Weight loss at 36
Skyoctober
Posts: 71 Member
4 years ago I started on a journey to lose weight, it came really easy. I was eating healthy and working out. I was losing 2 pounds a week or more, very consistently. In one year I lost 50 pounds. Now 4 years later (gaining 30 pounds back) I have decided to make changes once again. I am eating healthy and working out although something has changed. It is harder to lose weight. I feel like I am doing the same things I had done before but with no results. Is it because I am getting older? Does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do differently?
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I'm a little older than you and I honestly think we stop moving as much, but we THINK we are moving the same amount as before . lol
I always found it easier to drop the weight before. Now, I struggle. I have to work harder at it ( or so it feels). Most likely all in my head, but that doesn't change how it feels..
Some never see an issue with it at whatever age. Others complain that as they age it gets harder. Maybe we forgot how hard we worked at it before?
The math should still add up, keep working at it.0 -
Age is just a state of mind. I liked to blame my weight on my age, and while that may play a small part in metabolism rate, it's just a number. Height is more of a factor than age is, in my opinion. I am short and old. LOL It's not harder to lose weight at 30, 40 or 50 than it is at 20, it's just that we tend to slow down as we get older. I could eat a lot more when I was younger, even 10 years ago, but I was much more active then than I am today.0
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Some tough love here but, when you lost the 50 you didn't do a great job of it. Although a 50 lb loss is impressive and at 1lb per week would be bang on the money, your comment about losing 2lb per week or more consistently would lead me to believe that the loss was too fast and you lost both fat and lean body mass.
You also failed to maintain the changes that you made to lose the weight, meaning that you regained.
The loss of lean body mass now means that you need less calories to maintain than you would expect for someone of your weight/height and this will make it harder to lose fat this time around. This is compounded by what majigurl says: That we tend to move less as we get older (a 30 something night out is more likely to be a sit down meal at a restaurant than a late night dance session at a club with a long walk trying to find a taxi for example).
But, all is not lost. You can lose the weight. Set a moderate rate of loss, take your time aiming to lose 1lb per week, don't exclude foods you love, don't do ridiculous gym sessions that last hours, and try to do some strength work to preserve muscle during the weight loss phase.
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Go to the success stories section. There are plenty of older folk here who have lost the weight. It is all about CI vs CO and age doesn't change that. It might effect CO a tiny bit, but it doesn't change the science behind weight loss.
Make sure you are tracking CI as accurate as possible, and then you can make informed decisions about what you need to change (maybe your original CO estimate was off).0 -
I'll be 35 this year and I'm finding the same thing. I lost 50 pounds in my mid-20's. A break-up and a new relationship means I have put it all back on but this time around I'm having trouble losing it. Between changes in hormones after 30 and the simple fact that in general its harder to lose after 30. It's not in your head.
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I'm perimenopausal and am turning 51 soon. As long as I stick to my calorie goal, I lose.
I've known women past menopause (one of them pushing 70) who made it to their goal.
So, I'm kind of skeptical that the fact that you're the ripe old age of 36 is keeping you from losing.
You're diary isn't open, so I can't tell how your logging is, if you're using a food scale, etc. But this might help you:
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I'm a little older than you and I honestly think we stop moving as much, but we THINK we are moving the same amount as before . lol
+1. I thought I was just as active as I had always been, but when I got my Fitbit I saw I was only getting @ 3,500 steps a day!
If what used to work isn't working, it's more important to be more detail oriented and make sure you are really eating what you think you are. If you're not using a food scale, try it out, it changed everything for me. I used to use measuring cups, or the old serving of meat is the size of your palm stuff, and the food scale showed me I was eating 200-300 cals per day more than I thought. Add that to the activity level being off, and I realized my problem wasn't my age, it was my perspective
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It's totally doable, you just have to make sure you are working with the right data - Good Luck!
ETA after reading the other replies: Most of the change in metabolism as we get older is because we are less active and we lose muscle mass because we don't do strength training. It is not inevitable that your metabolism will plummet as you get older. There are plenty of women in their 40s and 50s in this community who can eat 2,000 cals + and maintain a healthy weight.0 -
Unless you've developed a medical issue such as PCOS or IR, your age doesn't play much into weight loss. From 41-45, I lost 173#.0
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My experience was that I have had greater success and ease losing weight at age 40 than at age 26.
I think age has less to do with it than choosing a sustainable, reasonable plan and having a determination/patience to do this as long as it takes.
People change physically and mentally as they get older. It doesn't mean it is actually harder to lose weight just you might need to approach it differently.
Losing 2 lbs a week or more is not a very reasonable goal even if you did it once before. If you have 50 lbs or less to lose really 1 lb a week is good progress that you can sustain long term. I'd say re-evaluate your goals and expectations.0 -
I'm 38 and was a yo-yo dieter throughout my 20s and early 30s. It was easier to take the weight off when I was younger. Tried for awhile at various times ages 35+ and wasn't having much luck. Then I joined MFP and started counting calories for the first time ever and it is definitely working for me.
I realized a couple of things. First, I like to eat more than 1270 calories (what MFP is recommending) in a day, so I have to exercise kind of a lot. At any rate, a lot more than I used to get by doing. (And yes, mixing it up is important. In any given week I do kettlebells, free weights, yoga, Pilates, and multiple forms of cardio. As others have said, maintaining muscle mass is key to maintaining a good metabolic rate.) Second, the dietary changes I was making before were not enough. I was cooking with about 3x as much olive oil as I needed, my (whole wheat) pasta servings were too large, I wasn't being honest with myself about how much cheese I was eating, etc. Using MFP has helped me to see the truly significant changes I can make to my diet in terms of the "calories in" part of the equation. For whatever reason, the numbers are quite motivating to me, as well. I don't like to see red at the bottom of my food diary!0 -
As many have said, it's likely less about the age and more about the activity level. We just tend to do less, have more distractions and are less enthusiastic about some things as we age. Concerning your ability to loose the extra weight, another poster mentioned that you likely lost some lean muscle mass and that makes it more difficult to cut off the new weight you put back on. The only thing that age really affects is not the weight loss itself but where the body tends to cut off the fat first. As we age, we tend to hold onto fat in certain areas more than others. Men typically hold onto more abdominal fat and women typically hold onto the fat around their hips and butt. My recommendation, if you're not already doing so, add in a good strength (weightlifting) plan to try to increase your muscle mass. It's tough to do while you're cutting but if you have a lot of extra fat, it's not as tough.0
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36!! sorry but I have to laugh. I'm nearly 70 and started with MFP last September. I am now in week 30 of my weightloss journey and during that time I have lost 36lbs and now only have another 10lbs to goal. Stop using age as an excuse.0
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another voice of reason. was 47 when i lost 100 pounds in a year. am nearing 50 and have managed to keep it off so far.0
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I'm 37, and I have lost 15 lbs. so far. Do I have to work harder, yes. I was inactive for years do to a medical condition. It's just as much mental as it is physical. If you tell yourself it's because you are older, you are already defeating yourself. You have to get into a positive mindset.0
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I am 44 and have lost 22lbs in 140 days and find it just the same as when i was in my 20s, I just suck at maintenance.0
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I turn 50 next month, lost 100 pounds 3 years ago. I first tried adding exercise, but alone that did not work. I started counting calories and weighing out my portions. I was consuming far more than I thought I was eating. So I started eating less, and exercising more, and it all came off.0
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I am 38 and have lost 12 pounds since Jan 2016. I erased the "Im older my metabolism has slowed " mentality.
STAY FOCUSED AND YOU CAN DO IT.
Good luck!
I like what @majigurl said.
II'm a little older than you and I honestly think we stop moving as much, but we THINK we are moving the same amount as before . lol0 -
I'm 36 and lost over 40 pounds last year. If you're "eating healthy" and exercising and not seeing results, the issue is likely that you aren't in a calorie deficit -- not your age.0
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I'm 34. I had no problems losing 60 pounds. It was only when I got lax about everything that I gained most of it back. Eating healthy doesn't guarantee you'll lose weight if you aren't in a calorie deficit. Start there and see what happens.0
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mariegold2016 wrote: »I am 38 and have lost 12 pounds since Jan 2016. I erased the "Im older my metabolism has slowed " mentality.
STAY FOCUSED AND YOU CAN DO IT.
Good luck!
I like what @majigurl said.
II'm a little older than you and I honestly think we stop moving as much, but we THINK we are moving the same amount as before . lol
Yep... exactly.
sometimes erasing it can be hard.. but you just keep plugging away..
It isn't that I can't drop the weight. I'm doing that, I just find doing it is harder than when I was 20 lol if that is TRUE.. I doubt. at 20 I walked everywhere I went to night clubs etc etc.. at this age, I drive everywhere because of time constraints and I do mainly just housework on weeknight and weekends haha..
It was easier to maintain and drop back then because my lifestyle was different.. Eating was different also when you don't have to cook for a family.
In no way is it impossible... nope nope nope.
it's mostly just all mental and that it "feels" harder.. mental state has a lot to do with it also ..
Just keep at it and just accept we are not in our 20's with that lifestyle anymore and just keep working at it..0 -
Eating healthy - I did this when I was fat, I did it when I was losing, I do it when I'm gaining, I do it when I'm maintaining.
Working out - ditto above.
What I didn't do when I "couldn't" lose weight was sustain a calorie deficit over an extended period of time.
It's not harder because you are four years older and at 36 you are just a baby!0 -
I am 37, and I just got to 5 pounds below my lowest adult weight. I buy the groceries, I cook the food, I plan my days, I found it much easier than when I thought about losing weight 10 years ago. I think it is just about where you are in your life more than your age. 10 years ago my kids were little and I my mind was in a different place. Now I can focus a bit more on me.0
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starwhisperer6 wrote: »I am 37, and I just got to 5 pounds below my lowest adult weight. I buy the groceries, I cook the food, I plan my days, I found it much easier than when I thought about losing weight 10 years ago. I think it is just about where you are in your life more than your age. 10 years ago my kids were little and I my mind was in a different place. Now I can focus a bit more on me.
exactly..
Just because it feels harder now, doesn't mean it is actually harder. Routine and what you can do with your time now may be different.
I still have young kids in my late 30's.. extra time is being with them. I also want to eat same meals as they do, so I have to really focus on my meals for the rest of the day. I try and calculate everything the day before.
It can FEEL like age is the culprit.. for struggling. especially when you think you are doing everything exactly the same.
Thing is, you are not.. there are differences and those differences are what makes it harder...
Still doesn't negate the "feels".. oh those feelz lol
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I'm 47, and the hormones have closed up shop. As a result, I have had to lower my daily calories -- the metabolism is undoubtedly not what it used to be (along with a bunch of other things
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You, however, are only 36, so it's unlikely that you have an older-lady-type metabolism.0 -
I'll be 34 this year and I have lost 11kg since December. Weight loss is about CI < CO0
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I struggle as well. I feel like I have to fight really hard for every pound. But that also has empowered me a lot, so it has turned out to be a positive thing. I started blogging about my journey and it has really kept me on track.0
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I believe age can play a bigger part than what people think. When I lost weight last time (2013) at 37 I loved exercising. Now at 40, I only exercise because I know I should. I can't even finish a Zumba class or 30DS without feeling like I'm dying. Although weight can still be lost (I've lost almost 20 lbs in 2 months), I know that I am less active due to getting older . That means i have to work much harder for the same results. But on a good note, my mindset is much better. I am definitely more focused. I make better choices and am trying to make every thing count-from food to exercise-because im too tired to do aNY more than necessary.0
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I started losing weight in January 2014, at age 36. The absolutely only difference between losing weight then and losing weight 10 years earlier was that I had more demands on my time (I'm now a mom and have more work responsibilities.) Other than that and being more dedicated to keeping the weight off, no difference. Here's my success thread: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10039727/52-pounds-in-52-weeks/p10
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I'm soon to be 39 and think that as we get older we get much less active. I have pretty much been the same weight all my life aside for a few years when I began my career, and I put on a little weight. As a software developer, I sit at a desk all day. Then I found I was drinking alcohol to help deal with the stress of being an adult. Once I increased my activity level and stopped drinking alcohol, the weight came right off and now I'm back to where I have been. I used to walk everywhere when I was younger, and try to do the same now. On a lazy day I will get between 10,000 and 15,000 steps, but try to stay over 15,000.
Alternatively, my Mom who is in her 70's didn't like that she gained weight and changed her diet back to how it was when she was younger. She also dramatically increased her activity (i.e. Gym every other day, daily walks) and she has since lost 25 pounds in 3 months. It makes me think as longer as someone is healthy and physically capable, weightloss shouldn't be more difficult as we age.
I recommend you consider how your lifestyle has changed as you've aged, and see what adjustments you can make now to compensate (i.e. Increase activity or fewer calories if you can't increase activity). Good luck!0 -
suziecue20 wrote: »36!! sorry but I have to laugh. I'm nearly 70 and started with MFP last September. I am now in week 30 of my weightloss journey and during that time I have lost 36lbs and now only have another 10lbs to goal. Stop using age as an excuse.
Kudos on your weightloss Suziecue! My Mom is in her 70's and has been losing weight steadily since she decided she wanted to do so and has been mindful about food and exercise. I remember my grandmother did the same thing in her 80's, woke up one day and decided she didn't like being heavy and lost all the weight. She stayed slender into her late 90's. I totally agree, age isn't preventing anyone from losing weight.0
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