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!