Tips for weight loss over 50
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maddduo
Posts: 10 Member
Thought I was being aggressive with my calories (staying in range for fat, carbs, sugar, salt too), but the weight is coming off slower than I expected. Had a doctors appt last week and asked about it and was basically told it was my age - Ugh! TMI, but menopause is not a factor. I do half an hour cardio majority of days a week. Yes, I know slower is healthier, but this is slower than I expected given what I'm doing. Not complaining, at least I'm down, Just looking for tips.
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Replies
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It really annoys me when doctors say it’s your age - it’s much more nuanced than that. As we age we tend to slow down, maybe we drive more than walking, or don’t have young kids to run around after, or our jobs are demanding so we sit down for 10 hours a day. We therefore burn less calories but ONLY because we’re less active. We therefore have less muscle, and more muscular people need higher calories. So see if you can increase your NEET (search for some threads) by moving a bit more, fidgeting / going up stairs faster etc. You could also do some strength training: I eat more now than I’ve ever done because I strength train and need the calories.
So yes age is a factor, but only because we sow down a wee bit as we get older - you can reverse that if you choose to do so!8 -
Tip - it's not your age. Eat less, move more still works.
I actually found it far easier in my 50's to lose weight, better tools like this one, food labelling, more me time.....
Only you know how much you have to lose and what you mean by slower than expected, often it's the expectation that's the problem!
As @claireychn074 points out we have choices with what to do with our time, when I retired I got even more choices and move more, exercise more and get to eat more.16 -
I lost over 1/2 my body weight at age 60. I’ve lost weight in my early 20’s as well. It was no harder, or easier, at either time. I bought into the myth that it’s harder to lose weight after 40, for years. Eat less calories than your body burns, move more for better health, and you will lose weight.7
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I've lost nearly 30lbs since May and I am 56. I lost 30lbs a few years ago (yes, I put them back on again in between...) This time around I have found I need to observe my calorie goals more carefully (I look back at my food diaries when I first joined mfp and can't believe I was losing when I was eating so much) and I also need to be MUCH more intentional about exercise. I have found that I need to try to get in >30 mins every day rather than swimming a few times each week. Having said that - and with those provisos - I have had steady loss at about the same rate as last time. About to transition into maintenance which will be a new challenge.3
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Be intentional, and follow through.
Intend to keep up with your food diary....and be honest and thoughtful with your entries
Intend to do that class
Intend to go for a walk after dinner.
Intend to up those NEET calories. So what if it takes me half an hour to put away the laundry, if I get hundreds of steps out of it. Spend time in front of the TV in the evening? Take up a movement hobby while you do- crochet, needlework.
Intend to substitute something better for something “worse”. In my case, cottage cheese and fruit for cake and cookies, homemade low or zero cal lattes for the coffee shop versions.
Intend to be open to receive and learn new things- and release those that haven’t helped or weigh you down.
Intend to accept,no, honor and respect, both the ups and the downs.
Intend not to make excuses for those downs, which will happen, or use them as an excuse to fail and quit.
Intend to be your own best friend.5 -
There are so many things that "make it impossible to lose weight" (or maybe just "too hard"): Age, menopause, hypothyroidism, being unable to exercise, not liking to exercise, not liking vegetables, sabotaging spouses/roommates/parents . . . I could go on. Here's one weird tip: It's not true. And most of the stuff the blogosphere says we "must do to lose weight" or "can't do if we want to lose weight? Also mostly misleading, or outright false.
At any age, eat fewer calories than we burn, on average, over a period of time . . . we lose weight. It's simple (not always easy).
@claireychn074 said some smart things up there about what's *actually* usually different, as we age . . . and those factors, activity and muscle mass, are things over which we personally have near total control.
A few comments on your specific story:
1. It's important to realize that calorie goals given by any calculator (including MFP) are just an estimate. It may be necessary to adjust from there, to lose weight.
2. Many people have unrealistic ideas of what is slow vs. fast weight loss, colored by what we see on reality TV or in tabloids. (You didn't say how slow your "slower than expected" is, so I don't know if this applies.)
3. Logging food is a skill that requires learning and practice. At any age, it's easy to be eating more than we think, based on arcane details of logging (for those using the calorie counting method). If you change your diary settings so it's public to other MFP-ers (even temporarily) and say so here, you can get advice from experienced calorie counters.
4. It can be a strategic error to cut calories really low, because undereating leads to undernutrition/underfueling which leads to low energy which leads to lower calorie burn because we're dragging through daily life and phoning in our workouts.
Obligatory case history: I was class 1 obese (just over the line) for most of my adult life, like around 30 years, despite becoming athletically active for the last dozen years of that. In 2015, I stopped lying to myself about how it was OK to be fat because I was active, and started managing my eating. At age 59-60 (while hypothyroid, and of course menopausal), I lost roughly 60 pounds in less than a year, and have stayed at a healthy weight since (I'll be 65 next month).
Here's a thread with ideas for increasing NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis, i.e. movement in daily life): http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
Tips:
* Read the things in the "Most Helpful Posts" areas. Here are direct links to the most important ones:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-health-fitness-and-diet-must-reads
(It's a lot, just chip away at them as you have time>)
* Make your weight loss process as easy as possible. Don't add unnecessary restrictions or "musts". One advantage we have with age is knowing ourselves really well, knowing what we're good at and what's hard. Use that. Game your strengths and limitations to your advantage.
* Focus on things you can control, or at least influence. The only reason to think about obstacles is to figure out how to get around, over or through them. (Some people like to brood about obstacles. It's a waste of time IMO.)
* Use the weight loss process to figure out strategies to maintain weight long term. Weight management can use various methods, but it's a long term (permanent) thing. Realistic strategies, determined during weight loss when we have the cushion of a deficit to soften any missteps, makes long-term maintenance much easier IMO. Treating weight management as a project with an end date, after which things "go back to normal" is a bad plan.
* If you have a bad day (or week or whatever), figure out how to minimize chances of repeat, then let it go, just get going again and keep going. People will tell you consistency is important, but persistence and patience is even more important. The majority of our days determines the majority of our progress.
* Minimize drama. Some people seem to be playing out a melodrama in which fat is sin, and we have to suffer to expiate it; or that guilt and self-recrimination are helpers. Personally, I like low drama: Weight loss is kind of a fun science fair project for grown-ups, all about finding the right processes for us and following them. Something that goes sideways is something to learn from, not to feel guilt and shame about.
You can do this. Wishing you all the best!18 -
The tips for losing wt at >50 are no different that at <50.
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Thought I was being aggressive with my calories (staying in range for fat, carbs, sugar, salt too), but the weight is coming off slower than I expected. Had a doctors appt last week and asked about it and was basically told it was my age - Ugh! TMI, but menopause is not a factor. I do half an hour cardio majority of days a week. Yes, I know slower is healthier, but this is slower than I expected given what I'm doing. Not complaining, at least I'm down, Just looking for tips.
When I was 30 a doctor told me some symptoms were due to my age. Turned out my workplace had toxic mold.
How slow is "slower?" When I joined MFP my expectations were distorted due to having watched Biggest Loser.
Weight control was easier for me when I was younger because I had an active lifestyle and jobs. My 82 yo mother struggles to stay above Underweight because she is super active (and eats a lot of lower-calorie foods.)5 -
I'm 57. Losing weight hasn't been much harder than when I was 25, but it's a little harder. No doubt for most older folk it's a combination of factors - reduction in muscle mass (therefore lower TDEE), less physical activity in general (therefore lower TDEE), less intense exercise when doing exercise (therefore lower TDEE), and so on.
Go take a look at photos of Arnold in his young bodybuilder days versus now. He's in great shape for his age and works out more than 99.9999 % of people his age, but he is 73. We all gradually turn into mush. Mush burns less calories than rock hard muscles.
Eat less, move more - the eternal formula will work for you forever, just a bit slower than it used to.6 -
@lgfrie
“We all gradually turn into mush.”
I read this while taking a rest in between sets of deadlifts and laughed out loud. Then cried. 😂😂😂😂3 -
I just turned 51 this year and I lost 45 lbs in 2020. Age has nothing to do with it, I promise. Only if you let it and make it an excuse.6
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It's definitely a problem for me. Again age, but mine I can clearly link in with when perimenopause hit big time.
Was told to reduce carbs & up protein as changes in hormone levels means don't need as much energy from carbs but do need to maintain/build muscle mass.
I do find it very hard as I crave quick fix sugary snacks - not helpful.
Really trying to focus in these recommendations.
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It's definitely a problem for me. Again age, but mine I can clearly link in with when perimenopause hit big time.
Was told to reduce carbs & up protein as changes in hormone levels means don't need as much energy from carbs but do need to maintain/build muscle mass.
I do find it very hard as I crave quick fix sugary snacks - not helpful.
Really trying to focus in these recommendations.
I had gathered that this might be a good idea as well, but when I reduced carbs I found I was really low on energy. I am working on getting my calories from carbs back up and calories from fat down. I think I could probably still move my protein up a bit though.
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I'm 57. Losing weight hasn't been much harder than when I was 25, but it's a little harder. No doubt for most older folk it's a combination of factors - reduction in muscle mass (therefore lower TDEE), less physical activity in general (therefore lower TDEE), less intense exercise when doing exercise (therefore lower TDEE), and so on.
Go take a look at photos of Arnold in his young bodybuilder days versus now. He's in great shape for his age and works out more than 99.9999 % of people his age, but he is 73. We all gradually turn into mush. Mush burns less calories than rock hard muscles.
Eat less, move more - the eternal formula will work for you forever, just a bit slower than it used to.
Wow, good for Arnold! From last year:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/20/ex-bodybuilder-arnold-schwarzeneggers-wellness-routine-at-age-72.html
...Schwarzenegger still works out at Gold’s Gym (the first gym he went to when he came to America in 1968) at 7 a.m. every day. He also does another workout in the afternoon (a 45-minute bike ride) followed by an evening workout at home.
But his lifting routine has completely changed.
“I’m not training heavy anymore,” he said. “After my heart surgery, I was advised not to train heavy. Not go three reps, heaviest weight, and all that stuff. So now I do lighter weights and more reps.”
Additionally, he started to incorporate more stretching and warm-up moves into his workouts to help with recovery.2 -
Same as under 503
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Tip - it's not your age. Eat less, move more still works.
I actually found it far easier in my 50's to lose weight, better tools like this one, food labelling, more me time.....
Only you know how much you have to lose and what you mean by slower than expected, often it's the expectation that's the problem!
As @claireychn074 points out we have choices with what to do with our time, when I retired I got even more choices and move more, exercise more and get to eat more.Tip - it's not your age. Eat less, move more still works.
I actually found it far easier in my 50's to lose weight, better tools like this one, food labelling, more me time.....
Only you know how much you have to lose and what you mean by slower than expected, often it's the expectation that's the problem!
As @claireychn074 points out we have choices with what to do with our time, when I retired I got even more choices and move more, exercise more and get to eat more.
Actually menopause I had been scientifically proven to lose body fat very very slowly as estrogen drops dramatically
You don’t exercise lots more and eat lots less that will cause your body to hold on fat in shock
Speaking as a 51 year old menopause women who’s lost 100lbs it is so much harder than aged 20-40
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Weight loss is kind of a fun science fair project for grown-ups, all about finding the right processes for us and following them. Something that goes sideways is something to learn from, not to feel guilt and shame about.
I love this description - it is how I feel, though I didn't coin it so well.
I somehow managed to pretty well maintain a previous 100 weight loss in my late 30s until my body/brain went haywire when I quite smoking 4 years ago. I'm pulling myself back together and my current weight loss journey as a 57 year old is 85 pounds down this year with 20-25 more pounds to go to achieve the new me. I joined MFP in May because I was starting to lose steam on my "just push through it" approach and I love tracking everything. I love the graphs. I love the macro and nutrient goals. I even love weighing myself everyday and watching how weight fluctuates all over the map, though the fat loss feels consistent. It is fascinating. It keeps me engaged. It is so much easier to spend my energy "doing" something (nourishing my body) rather than "not doing" something (not eating).
I didn't use anything like this last time around, I just "suffered" through the hunger, frustrations and exhaustion.
Using MFP is changing my thinking which I hope will change my habits for the rest of my life. The community here is invaluable - so much knowledge and inspiration.I am learning to listen to my body and to respect what it is saying. This is quite new to me.
So, for me, weight loss in my fifties is easier and a heck of a lot more fun than it was in my thirties, though it might be marginally slower.5 -
I have given up deciding to be fat. I lost the weight at age 46. Some of it has crept back on (I've struggled to replace a very active work out plan since COVID shut down my gym and pool), but I also know that this science fair of a 52-year-old perimenopausal woman can do this again.
My biggest struggle is that if I injure myself, the recovery time in my 50s isn't what it was in my 20s or 30s. I am much more careful, paying attention to how "hard" I am willing to go during a workout. Early in the shutdown, I crashed on a piece of furniture in my house because I was at the end of my (new) workout and tired. It set me back weeks. Other than that, age hasn't been a game changer.6 -
girlwithcurls2 wrote: »I have given up deciding to be fat. I lost the weight at age 46. Some of it has crept back on (I've struggled to replace a very active work out plan since COVID shut down my gym and pool), but I also know that this science fair of a 52-year-old perimenopausal woman can do this again.
My biggest struggle is that if I injure myself, the recovery time in my 50s isn't what it was in my 20s or 30s. I am much more careful, paying attention to how "hard" I am willing to go during a workout. Early in the shutdown, I crashed on a piece of furniture in my house because I was at the end of my (new) workout and tired. It set me back weeks. Other than that, age hasn't been a game changer.
Endorsed in full. That "cost of injury" (or overdoing) issue is the biggest issue I see in my aging self, as compared with my younger self. Other than that, I don't see anything that seems directly attributable to age. (Attributable to my own particular challenges that are things more common with age, like OA? Sure, those are a factor in some ways for me. But that's not age per se.)
I feel like low expectations others (and the culture) have of us as aging people, and lowered expectations we then have of ourselves, are bigger obstacles than age per se. I'm convinced that most of us can suprise ourselves, if we make it happen.
Maybe our muscles do turn to mush eventually (though I've never seen proof of literally that), but there's also sound research showing muscle mass gains, balance gains, and more, even in 80-somethings who undertake activities appropriate to their starting fitness level. Giving up is a choice.
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Tip - it's not your age. Eat less, move more still works.
I actually found it far easier in my 50's to lose weight, better tools like this one, food labelling, more me time.....
Only you know how much you have to lose and what you mean by slower than expected, often it's the expectation that's the problem!
As @claireychn074 points out we have choices with what to do with our time, when I retired I got even more choices and move more, exercise more and get to eat more.Tip - it's not your age. Eat less, move more still works.
I actually found it far easier in my 50's to lose weight, better tools like this one, food labelling, more me time.....
Only you know how much you have to lose and what you mean by slower than expected, often it's the expectation that's the problem!
As @claireychn074 points out we have choices with what to do with our time, when I retired I got even more choices and move more, exercise more and get to eat more.
Actually menopause I had been scientifically proven to lose body fat very very slowly as estrogen drops dramatically
You don’t exercise lots more and eat lots less that will cause your body to hold on fat in shock
Speaking as a 51 year old menopause women who’s lost 100lbs it is so much harder than aged 20-40
A combination of over-exercising and under-eating will cause fatigue, and even "metabolic" effects like slower hair growth (even hair loss) and potentially much worse. Adaptive thermogenesis is a real affect. But "hold on to fat"? If that were true, no one would starve to death, or at least some of them would be fat when they did.
So, over-exercising and under-eating can lead to slower than expected fat loss (through reduced calorie expenditure, obvious or subtle). If truly eating fewer calories than one spends, the energy has to come from somewhere, and stored fat is the main and preferred source.
Also, doing extreme things can raise cortisol (stress hormone) and have surprisingly large water retention effects, creating the appearanc of plateaus on the scale.
I think in our demographic there are also people (especially women) who have especially difficult times in later age because many years of yo yo dieting (fad diets, salad-focused/inadequate protein, all cardio no strength) and bounce-back over-eating (mostly fats/carbs, still not enough protein, very limited exercise). That's a bit of an exaggerated cartoon extreme, but past practices in that general neighborhood set us up for later-age low muscle mass, reduced inclination/ability to undertake vigorous activity, and a cumulative burden of adaptive thermogenesis. Those things aren't inevitable doom to weight management, because they can be countered, but they can add to the difficulty1
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