Back again and having trouble losing this time around...

perseverance_is_everything
perseverance_is_everything Posts: 14 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've used MFP before. About 4 or 5 years ago I successfully used it and dropped nearly 100 pounds. Well, sadly, I gained it back plus some while dealing with some health issues and life stressors over the years. I'm very meticulous about weighing everything I put in my mouth, and I use an IIFIYM approach while making sure to keep my protein up. I feel like I eat a pretty balanced diet. This exactly how I lost weight last time. I'm doing just what I did before down to the weighing and food I'm eating. This time, five years later and now in my early 40s, it's no longer working.

The first couple weeks I quickly lost about 10 pounds (mostly water weight I'm sure). Since then, for about a month, the scale has barely budged. It goes up and down within the same 2 or three pounds. I was set to lose 1 pound a week, and MFP set me up to eat just over 2200 calories to achieve that. My current weight is 319 :(, and I've been stuck at that weight for nearly a month. It's the heaviest I've ever been in my life, and I find this struggle so disheartening. Two days ago I adjusted my calories to just over 1900, so MFP's recommendation for 1.5 lb week weight loss. I thought maybe adjusting my calories slightly might kick things into gear. I have also slowly started introducing exercise. I have bad knees from the excess weight, but I'm doing the little bit I can until I lose more weight.

Does anyone have any thoughts or words of wisdom? I'm wondering if it has to do with my age and that's making it harder. Did anyone have a hard time losing weight after 40, and if so, what did you do?

I would appreciate any advice, words of wisdom, support.

Thank you!

Replies

  • redgrudge19
    redgrudge19 Posts: 10 Member
    I definitely feel losing it is harder with every passing day.... what I could do in 1 month 5 years ago, it’s taking me 1.5-2years
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,538 Member
    I’ve lost 100 lbs all after age 40. I think it it was easier losing when older. I had more self control. Wondering how many calorie counting gray areas you encounter in a week?

    If you’re convinced your tracking is tight, you’ve done the only reasonable thing, cut calories. Only other thing to do is wait. See what happens.

    I think this kind of thing has a lot to do with the limits of the calculators. We don’t really know how many calories we use unless we’re hooked up in a lab. The calculators are based on statistics and averages. The calculators are giving us a place to start. Not answers written in stone. Keep trying. You’ll find the numbers.
  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
    ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »
    Hold out. The Holidays are stressfull and stress generates cortisol and water retention. I just went through 5 weeks at the same weight, and at the beginning of this week lost exactly what I was promised in about 24 hours of WHOOSH. Stick to your math and your logging. It's a long road, so treat yourself gently and patiently and sustainably. <3

    Welcome back. I hope you're recovered from the health problems that tripped you up.

    This!

    I just today had my first lower weigh-in since 11/19 (-.2 lbs 😁). I've eaten at a deficit (-250 or so) every day except Thanksgiving and my birthday (both of those days were around maintenance, not over).

    I just turned 55. My overall loss over the last 7 months is on track based on my deficit.

    Math will triumph.
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,159 Member
    In terms of problem solving, aside from pesky water weight, if you are eating in a deficit you will lose. Most likely you are not in a deficit if the scale isn’t budging after a few weeks. My advise would be to weight everything you put in your mouth and log it. It’s tedious but it will work.
  • perseverance_is_everything
    perseverance_is_everything Posts: 14 Member
    bold_rabbit wrote: »
    ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »
    Hold out. The Holidays are stressfull and stress generates cortisol and water retention. I just went through 5 weeks at the same weight, and at the beginning of this week lost exactly what I was promised in about 24 hours of WHOOSH. Stick to your math and your logging. It's a long road, so treat yourself gently and patiently and sustainably. <3

    Welcome back. I hope you're recovered from the health problems that tripped you up.

    This!

    I just today had my first lower weigh-in since 11/19 (-.2 lbs 😁). I've eaten at a deficit (-250 or so) every day except Thanksgiving and my birthday (both of those days were around maintenance, not over).

    I just turned 55. My overall loss over the last 7 months is on track based on my deficit.

    Math will triumph.

    I keep telling myself that you're right. I'm not giving up. It's just frustrating when I feel like I'm doing everything I can at this time and not seeing the scale budge. It's encouraging to see people successfully losing in their 40s and up. I know some will disagree with the fact that it's much harder to lose weight after 40, but I know once I hit 40 the pounds came on SO much quicker, so there was a definite change in my body.

    On a related side note, as I said in my first post I am extremely meticulous about weighing every single thing I eat. I've been through all this before and lost almost 100 lbs, and I know the importance of weighing food for accurate tracking. I haven't wavered on that even one day since I've started, so I know that's not the issue. That's why I'm so puzzled. I've always been of the mind that if you eat at a deficit you will lose.

    I'll just keep pushing forward and hope the recent calorie adjustment I made will do the trick. The only problem with reducing my calories to 1900 is that I am definitely more hungry, and it's making it harder. I'll keep at it though and see if it makes a difference.

    Thank you all for your thoughts, kind words and advice. 🙂
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,538 Member
    perseverance_is_everything wrote: »
    bold_rabbit wrote: »
    ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »
    Hold out. The Holidays are stressfull and stress generates cortisol and water retention. I just went through 5 weeks at the same weight, and at the beginning of this week lost exactly what I was promised in about 24 hours of WHOOSH. Stick to your math and your logging. It's a long road, so treat yourself gently and patiently and sustainably. <3

    Welcome back. I hope you're recovered from the health problems that tripped you up.

    This!

    I just today had my first lower weigh-in since 11/19 (-.2 lbs 😁). I've eaten at a deficit (-250 or so) every day except Thanksgiving and my birthday (both of those days were around maintenance, not over).

    I just turned 55. My overall loss over the last 7 months is on track based on my deficit.
  • Chris_J99
    Chris_J99 Posts: 175 Member
    Keep logging those meals.
    Maths is your friend 😁
    We can do this!!!
    😁💪🏼😁
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,538 Member
    “I've always been of the mind that if you eat at a deficit you will lose.”

    And you will. It’s the laws of physics. The process just isn’t as exact as it pretends to be.

    Consider the premise of this thread. Things aren’t the same when we’re trying to lose when older. But what’s the system? We get the same numbers and same calculators as a 20 year old.

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