A question for "older" women.
Replies
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poisonesse wrote: »I'm 68, and I've lost 59 pounds and now I'm within a healthy weight range and BMI, so yes, it can be done. And YES, it's harder to lose weight when you're older versus when younger, simply because your body slows down after menopause, you don't burn as many calories so it just takes a bit longer. But not only is it not impossible, it's not that much harder! You just have to be completely aware of how much you're eating versus how much your burning. So you can do this, many of us have, many of us will continue to lose or maintain, and we're gonna be smexy older women together! You've got this.
Same age, and I agree with the above. I don't think the issue is menopause per se. I agree that menopause often coincides with slowing down a bit, and then sometimes the menopause experience also includes crappy sleep, which affects both energy and satiety. Set a modest calorie deficit, up your daily movement, too (helps set up habits that will serve you well when you get to "maintenance") and you'll see results.
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I'm 68, about 10 years postmenopausal. I had a lot of trouble during Peri. But now I would say it's not only not impossible, it's doable. I gained a bunch of weight the past few years b/c of illnesses and injuries, but during the phases when I was working at it I dropped weight pretty easily. I'd gain it back with the next sedentary phase b/c I'd regress to less healthy eating habits. But when I'm active and disciplined, it comes off.
And this past year I've taken off 15 pounds with a hip injury that has kept me sidelined for 6 months. I did yin and restorative yoga regularly, but those aren't huge calorie burners. It stalled out for a while but I didn't gain anything back. Now I have a Garmin fitness band that works w/MFP so I have a much more accurate read on CI/CO, and have gradually morphed to a carb-controlled. And the pounds are coming off easily again. Plus no cravings.
Bottom line: Never say never. If you find what works for your body, you'll get there.2 -
Further, research suggests that the biggest differences between calorie needs of younger vs. older people come down to two things: Less daily life activity as we age, and reduced muscle mass as we get older. The good news is, both of those things are things we can influence . . . almost completely control, in fact.
Exercise increases our calorie expenditure, and it doesn't have to be some kind of miserable, exhausting slog through some activity we don't enjoy. Any fun way of moving the body works: Sure, gym stuff, but also walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, gardenting, and much more.
Strength exercise (anything that progressively challenges our muscles) helps reverse the muscle loss that can come with aging, especially when coupled with a diet that has adequate protein (something that a lot of older women don't get enough of, frankly, especially when cutting calories.) Research has demonstrated strength and muscle mass gain as achievable by people into at least their 80s, and probably beyond. For women, this has the added benefit of supporting our bone density, which can be a significant risk factor for injury and disability in later years.
Also, we can make it a point to consciously increase daily life activity (i.e., non-exercise things). There's a thread about that here, with ideas from many people::flowerforyou:
I think @AnnPT77 hit the nail on the head when she speaks of reduced muscle mass. I am the same age and height as she is and maintain at a much lower calorie level than she does. Her avatar picture more than explains the difference between us. She is very active and muscular. I am not. The answer to the age question I believe lies largely in muscle loss. I have been sedentary my entire life. I walked for exercise as I was losing and I'm struggling to maintain my loss 3 years later. I originally lost 108 pounds but am now at around 94. My calorie level is about 1350 pre exercise. I am also Hypothyroid. The one thing I didn't do that I should have when losing was build muscle. I am about to retire and plan to join the gym and make weight lifting a part of my daily life. Otherwise I fear I will regain all the weight eventually.
You can lose after menopause but it would be wise for you to add some weight bearing exercise to your routine so that you also increase your muscle mass which in turn tends to increase metabolism some. Muscle burns more calories than fat in the long run. Good luck there are lots of us in the maintenance phase who lost weight at your age. It can be done.6 -
I have been post menopause for 1-2 years got pregnant now back in peri menopause a 2nd time.Im a medical mystery Doctor confirmed during Csection that I was post menopausal,but the surgeries after baby hit a year old restarted my cycle all over again (enjoyed the 3-4yrs without a period here’s hoping I get back to that fast!). I found it easier to fight weight during post menopause , but not menopause or peri. Not sure why tho. Yes my muscle mass is gone! I was more muscular in my youth now flabby y saggy! Might be the symptoms from hot flashes causing water gain as I drank a river to weakness leading to not wanting to exercise (needed motivation every time y force myself). Foggy mind y my metabolism seems slower. Everything I ate before Peri seems to not disappear like it used to. It hugs hangs on like a rodeo rider!
Went up to 195lbs now am at the 150-153lb range (45lbs lost)2 -
I'm now 60 and lost 90 pounds during menopause. I'm currently fighting with about 10 pounds that have crept back over the last couple of years. To be honest, I'm not being as diligent as I was while losing before and I know that if I buckle down, they'll be gone. It has nothing to do with age or post-menopause. Its just me.
This needs to be repeated: Exercise is about way more than burning a few calories so you can eat an extra slice of bread or two.
Why do old people have falls? Is it due to balance, eyesight, or just generally weaker muscles? Do we have some control over any of the causes? Why yes we do. At least a little, anyway. I do yoga two or three times a week and I love the difference I'm seeing in my ability to hold poses that require balance. At the start I was flopping all over, but not anymore. I do yoga for the now, but I'm also doing it for my future so that hopefully I can prevent a fall and the subsequent broken hip or concussion.
The term "skinny fat" applies to a lot of women our age. Who wants that label? I love putting my hands in the front pockets of my pants and feeling muscle in my thighs. I love looking in the mirror while drying my hair and seeing muscle definition in my arm. I have worked darn hard for those muscles and I'm going to admire that hard work! My hope is that those muscles will also help prevent me from a fall. Plus they burn more calories than fat which means I can eat just a tiny bit more. And at our age, when we can only eat so few calories, that's a big deal.
Exercise gets me outside, which I need for my mental health. No matter how I'm feeling when I start out, I always come home after a walk, ski, run, snowshoe, or paddle and my mood has been lifted.
Exercise can be a social thing, which is also important as we age. I paddle on a dragon boat team and we have so much fun together, both on and off the water. We range in age from early 50's to late 70's and let me tell you, those older ladies are my inspiration. They paddle just as hard as anyone else in that boat.
I know that exercise is difficult for some people for a variety of reasons. But if your doctor clears you, for heavens sake, move, stretch, and lift things. It doesn't have to be complicated, and there are just so many benefits.5 -
I found that if I eat with a calorie deficit I loose "1 lb" a week. I lost 24 lbs and hit a platue, I think I was eating more than recorded, so thought I needed to eat more to burn so I did recommended calorie intake-! Wrong I quickly gained 8 lbs and it took weeks to loose that! I am 64 and I am charting the week before I eat-go back and change if I altered the diet. I plan-glance at the days diet plan in the morning over coffee and follow works for me. I've lost the gained weight and am now at my all time low 210 lbs. I keep within my calorie deficit and continue to loose a "1 lb" a week. I will reach my goal weight by mid summer and will have lost 75 lbs. The goal is clearly achievable with calorie counting and I believe eating in a calorie deficit works. You can do it just use this charting program its easy when you get used to doing the charting. Its very rewarding to chart your weight once a week on here to, progress has a grafe to watch your progress, nice. Its a great program but its up to us to apply it. Just a note your stomach and you adjust to the calorie deficit in not time at all
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The difference I have noted is not in the harder/easier weight management category (I'd same it's the same...) but that the distribution of weight is slightly different. And I think the need to work to maintain muscle mass is more evident.
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For clarity: Research suggests that a pound of muscle burns only something like 2-4 calories more per day than a pound of fat. (I tend to forget exact numbers, but not magnitudes.
).
I think the bigger deal might be the strong potential for negative spiral: Reduced strength and muscle mass => reduced physical capability, i.e. not able to do as much => reduced activity & lower intensity/duration/effort in what is still done, plus more resting (or near-resting) time in the day => further strength/muscle mass depletion.
Fitter, stronger people have more physical capability and stamina. To me, common sense suggests to me that they will, as a consequence, simply do more things (exercise or just daily chores, hobbies, fun stuff), more often, and for longer time periods. Doing stuff burns calories.
I hang out a lot with two different groups of people, most of them women around my age ( +/- 10 years, say): Mixed-media arts and crafts people, and recreational athletes (mostly rowers). I like and value all of them - all wonderful, talented people with interesting ideas and skills. But the sort of generic-average behaviors are quite different, in my experience with them.
Spending time with the artists, we will be sitting. Conversation about doing things beyond what we're working on tends to be about things like TV shows and books (which are good things, of course). More than once, I've heard friendly banter about who was able to snag the parking spaces close to the door where we were meeting. (Many do have physical limitations, and usually obesity factored into those in some way, frankly.)
Spending time with the rowers, we're usually active, or eating**. The other activities people talk about include TV/books, but also more diverse things like recreational shopping ( :lol ), other physical activities (walking groups, curling, cycling, weight lifting and other gym stuff are some that friends do), events that involve a good bit of walking and stairs (art fairs, stadium events like sports/music, etc ), taking grandkids to park or pool to play together, etc.: Just more movement of every kind. They usually do some things for themselves that many of the artists would get their adult kids to do or hire tradespeople (moving furniture, flipping mattresses, landscape projects, remodeling, etc.).
(*" Perhaps curiously, I spend a higher fraction of social time with this athletically active set of friends eating/drinking: These women, unlike the artist group, tend not to have as many dietary restrictions due to health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol, gallstones, etc., or because of contraindications on account of medications being routinely taken. Overall, they tend to eat more diversely, though not always heavily. The artists tend to be at a pole: Either be on a structured diet with restrictions, or grazing on cookies and rich foods and such as a splurge (and thought of that way). The athletes eat treats and desserts, too, but it's more likely to be that stuff in the mix with other foods, vs. that polar extremes approach.)
Bottom line: I don't think the major contributor to increased TDEE is the few calories extra muscle mass burns sitting around, but the greater amount of casual moving around that people with more muscle mass tend to do, because for them it's easier and more fun.
Just my personal experience/view/opinion, of course.10 -
I started to lose weight Oct 15, my July 16 I was down 70lbs from UK 20 to UK 8/10. Have maintained since then, have put on 7lbs but that was deliberate, I looked too skinny! All post menopause. Once my brain was right the rest was easy2
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@AnnPT77 I would love to try rowing but we have no clubs or groups near where I live. Too bad we couldn't trade activities for a day: I'd row with your group and you could paddle with my dragon boaters 0
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Thank all you lovely ladies for your comments, support and encouragement! I just started here - since early November. I dont expect miracles. When I was 40, I lost over 30 lbs in 6 months with (the old) Weight Watchers program, when it was exchanges. Since then, I went back several times and it was like torture. I would lose and gain, lose and gain. Finally I concluded I could lose and gain without paying good money and without the weekly meetings. I dont know why it did not work for me but it did not. So here I am. Counting calories. And I just bought a recumbent bike.3
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Lesley2603 wrote: »Once my brain was right the rest was easy
That one statement says it all so well!!! I feel like the brain is the biggest motivator or destroyer of all our efforts.
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I'm 64, and lost about 50 pounds in 2015 at age 59-60 (menopausal . . . and hypothryroid, to boot), obese to a healthy weight, and am still at a healthy weight now, nearly 5 years later.
The difference in population-wide calorie requirements between a younger self and an older one is surprisingly small. A TDEE calculator will suggest that I, at my current size, 5'5" and about 135 pounds, would burn about 1600 calories as a sedentary 34-year-old, and about 1450 or so now, at 64. That's less than one serving of peanut butter difference daily. (It's around a tablespoon and a half of peanut butter, specifically, or about as many calories as one 20oz nonfat latte with no sweetener/syrup/whip, just skim milk and coffee.)
Further, research suggests that the biggest differences between calorie needs of younger vs. older people come down to two things: Less daily life activity as we age, and reduced muscle mass as we get older. The good news is, both of those things are things we can influence . . . almost completely control, in fact.
Exercise increases our calorie expenditure, and it doesn't have to be some kind of miserable, exhausting slog through some activity we don't enjoy. Any fun way of moving the body works: Sure, gym stuff, but also walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, gardenting, and much more.
Strength exercise (anything that progressively challenges our muscles) helps reverse the muscle loss that can come with aging, especially when coupled with a diet that has adequate protein (something that a lot of older women don't get enough of, frankly, especially when cutting calories.) Research has demonstrated strength and muscle mass gain as achievable by people into at least their 80s, and probably beyond. For women, this has the added benefit of supporting our bone density, which can be a significant risk factor for injury and disability in later years.
Also, we can make it a point to consciously increase daily life activity (i.e., non-exercise things). There's a thread about that here, with ideas from many people:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/
There are women here who report changes that have more than reversed that estimated calorie difference that comes with age, just from conscious increases in daily life activity.
It is very possible to lose weight in menopause. In fact, in terms of the process - calorie counting, monitoring weight, etc. - it's quite simple. It's not always easy in a logistical/practical sense, or psychologically . . . but the mechanics are quite straightforward, IMO.
You can do it. :flowerforyou:
I always go back and forth on those “100-150 cal/day” numbers. On the one hand, it doesn’t seem like much. If someone is trying to track calories (in and out), that is well within the standard of error—you cannot track to that level of accuracy.
On the other hand, a difference of 100 cals a day translates to an annual change of 11 pounds of fat. For the most part, body weights don’t fluctuate that much year to year. It suggests that more fundamental “metabolic” (hate the word, but too lazy to think of another) changes, even modest ones, might have a stronger effect than we think. (By “fundamental”, I mean changes that lead to longer-term, persistent changes).
I suspect the answer lies in the middle—the smaller changes that often occur with aging or something like menopause do exist and should not be dismissed; however, they are often overestimated by those who have trouble losing weight and used as a blanket excuse.
As you point out, however, these effects—whether behavioral or physiological—can be offset/reversed by actions well within the individual’s control.
I have become a firm believer that protein, resistance training, and activity need to be the mantra for all adults over the age of 50.
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Menopause can lower your metabolic rate a bit - but that is not true for everyone. What mostly happens is that as we get older we move less and exercise less. If you keep moving, do some exercise and eat a sensible amount, your weight will be fine. The difference in metabolism is not big at all between old and young - its mostly down to inactivity.3
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Let me just add this - if you're having a difficult time losing weight even though you are tracking your food intake and exercising FAITHFULLY, go to your doctor and get a complete, thorough checkup. There are disease states that can make it near impossible to lose weight. That being said, most of us will not fall into this category.3
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I’m still trying to find workouts for building stomach muscles safely after a Csection that was a lot like a hysterectomy! So doctors rule was walk work my way up to inclines it a steps or uneven ground, no lifting over 30lbs, be careful with exercising not meant for after major surgeries of the abdomen. We will call him Mr Vague then my insurance changed due to Obama care rules bam no more advice won’t see me.So other Doctor advice is more they have a few minutes not fully listening or say the truth (no clue what the first one say???” There oh so helpful ! One mentioned a baby yoga class where you lift the baby. My son has Gigantism walked out grabbed him walked back in she said oh my how do you lift him at all??? Scratch baby yoga lol 😂. 4ft tall 40lbs 2yrs old he should be lifting me !!2
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I'm 64, and lost about 50 pounds in 2015 at age 59-60 (menopausal . . . and hypothryroid, to boot), obese to a healthy weight, and am still at a healthy weight now, nearly 5 years later.
The difference in population-wide calorie requirements between a younger self and an older one is surprisingly small. A TDEE calculator will suggest that I, at my current size, 5'5" and about 135 pounds, would burn about 1600 calories as a sedentary 34-year-old, and about 1450 or so now, at 64. That's less than one serving of peanut butter difference daily. (It's around a tablespoon and a half of peanut butter, specifically, or about as many calories as one 20oz nonfat latte with no sweetener/syrup/whip, just skim milk and coffee.)
Further, research suggests that the biggest differences between calorie needs of younger vs. older people come down to two things: Less daily life activity as we age, and reduced muscle mass as we get older. The good news is, both of those things are things we can influence . . . almost completely control, in fact.
Exercise increases our calorie expenditure, and it doesn't have to be some kind of miserable, exhausting slog through some activity we don't enjoy. Any fun way of moving the body works: Sure, gym stuff, but also walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, gardenting, and much more.
Strength exercise (anything that progressively challenges our muscles) helps reverse the muscle loss that can come with aging, especially when coupled with a diet that has adequate protein (something that a lot of older women don't get enough of, frankly, especially when cutting calories.) Research has demonstrated strength and muscle mass gain as achievable by people into at least their 80s, and probably beyond. For women, this has the added benefit of supporting our bone density, which can be a significant risk factor for injury and disability in later years.
Also, we can make it a point to consciously increase daily life activity (i.e., non-exercise things). There's a thread about that here, with ideas from many people:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/
There are women here who report changes that have more than reversed that estimated calorie difference that comes with age, just from conscious increases in daily life activity.
It is very possible to lose weight in menopause. In fact, in terms of the process - calorie counting, monitoring weight, etc. - it's quite simple. It's not always easy in a logistical/practical sense, or psychologically . . . but the mechanics are quite straightforward, IMO.
You can do it. :flowerforyou:
I always go back and forth on those “100-150 cal/day” numbers. On the one hand, it doesn’t seem like much. If someone is trying to track calories (in and out), that is well within the standard of error—you cannot track to that level of accuracy.
On the other hand, a difference of 100 cals a day translates to an annual change of 11 pounds of fat. For the most part, body weights don’t fluctuate that much year to year. It suggests that more fundamental “metabolic” (hate the word, but too lazy to think of another) changes, even modest ones, might have a stronger effect than we think. (By “fundamental”, I mean changes that lead to longer-term, persistent changes).
I suspect the answer lies in the middle—the smaller changes that often occur with aging or something like menopause do exist and should not be dismissed; however, they are often overestimated by those who have trouble losing weight and used as a blanket excuse.
As you point out, however, these effects—whether behavioral or physiological—can be offset/reversed by actions well within the individual’s control.
I have become a firm believer that protein, resistance training, and activity need to be the mantra for all adults over the age of 50.
I think that post is really useful and insightful, and the bolded conclusion pure gold.
Alongside that, I think it's useful to think about the common or average arc of modern women's lives**.
It's not universal, for sure, and it may be controversial, but I think it's fairly common that in our 20s/30s vs. 40s-70s:
* We're building the foundation for a career, with a little higher likelihood of having jobs that have a larger moving-around component, if we're in the paid labor force.
* Our social lives are more likely to include things like clubbing, dancing, free or affordable events (art fairs, music festivals, sporting events, etc.) or outings like camping, cycling/walking, swimming or water-based play when going to the beach, vs. sedentary social lives focused on dining out, sitting in theaters, etc.
* We may have small children to carry, chase, play with, etc. (and I'd say that for most even when we do those things with grandchildren, it's often - not always - for fewer hours of the average day).
* We focus on getting our surroundings in a state we like, and often are trying to do that inexpensively, so there's painting, remodeling, improving our landscapes, decorating the home interior in other ways (of course many of us do some of those things later in life, too).
* We may be at relatively lower income stage of life, especially when the child and home start-up expenses are factored into discretionary income. This may affect tendency toward limiting purchases of indulgent food/drinks, spending relatively more time bargain-hunting afoot, and that sort of thing, doing things ourselves (lawn care, remodeling, etc.) vs buying services, or not yet having conveniences that simplify daily chores (Roomba, riding lawn mower, laundry room at home vs. laundromat, etc.), making transportation choices that cost less but requirea little more movement (car vs. bus/bike/walk), etc. Even things like walk-up apartments vs. a standalone home with attached garage could change step counts.
* At least in the early stages, few of us have children big enough to do significant fractions of the home chores, or to offer (as adult children sometimes do) to help or take over some of them. (I don't have children at all, personally, so I know this isn't universal. ).
* At the earliest stages, we may not have had a life partner with whom we shared income-producing and home-chores responsibilities. Among cis women who do have partners, it's a fairly common (again, not universal) pattern to allocate the more strength-intensive chores to a male partner.
These are all pretty small things, and not all apply to everyone. But I think they're fairly common patterns, things most people don't really think about, and little bits add up.
** I'm sure some of these things would apply to men, too, but I'm not one, and that's not been the thrust of this thread.0 -
Before pic after I lost some weight wasn’t embarrassing to have a pic snapped.
I contribute my weight gain to all the bedrest y surgeries after repair surgeries (not for cosmetic reason) didn’t help any mobility at all. I think if I could have been mobile before y after it would have been easier to lose the weight. I’ve been given the okay to exercise bam 45lbs gone even if I go over calories a few times. Before was only gaining up up y away . I got big so after baby I still looked pregnant since my stomach was healing kept getting asked when I was having that baby! Had to say already did months ago. I didn’t even allow before after fotos until I lost some pounds!0 -
I was speculating (I have a lot of time to do that now!) about the effect that menopause might have on metabolism and, even if the effect was slight, whether or not it would be noticeable.
But absolutely the two factors that account for 85%-90% or maybe more of adult weight gain are, as you said, decreased muscle mass and decreased casual activity.
I have told this to clients for decades: If we graphed the activity patterns of our lives (and now google is probably doing just that), we would see the patterns become more circumspect and more repetitive as we age (and smaller as well). Lack of movement may be one of the deadliest diseases there is.
In my (now) nine weeks of retirement, I have going through an n=1 experiment of my own. While I have plenty of free time to walk the dog and work out, I am struggling mightily to replace the amount of casual activity I did when I was working. My job was quite physical working at a large fitness center and often being the only responsible staff member there. 15,000+ steps a day average, 30-40 flights of stairs, picking up hundreds of pounds of weights left on the floor by pampered yuppie larvae, and doing personal training. By the end it was getting to the point of breaking me down, but it was still activity.
Now, it’s a real struggle. I can only walk the dog and work out so much. And there is not enough housework and yard work to compensate ;-) So that is still a work in progress.
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Azdak- You made my day with your pampered yuppie larva lol 😂 now I know what to call them all these years lol.
True before my pregnancy I worked multiple jobs from hardware stores to cook to maintenance to head housekeeper at hotels to even if factories. Was lots of hot outdoor to over stove jobs,lots of moving to stairs, lots of up to down activities,sore muscles to exhausted but 2nd winds hit in time to run kid to school events y more. On days off errands!!! No rest for the weary comes to mind. Raised 1 biological y 7 non- biological kids. I did the yard work to was Mom/Dad. I ate like a truck driver didn’t gain an ounce! Had pets to care for to my Parents I lived next to them.
Now I run after 1 kid only . Have a partner so shared labors. No stairs only walking indoors . Got to watch calories. Cleaning my house takes longer than it did before (T-Csection makes bending hurt y scar tissue so I found I cut corners when cleaning I never did before!) .Only 1 parent left y my Aunts helping me since I wasn’t allowed to be far from the hospital Doctors orders (moved an hour away to be by the nearest hospital with a NICU y Doctor who were specialists for higher risk pregnancy so longer drive now which means all my Dads activities I used to take on like grocery shopping with him to driving him to church isn’t apart of my routine no more).
Went from full speed ahead to a tortoise 🐢 trot! Was eating the same calories y foods as before! Let’s face it a parent of a toddler you go from run run run huff huff huff puff puff huff run run run to bam 💥 sitting in the couch holding them while they want to be cuddled if you have to pee forget it their comfy grabbing your face to moving your arm to y fro.2
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