach area was pretty much flat. Now I've got a little bit of a stomach.
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I even ate less than what MFP told me to(went from 1700+ down to 1500+).
I have to limit myself to about 1300 ... plus half my exercise calories.
I upped it to 1600 calories just recently, and started gaining weight again. So I've dropped it to 1450 this week, and will drop it again to 1400 next week, and probably 1350 the week after, and then 1300.
Im 5'6 1/2 and exercise for about an hr sometimes a little more 6 days a week most of the time. I do cardio,lift heavy and so on. I switch things up. if I dropped to 1300 that would be less than my BMR. 95% of the time I wasnt eating all my exercise calories back(50-75%). sure I had some days I went over but it never went over my weekly goal. even during the holidays. My TDEE is something like 2100+ according to all the calculators Ive used and my fitbit.(they are all close). so I should have been losing but it stalled. Ive tried everything and nothing.my healthy weight and the weight I was before I gained was 140. I was 168.8 before the plateau hit and now Im between 171-174 and I gain and lose those lbs over and over again. I cant get back down to the 168,.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I even ate less than what MFP told me to(went from 1700+ down to 1500+).
I have to limit myself to about 1300 ... plus half my exercise calories.
I upped it to 1600 calories just recently, and started gaining weight again. So I've dropped it to 1450 this week, and will drop it again to 1400 next week, and probably 1350 the week after, and then 1300.
Im 5'6 1/2 and exercise for about an hr sometimes a little more 6 days a week most of the time. I do cardio,lift heavy and so on. I switch things up. if I dropped to 1300 that would be less than my BMR. 95% of the time I wasnt eating all my exercise calories back(50-75%). sure I had some days I went over but it never went over my weekly goal. even during the holidays. My TDEE is something like 2100+ according to all the calculators Ive used and my fitbit.(they are all close). so I should have been losing but it stalled. Ive tried everything and nothing.my healthy weight and the weight I was before I gained was 140. I was 168.8 before the plateau hit and now Im between 171-174 and I gain and lose those lbs over and over again. I cant get back down to the 168,.
I'm 5'6" and exercise for over an hour a day, 7 days a week. Some days I exercise for 8 hours or more (long distance cyclist). In addition to cycling, I walk briskly, hike, climb a multitude of stairs and lift weights.
When I started with MFP, I started at 1250 + half my exercise calories. I stuck to that like glue for the first 16 weeks. Weighing and logging everything. Estimating low on my exercise calories. No cheat days. No variations on holidays. No going over. If I did a really long ride, I might eat 75% of my calories back, but that was the highest I'd go.
And I lost 15 kg in 16 weeks.
When I returned from my diet break, I upped my calories to 1350 + half my exercise calories. My weight loss slowed, and it took about 20 weeks to lose 10 kg.
I have plugged my info into various calculators to try to figure out what my maintenance calories should be, and was horribly disappointed to discover that my maintenance calories are a mere 1500 cal + exercise calories.
I figured that couldn't be right, but for a month over Christmas I put myself at 1600 cal + exercise calories ... and I gained weight. So I guess it is right. I dropped to 1500 cal + exercise calories and the weight gain stopped. Now I've started to lower it again, and hopefully I'll be able to lose the last 5 kg to drop me right near the bottom of my normal BMI range.
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I even ate less than what MFP told me to(went from 1700+ down to 1500+).
I have to limit myself to about 1300 ... plus half my exercise calories.
I upped it to 1600 calories just recently, and started gaining weight again. So I've dropped it to 1450 this week, and will drop it again to 1400 next week, and probably 1350 the week after, and then 1300.
Im 5'6 1/2 and exercise for about an hr sometimes a little more 6 days a week most of the time. I do cardio,lift heavy and so on. I switch things up. if I dropped to 1300 that would be less than my BMR. 95% of the time I wasnt eating all my exercise calories back(50-75%). sure I had some days I went over but it never went over my weekly goal. even during the holidays. My TDEE is something like 2100+ according to all the calculators Ive used and my fitbit.(they are all close). so I should have been losing but it stalled. Ive tried everything and nothing.my healthy weight and the weight I was before I gained was 140. I was 168.8 before the plateau hit and now Im between 171-174 and I gain and lose those lbs over and over again. I cant get back down to the 168,.
I'm 5'6" and exercise for over an hour a day, 7 days a week. Some days I exercise for 8 hours or more (long distance cyclist). In addition to cycling, I walk briskly, hike, climb a multitude of stairs and lift weights.
When I started with MFP, I started at 1250 + half my exercise calories. I stuck to that like glue for the first 16 weeks. Weighing and logging everything. Estimating low on my exercise calories. No cheat days. No variations on holidays. No going over. If I did a really long ride, I might eat 75% of my calories back, but that was the highest I'd go.
And I lost 15 kg in 16 weeks.
When I returned from my diet break, I upped my calories to 1350 + half my exercise calories. My weight loss slowed, and it took about 20 weeks to lose 10 kg.
I have plugged my info into various calculators to try to figure out what my maintenance calories should be, and was horribly disappointed to discover that my maintenance calories are a mere 1500 cal + exercise calories. I figured that couldn't be right, but for a month over Christmas I put myself at 1600 cal + exercise calories ... and I gained weight. So I guess it is right. I dropped to 1500 cal + exercise calories and the weight gain stopped. Now I've started to lower it again, and hopefully I'll be able to lose the last 5 kg to drop me right near the bottom of my normal BMI range.
what is weird when I first started losing weight,I lost 17lbs in about 4 months and I was not weighing food,counting calories or anything. lost slowly after than. then lost about 33 lbs. then right before I joined MFP I gained half of the weight back.never changed anything before that. so I joined,got a food scale and learned how to weigh food and log it the right way. lost 24 lbs altogether in the little over a year Ive been here, then gained a little back. and keep losing it and gaining it back. thing is I went into maintenance before and was still losing weight which was 1800+ at the time.then I plateaued again did some research that said to drop it down because I had to be less active due to having epstein barr virus(liver and spleen were enlarged so I had to take it easy. so figured I would eat a little less since I wasnt as active(around 1500 many days I ate less than that,sometimes 1200-1400 net)., lost those pounds I gained but then the scale went back up again over and over. its been 6 months and havent lost anything. so decided maybe if I stay at the weight Im at now and see what happens,I can always try again later. but for right now weight loss wasnt happening, getting plenty of sleep, no stress,drinking plenty of water,and now trying to eat better(more nutrient dense foods).0 -
See, I'm 5'6", 45, and get to eat 1750-1850 more sedentary than sedentary on my pedometer! It can differ so much, and something has to account for it, but I'm really not sure what other than maybe LBM.0
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cafeaulait7 wrote: »See, I'm 5'6", 45, and get to eat 1750-1850 more sedentary than sedentary on my pedometer! It can differ so much, and something has to account for it, but I'm really not sure what other than maybe LBM.
Im 41 and cant figure out what it could be. all my blood tests come back normal. so I have no clue. I know its not from not weighing and logging properly,and its not from not being active because I am.when I started MFP I was helping hubby tear down a house(sept 2014. worked sometimes 8 hrs(on my feet moving heavy boards from point a to point b), ate less then too and still didnt lose much. go figure0 -
It was was easier for me as I found this site. Realised that I ate too much with no exercise at all, and all I had to do was eat a little less to lose weight and exercise.
Through this site I realised all those silly things that people say to lose weight I could ignore. Never looked back since.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »cafeaulait7 wrote: »See, I'm 5'6", 45, and get to eat 1750-1850 more sedentary than sedentary on my pedometer! It can differ so much, and something has to account for it, but I'm really not sure what other than maybe LBM.
Im 41 and cant figure out what it could be. all my blood tests come back normal. so I have no clue. I know its not from not weighing and logging properly,and its not from not being active because I am.when I started MFP I was helping hubby tear down a house(sept 2014. worked sometimes 8 hrs(on my feet moving heavy boards from point a to point b), ate less then too and still didnt lose much. go figure
Maybe try dropping your calories a bit and see if that helps. Try 1400 + half your exercise calories.
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Well the good news is you've found maintenance for the way you're currently logging and eating so I'd cut 250 calories off the way you are logging now for 6 weeks
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Nope started around the latter part of my 40's, very well into menopause (since 28 due to surgery) chronic pain condition and totally out of shape and on anti-depressants.....Many told me losing weight from the highest point @ 278 lbs was a fruitless endeavor.
Thank God I was stubborn enough to ignore them and approx. 2 1/2 years into dieting and then introducing a progressive walking program I did lose all that excess baggage and have been maintaining that loss for nigh on 3 years.
You are good to go and be the best you ever, never let age, life changes etc get in your way....work around, through and over the top of them.
I wish you great success.
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At 42 I decided enough was enough and put myself on a strict 12 week diet and exercise regime. Found that each week i was losing around 1kg, and ended up with a total just over 17kg lost.
Unfortunately due to my bad habits its crept back on a little, so now I need to do it all over again. But i'm closer to my goal than I was before I started and i know what is needed, so I started again on Jan 10 -
At 42 I decided enough was enough and put myself on a strict 12 week diet and exercise regime. Found that each week i was losing around 1kg, and ended up with a total just over 17kg lost.
Unfortunately due to my bad habits its crept back on a little, so now I need to do it all over again. But i'm closer to my goal than I was before I started and i know what is needed, so I started again on Jan 1
Whilst losing weight work out how you're going to maintain...meaning make your weight loss a learning curve and full of highly palatable foods ....accept that this is your way of eating for life plus a few calories and make it work for you...it helps0 -
My husband and I both are 49 yrs old, and this has been the easiest program ever. He has lost 34 and I have lost 23, with more to come off. I sometimes can't believe how easy MFP is, along with exercise.
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At 42 I decided enough was enough and put myself on a strict 12 week diet and exercise regime. Found that each week i was losing around 1kg, and ended up with a total just over 17kg lost.
Unfortunately due to my bad habits its crept back on a little, so now I need to do it all over again. But i'm closer to my goal than I was before I started and i know what is needed, so I started again on Jan 1
Whilst losing weight work out how you're going to maintain...meaning make your weight loss a learning curve and full of highly palatable foods ....accept that this is your way of eating for life plus a few calories and make it work for you...it helps
This, to me, is the most wonderful things about the standard MFP CI<CO process. I'm about to enter maintenance, and I know exactly what to do, how to eat forever. I've improved my macros (especially protein), figured out how to stay satiated, learned how to handle occasional treats and special occasions, and more.
I'm always dismayed when people give up this learning opportunity, pursue a (sometimes crazy) way of eating that they can't continue forever, and essentially often do that just to get a weight loss rate that's unhealthful and will probably make them lose more than the bare minimum of muscle along the way. That's a recipe for yo-yo dieting.
Us older folks, especially, oughta manage to be smarter than that.0 -
My body seems to quite resolutely want to maintain weight and apart from the past 6 months has been very stable. I'm trying the Fit4Life program this time which should give ongoing motivation. I've only just started so no idea yet how well I'm doing. I do note though that the recommended rate of weight loss has reduced. I'm sure I remember talk of 2kg/week, but now it's 500g/week which means with weekly measuring any change short term can be lost in measurement noise (mass of food, water, clothing).
In the past I've used exercise to control weight, so seen weight stay level at first as muscle increased, then weight start to reduce. Still, the most I lost was about 5%. I could do with losing about 8% now.0 -
Easier in fact. I have a lot more lean muscle mass than I ever did in my life.0
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I had an easier time losing weight at 46 than ever in my 30's. But I don't know how much of that has to do with my age or just having learned more about nutrition and fitness by now. I have heard that it is harder to lose weight the older you get, but hopefully I won't have to lose weight again to find out. I have also heard that if you aren't careful to stay active and continue eating right, it is easier to gain weight the older you get.0
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Well, I was gonna aask if being 38 made a difference . . . but I guess it does . . .hmmmm0
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