Free advice for younger people

L1zardQueen wrote: »

lauragreenbaum wrote: »

If you are overweight, get control of it now while you're young! I am in my 50's and I will tell you it's 10 times harder to lose weight as you get older. In my 20's and 30's I could drop 5 pounds with little effort. But now between menopause and my metabolism slowing down it's a daily struggle. Be well!

That’s all well and good but, I lost my chub at 55 and still maintaining that weight loss. You just got to get diligent with counting calories.

Exactly!

I lost all my weight after 50 and am mostly maintaining fine (sans the 20 pounds I put on last year throwing myself a pity party, but those are now mostly gone).

I struggled to lose weight more than many older people, so I think this is highly individualized. Losing 0.23 lbs./week on average is tough to stick with... if age really matters, will it become impossible to lose weight when I'm older? Fortunately, I found a macro mix that allows me to maintain (not lose) with running 30 miles/week and eating around 2K calories/day on average. Now if I could just lose that last 10-15 lbs...

Ya, I sure wish I still had the muscle I did when I was in my 20s. And an active job rather than a desk job.

I’m in my early 60’s and actually find it easier now that I really understand how it works. Went through surgical menopause 13 years ago.
I’m not wanting to argue, but I would hate to discourage others who are middle age or older.

workinonit1956 wrote: »

I’m in my early 60’s and actually find it easier now that I really understand how it works. Went through surgical menopause 13 years ago.
I’m not wanting to argue, but I would hate to discourage others who are middle age or older.

Totally agree with the bolded. I'm 53 and short. Battled weight my whole life. In my 50s, I lost 23 pounds to reach my lowest weight in 35 years. I've been maintaining for over a year and a half. What helps me is all of the tools and information available now (MFP / MFPeople, fitness trackers, understanding of CICO). Knowledge is power.

lauragreenbaum wrote: »

If you are overweight, get control of it now while you're young! I am in my 50's and I will tell you it's 10 times harder to lose weight as you get older. In my 20's and 30's I could drop 5 pounds with little effort. But now between menopause and my metabolism slowing down it's a daily struggle. Be well!

I'm 41. I am on a mission to drop to a healthy weight and develop a nicely toned body before I have to deal with hot flashes. 180lbs down, 15-30lbs to go, not sure how much as I reevaluate every 10lbs now.

100% agree that it's better to find a healthy weight when younger, and learn how to stay there. It prevents so, so many problems.

But I was super happy to find MFP and learn how simple (not always easy) it was to lose weight (50+ pounds), at age 59-60 (any hypothyroid, too, BTW). Losing weight improved my life soooo much, I felt like a real sucker for not doing it decades earlier.

Most so-called "metabolic slowdown" as we age is attributable to (1) moving less and sitting around more, and (2) gradual loss of muscle mass. Both of these are conditions over which we have control, and that we can improve.

Lost 75 lbs in my 60's. Once I knew what I was doing, it wasn't really that hard. Basically it came down to portion control and increasing my level of activity.

lauragreenbaum wrote: »

With all due respect, menopause isn't nonsense. For me it was quite a dramatic change.

I agree and I experienced a huge decrease in how much I can eat without gaining weight post menopause. Some women don’t seem to have the same experience and like to denigrate those of us who do. (“You just move less, don’t have as much muscle etc”). I don’t understand why they do this. Just because it is simple and easy for them they insist we are ‘doing it wrong’ (not counting correctly, not moving as much etc.). Then they use their personal experience as proof that they know our bodies better than we do. “It was easy or simple for me post menopause so your experience is wrong”

At 53 I am moving more than ever and for the first time in my life am actively strength training to increase muscle. But in order to not gain weight I have to eat about 1/3 less than I could eat in my 20’s, 30’s or 40’s. Did my ‘metabolism slow’, hormones get out of whack (well my chronic hot flashes confirm that one) or ...? Menopause wasn’t my ‘excuse’ - but it was the reason that I lost the extra pounds very agonizingly and slowly.

Some women do not seem to have problems losing weight post menopause. Some find it very hard. Some women experience debilitating hot flashes with menopause, some women none or mild ones. Anyone who were to say, I didn’t have hot flashes with menopause so you are just imagining it’ would be laughed at, rightfully so.

Likewise the people here who like to ridicule me for my unfortunate experience of menopause causing changes in how many calories I can consume without weight gain “Menopause didn’t affect my weight loss so it was your poor logging or sedentary ways that MUST be your problem” are simply laughable people with no sympathy or empathy for others.

OP: Great advice, menopause or not - weight loss is rarely reported to get easier as we age and is often reported to get harder. So whatever your age, if you are overweight- the best time to start getting control of it is: NOW!

workinonit1956 wrote: »

I’m in my early 60’s and actually find it easier now that I really understand how it works. Went through surgical menopause 13 years ago.
I’m not wanting to argue, but I would hate to discourage others who are middle age or older.

absolutely this (except menopause was a natural occurence).

I am now 61, and with age (speaking only for myself) came patience, focus, determination and it is just plain easier for me NOW than it ever was when I was younger.
Note, I've been actively trying to get a handle on weight literally all my life, it's only been since I hit 54 I finally found the right path for me.
Do I wish I'd found it earlier in life?. OF COURSE.., but in hindsight I don't think I would ever have felt the 'click' of finding the right path back then, even if it had hit me over the head with a 2x4 to get my attention. Too many things going on back then.

Good luck to everyone... we all have such varying needs and circumstances, what works for one may not work for another, just don't give up because feeling healthy and alive at any age is a very good thing.

lauragreenbaum wrote: »

With all due respect, menopause isn't nonsense. For me it was quite a dramatic change.

Menopause isn't nonsense, of course. But it also isn't universal weight loss doom. No one should be encouraged to believe it is, or to feel that we're powerless on its account. When we give it too much power, it can become - sadly - an all-too-convenient excuse not to engage in the effort.

I went into menopause at age 45, suddenly, right around the start of 6 months of chemotherapy (the drugs caused the abrupt menopause). After the ovaries stop producing estrogen, fat cells and adrenal glands (among others) continue to be a source of estrogen. For 5 years, I took drugs to suppress that estrogen. Some people call this "menopause times 2", though I find that melodramatic.

Menopause has different effects on different women. But if menopause universally doomed or even severely hindered weight loss, I'd still be fat.

I'm not trying to diminish your personal experience. Everyone, female or male, will need to figure out what their own particular weight-loss challenges are, and find ways to deal with them. Unfortunately, I've see many women my age (now 62) say "it's impossible to lose weight at our age" or "it's harder for us" and things of that nature, and talk about menopause as if it were an insurmountable obstacle. IMO, it's really important for each of us not to take these points of "received wisdom" too much to heart. The things we think are insurmountable, are insurmountable. Our power lies in dropping self-defeating assumptions, finding the factors we can influence and control, and making the changes we need to progress.

Just my opinion.

I just find it nonsensical and problematic to deny that weight maintenance is much for difficult for many women post menopause because it isn’t ‘universal’. Such attitude probably discouraged as many older women who are having difficulty managing weight as it ‘inspires’ others to just do it.

Of course it isn’t universal that women will have weight management difficulties post menopause. But based on what I see/hear observe and personally experience it is common.

I don’t believe in denying reality for ‘positive thinking’ or motivational posters. I find those attitudes soul killing an demotivating because inevitably most of the time they are pie in the sky untruths.

I prefer a realistic assessment of the difficulties and obstacles I might face and then doing the hard work and planning to try get where I want to be. If is is easier than expected I relish and appreciate my good luck. If that happens, I don’t then turn around and tell others to expect the same lucky outcome I had and deny they might face difficulties that I luckily did not.

I’d certainly rather be happily surprised than have false expectations. Menopause for me means huge weight management challenges (no excuses here, I’m down to vanity weight loss) and reportedly means the same to many women. YMMV.

For the person who woo's me about fast food. Watch this video. https://youtu.be/VKCr8Umbb-E

FWIW, I was only relating my own experience which I can assure you is the truth and a “realistic assessment” of how I found using CICO to lose. I would never make a blanket statement about whether or not menopause makes weigh loss more difficult. I’m sure that for some it does, and that would be their story to tell, and I wouldn’t dream of accusing someone of an “untruth” when they were simply telling of their personal experience. I’m honestly confused here, and if I upset anyone I apologize.