Tips for losing weight at 38?

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HonestBuddha
HonestBuddha Posts: 23 Member
in Getting Started
Since I've gotten older it seems even with a calorie deficit I can't lose weight more than maybe 5-10 lbs. And I need to lose 135! I'm not sure how to overcome this?

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  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
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    Use a food scale for solids and semi solid foods. There are plenty of people here who have lost weight at 40+
  • HonestBuddha
    HonestBuddha Posts: 23 Member
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    I do use a scale and measuring cups. But this week I haven't even lost half a pound.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    You aren't going to lose weight every week due to water fluctuations, especially as a female. Be patient, log and weigh EVERYTHING, and it will happen.
  • elbrujo53
    elbrujo53 Posts: 55 Member
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    135 is a long journey. Take it easy and enjoy the ride. It is amazing what you can eat and still losing weight. Keep track of everything you eat and exercise. Same old recipe
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    HonestBuddha wrote: »
    I do use a scale and measuring cups. But this week I haven't even lost half a pound.

    Measuring cups measure volume not weight - calories are in relation to the actual weight of your food, ditch the cups.

    Weight loss often isn't linear - a week is nothing. If you have a sustained period of many weeks not losing then suggest you make your food diary public and ask for advice because that's the most likely place to find the problem/

    Please don't use age as a reason not to lose weight when you are only 38!
    It's still just down to a sustained calorie deficit.
  • 2011rocket3touring
    2011rocket3touring Posts: 1,346 Member
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    I did it at 50. Tracking, measuring and weighing my food and exercising. 100% CICO.
  • dlm007
    dlm007 Posts: 4 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    You aren't going to lose weight every week due to water fluctuations, especially as a female. Be patient, log and weigh EVERYTHING, and it will happen.

    I agree with this. I'm male, 38 and it seems I lose weight every other week. Week 1 I might lose 5 pounds then week 2 it either goes up a little, stays exactly the same or I might lose 1 pound. From what I understand it can be different for different people.

    For this reason for some it might be a good idea to only weigh themselves every other week or once a month lest this discourages them. One thing I do notice though are the pant sizes and the pants getting looser all of a sudden even on the weeks where the scale is the same.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Have you calculated your TDEE and chosen a deficit that will allow you to lose a certain amount of weight per week? That's the first step. Then you just need to accurately track your calories (with a food scale), stick to your daily calorie goal and be patient!
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    Same as at any other age - calorie deficit. Lock down your logging, make sure you've selected the appropriate activity level, and stay the course :smile:

    (BTW I am 37 and the last time I lost significant weight was about 5 years ago. It *does* feel slower/harder this time, but there are so many factors in my life that have changed in 5 years, I can't reliably blame being older.)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    You lose in the same manner as always, you have to eat less than you burn. But often as we get older we become more sedentary and therefore we burn less, which means we have to eat less to lose. And life is often more complicated. The rules are the same. It's life that has changed.
  • BeauNash
    BeauNash Posts: 103 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Just to reinforce what's been said above - I'm 52 going on 53 and I'm losing 1.5 - 2 lbs per week doing what MFP tells me and weighing my food. Just trust CICO; the process works.

    And I have a pituitary tumour which has dicked my growth hormone, thyroid hormone and adrenal hormone output.

    If I can do it, anyone can.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,818 Member
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    same as at 28 or 48. Eat less, move more.
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
    edited May 2017
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    HonestBuddha wrote: »
    I do use a scale and measuring cups. But this week I haven't even lost half a pound.

    I'm 36, and lose about 1.5lbs a week, but it sure doesn't feel like that sometimes. The scale can be all over the place on a day to day basis, or not move at all. As long as you know that you're logging accurately, just stick with it and be patient. Some weeks, even a 1 pound or half pound loss doesn't seem like much, but when you look back to where you were last month, or when you started, THAT'S when you see the real difference.

    It takes a long time to gain weight, and it takes a long time to lose it. Don't get discouraged and stick with your plan and appropriate calorie goals to your desired loss rate. As others have said, weigh your food and log everything. I dismissed the whole idea of weighing and thought that I was doing a good job logging until I actually got a scale on a whim on day, and it changed everything!

    You CAN do this, and all you have to do is one thing: use more calories than you consume :). Oh, and be patient. So, two things ;).

    ETA: When I get discouraged, I just remind myself that I'm going to be a year older no matter what I do, so I might as well stay on plan and be a year older AND 50 pounds lighter
  • Kamikazeflutterby
    Kamikazeflutterby Posts: 775 Member
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    Hi, welcome to MFP. Check out the stickied posts here. There are a lot of great tips for losing weight at any age.

    Don't worry about being too old to lose weight. There's always someone older, or with more medical problems, or a tighter schedule, or a relative who pushes more delicious calorie bombs who decides to follow a weight loss plan, and succeeds. You can, too.


  • __Lora__
    __Lora__ Posts: 1,184 Member
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    I have noticed losing is much harder at 39 than it was at 29. I definitely stick to lower carbs, higher protein and do more weight lifting.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,170 Member
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    Old? Ha! I lost 1/3 of my bodyweight (63 pounds) at age 59-60, over a period of 10-11 months, while hypothyroid. You can do this!

    Age can even be an advantage: We know ourselves better than the 20-somethings, and can handle a reasonable level of discipline.

    Lots of good advice above: Set a moderate calorie goal you can stick to over the long haul, most days, but don't beat yourself up about the rare over-goal eating on an occasional special occasion. Read the stickied posts. Don't fall for fad eating, just eat nutritious things you enjoy that you find filling and that help you meet your goals.

    Don't focus on reasons you "can't" lose weight. Spend that energy on figuring out how you can. (Go read some posts in the Success Stories category - that should help convince you. ;) ).
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    I hope all these people are showing you that age shouldn't matter. I lost my weight 3 years ago at 50. Take your time and try to remember that it's not linear. Some weeks you lose, some you gain and some you stay the same. You will continue to lose if you eat less calories than you burn.

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