Women over 40
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Everyone is different. What works for one does not necessarily work for another. I am 48 and I don't care what people say, the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight (especially for women)! Don't worry what others are doing, do what works for you. That may mean making adjustments along the way but you'll figure it out. Good Luck!2
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geneticsteacher wrote: »karenrn2005 wrote: »I am 47 and have the same problems ! I get told all the time that the only way to lose is to eat all protein if I wanna lose but I can't eat that way. I try and can't last long with out a balanced diet. I am stuck at my weight and wish I could lose !
I have not cut any foods from my diet and am usually over in carbs. As long as I am logging accurately and am under my calories goal, I lose weight.
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I am new to MFP. I am 63 and would love to join this group. Who do I ask?0
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Losing weight in my 40s was harder than in my 20s and early 30s, metabolism slows down every decade but we can boost our metabolism by being active.
I got active during my weight loss journey, still am and maintain on 2200 cals, not bad for 5ft 2" / 46 yrs old.
It took me longer to lose my weight in my 40s but I stuck with it, didn't aim for a huge deficit and I didn't want to half starve myself and the weight came off at 1/2lb a week pretty consistently.
Be as accurate as you can in logging/measuring your foods and the weight will come off. For everyone the calories they can eat at to lose varies quite a bit. (e.g I can eat 1800 cals gross a day and lose 1/2lb - as I said, I'm active, if I wasn't active it would be more like 1400 cals to lose.)0 -
Yes. I'm 100% diligent in logging...exercising too and my losses are way slower than they used to be. I'm only 40 days in and happy to have lost 10 lbs but trying to get over the slower pace from my younger years.0
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marjtrewin wrote: »I am new to MFP. I am 63 and would love to join this group. Who do I ask?
No need to join formally, just ask or add whatever you'd like0 -
aduck, I am the same height, and in my 20s was 120s... in my 30s, 130s... started 40 around 140... then mid 40s boom! gained 20 lbs "overnight." I suspect for me it was part hormonal, I started perimenopause and am slightly hypothryoid. I started meds a year ago and thought the weight would "auto correct" lol but nope, here I am on mfp. I think exercise is more important as we age, especially strength training, so I am starting that back up. I am a size 12 now and would love to get back to an 8 (~140 lbs for me) because most of my clothes are that size, but as I am close to 50 yrs, I may just accept it and settle into a 10, because while I need to generally reduce calories from what I consume now, I don't want to "diet" and calorie count for the rest of my life, I have to find my "new normal." I get mad sometimes when I notice that women in their 40s are now accepted on tv/media, but only if they are as thin as a 20 year old, which doesn't really look natural (on everyone).0
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aduck, I am the same height, and in my 20s was 120s... in my 30s, 130s... started 40 around 140... then mid 40s boom! gained 20 lbs "overnight." I suspect for me it was part hormonal, I started perimenopause and am slightly hypothryoid. I started meds a year ago and thought the weight would "auto correct" lol but nope, here I am on mfp. I think exercise is more important as we age, especially strength training, so I am starting that back up. I am a size 12 now and would love to get back to an 8 (~140 lbs for me) because most of my clothes are that size, but as I am close to 50 yrs, I may just accept it and settle into a 10, because while I need to generally reduce calories from what I consume now, I don't want to "diet" and calorie count for the rest of my life, I have to find my "new normal." I get mad sometimes when I notice that women in their 40s are now accepted on tv/media, but only if they are as thin as a 20 year old, which doesn't really look natural (on everyone).
OK but it's not natural to gain 50 pounds between 20 & 50, either. I agree on not wanting to diet endlessly, and that exercise is essential, also that whatever your size is with moderate eating and good exercise is right; but weight gain with age is a lifestyle thing, not a natural inevitability. I work in sports industry, and see lots of age group athletes, and just generally fit, not obsessive, older people and they don't put on that weight.0 -
biggsterjackster wrote: »I am 46, eat about 1300 cal (net cal. about 700) and lose 2-3 lbs per week. Walk about 23.000 steps a day and do lots of cardio. I lose best with a 1000 cal. deficit a day.
are you trying to lose muscle and have osteoporosis later? seriously...smh0 -
I am 53. I would/could never eat 1200 calories a day and be remotely at peace.
I lost steadily on 1700 (and added exercise calories), now maintaining on anywhere between 1900-2400. I logged consistently when losing. I've found that weight loss in my 50's has been the most successful. And I didn't do anything faddish like avoiding carbs.1 -
Definitely is harder to lose weight in mid forties. I always dropped easily no matter what "diet" or lifestyle change I implemented- ummm now not so much. The metabolism has slowed way down!! Just trying to work out more and log calories. I did weight watchers years ago and had great luck but didn't need to lose a whole lot. I know everyone says eat more whole foods, less carbs and lots of lean protein- I believe everything is good in moderation though. That's just me and my opinion!0
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I'm 40, lost 25 pounds in 6 months and another 3 pounds after... been maintaining that 28 pound loss for 6 months now, so... short answer is "no".0
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biggsterjackster wrote: »I am 46, eat about 1300 cal (net cal. about 700) and lose 2-3 lbs per week. Walk about 23.000 steps a day and do lots of cardio. I lose best with a 1000 cal. deficit a day.
are you trying to lose muscle and have osteoporosis later? seriously...smh
Lol, nope, I also do a lot of weightlifting. Not worried about losing muscle.0 -
biggsterjackster wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I am 46, eat about 1300 cal (net cal. about 700) and lose 2-3 lbs per week. Walk about 23.000 steps a day and do lots of cardio. I lose best with a 1000 cal. deficit a day.
are you trying to lose muscle and have osteoporosis later? seriously...smh
Lol, nope, I also do a lot of weightlifting. Not worried about losing muscle.
you can do all the weight lifting you want but with the deficit you have losing 2-3lbs a week some of that is muscle...probably more than you want to know.0 -
biggsterjackster wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I am 46, eat about 1300 cal (net cal. about 700) and lose 2-3 lbs per week. Walk about 23.000 steps a day and do lots of cardio. I lose best with a 1000 cal. deficit a day.
are you trying to lose muscle and have osteoporosis later? seriously...smh
Lol, nope, I also do a lot of weightlifting. Not worried about losing muscle.
you can do all the weight lifting you want but with the deficit you have losing 2-3lbs a week some of that is muscle...probably more than you want to know.
That's fine with me!0 -
For us older women we really need to aim to keep as much muscle mass as possible, in our weight loss efforts as much as we might want to see weight drop quickly slow is better. It's also very hard to build muscle when so much of it has already been lost.
And as @SezxyStef says, osteoporosis is a very possible reality if we don't look after our bone health too, hence the need to strength train. I wish this was a widely known fact but for some reason it's not.2 -
marjtrewin wrote: »I am new to MFP. I am 63 and would love to join this group. Who do I ask?
Welcome to MFP--just jump on in!
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booksandchocolate12 wrote: »I'll be 51 next month. If I am 100% honest and diligent with my logging, I lose. If I'm not, I don't.
But that has nothing to do with my age.
Yup
51 - losing steadily.
I eat about 1050 calories a day - up to my recommended 1280, with my activity level as the guide. It feels right now, but I didn't start out this low. Calorie reduction was a gradual progression as I moved from 218 down to my CW of 162, with a first goal weight of 145 approaching. I don't go below 1000, and I wouldn't unless my doc said it was ok.
What I cannot tell you is if I lost weight faster when I was younger because my diet was more radical, but unhealthy and unsustainable, or if my slower weight loss is a result of age!
I do know I pay a lot more attention to nutrition than I ever did before. And trying to build habits for long term maintenance and good health.
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I lost quite a bit of weight at between 39-41 through weight watchers and exercise but then became lax and gained some of the weight back. Now at 46, I'm trying to lose 10-15 lbs. but it seems much harder to lose the weight. I'm fairly active but food and wine are my downfall so that's what hindering my loss.
Currently, I've started a strength training program (SL 5x5), but I also love cardio so I bike to work and run. I've also started Intermittent Fasting 16:8 which has helped me eat much less and stay within my macros while eating about 1270 calories a day (or more depending on activity). Protein is key in staying full longer.0 -
arniedog74 wrote: »I need a kick start. Been doing this for over 2 months. Nothing. Waiting for the fresh veggies in our garden. But, that's not soon enough.
If you haven't lost weight in two months it's because you are eating more than you think you are and/or burning less calories from exercise than you think. Are you weighing your food on a digital food scale? How are you calculating exercise burns?0
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