Getting fit at 50 and beyond...200+ pound club
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@dansemaillives losing an average of 1.3 lbs a week isn't too fast. Losing over 2 lbs a week is where it gets to be more questionable especially for those who weigh less. However my weight varies widely daily. I can have a big loss one day and a gain another so that is why I said an average of 1.3 lbs which is what your loss works out to over the 9 weeks. You should be eating between your Basal Metabolism Rate (BMR) and your TDEE (maintenance) rate -Total Daily Energy Equivalency. Just google BMR calculator and TDEE calculator to get estimates. If you are eating below your BMR that is too little. BMR is what you need if you were in a coma or lying down all day. You need more than that or you will have a problem. Eventually settling into 1 lb a week loss would be best for the long haul from my perspective. Listen to your body but also check out to make sure you have a reasonable deficit. A 500 calorie deficit usually is safe.
As to eating or not eating your exercise calories different people do it differently some eat them all back or eat some back. However it will catch up with you over time if you start to exercise more and are more active. Then your TDEE and BMR will change and you will need to adjust. The way MFP does it is they are separating out activity level and exercise calories when calculating what your calorie goal is. They are relying on you eating back your exercise calories or at least some. TDEE includes both.
So what happened to me the 1st time I lost weight on MFP is I kept my calorie goal the same but I started to exercise more and more and I wasn't adjusting my calorie goal or eating more of my exercise calories. Eventually my BMR and TDEE changed so that I was eating below my BMR. I needed to actually up what I was eating but didn't know it. I was eating some of my exercise calories most of the time but not all most of the time. I hit a plateau I couldn't get out of whatever I did. Of course the one thing I didn't think of to try is to actually eat more. When I realized that I started to slowly up my calories to my maintenance calories. I immediately started to lose again. I took a 2 week break at maintenance calories according to MFP and then I lowered them to a more reasonable deficit which was significantly higher than my original calorie goal. It was so weird to lose by eating more. So just watch it. If you start to be more active and exercise more then adjust things. Keep checking to make sure you are eating enough above your BMR. If you don't feel hungry, you are losing at a reasonable rate 1-2 lbs, are eating over your BMR and don't feel weak or tired then you are probably fine for now. Sometimes people will notice the day they lose is the day after a higher calorie day. This can be a clue but this takes a bit of figuring out.
Frankly I would keep doing what you are doing if it is working, you feel good, and you aren't losing more than you are on average but keep an eye out especially if you start to be more active and exercise more then you will need to adjust. Listen to your body.
That is extremely helpful thank you. Off to work out my BMR and TDEE!3 -
@dansemaillives losing an average of 1.3 lbs a week isn't too fast. ....... Frankly I would keep doing what you are doing if it is working, you feel good, and you aren't losing more than you are on average but keep an eye out especially if you start to be more active and exercise more then you will need to adjust. Listen to your body.
this is very helpful!! I had no idea, just kinda picked a number at random and have been losing slowly. This gives me some science behind getting the right number, I appreciate your really good explanation!!3 -
I’ve been reading through this thread and am so happy I’ve found it. I’ve been on/off MFP for years, also WW too many times to count and finally had weight loss surgery in August, 2017. I lost 65 lbs but have gained 25 back. I didn’t even make my initial weight loss goal! Most of the gain was this last year. Stress? Cross country move and new job? Easy to slip back into mindless, boredom or stress eating habits.
Had solved some health issues but those are creeping back and I’m now pre-diabetic (very strong family history). My knee has started hurting now, too. 🙄
I’m 59 years old, 5’8”, and now weigh 219. I’d like to be around 175, then we’ll see. As I saw others mention, I was also the tall skinny girl. I weighed 106 when I got married so I have a weird sense of body image. I thought 125 was the perfect weight, but I know that’s not reasonable now.
I have such trouble logging food. I’ll do OK for a few days, then I get lazy. I also absolutely HATE to exercise. Yes, I said it! 🤷♀️ Walking is OK if there is somewhere to go. But just to set out for a walk is not fun. I’d like to get to that point! One good thing: I get in an automatic 2500+ steps just walking from my car to my desk everyday. Large building! Some days I get 7-8000 or more steps, others 4-5. Depends on what I’m doing.
Anyway, nice to meet everyone and I’ll follow this discussion. I’m determined to turn this back around and get back to the habits that I know are healthy.7 -
@norafitz61 Try listening to music or a podcast when you set out to walk, that might help it be more interesting? And/or find a walking buddy as it's nice to walk with someone and it keeps one accountable.3
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I have 14lbs to lose but it an' t budging and getting fed up!5
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Starting weight: 214 pounds on 1/1/2021
Age: 50
Height: 5’8”
Goal weight: 184
Weekly Check-In:
January 1: 214
January 3: 211.6
January 10: 209.7
January 17: 207.6
January 24: 208
January 31: 208
February 7: 207.2
February 14: 207.9
February 21: 210.8
February 28: 212
March 7: 207.9
March 14: 208.1
March 21: 207.2
March 28: 207.0
This week down .2 pounds
Not too bad at all!
Have a great week!
Jill 💐4 -
@norafitz61 Hello and welcome!
I can certainly relate to you on a few different levels. I, too, had bariatric surgery many years ago and gained a lot of the weight back and I also never made it to my goal weight so now I'm back to doing it the old-fashioned, tried-and-true way of diet and exercise and making it a forever lifestyle change. I also hate exercise! Well, actually it's not so much that I hate it as it is that at this point in my life it is painful for me to do - I am 58 at 277 lbs with two hips that need to be replaced, along with a knee that is almost as bad, and disc degenerative disease in my lower back, and COPD. I have to really push myself to get moving at all but it is really good that you get in so many steps per day at your job and that you track them. That's awesome and actually makes a difference. I've also been the type that's not really into walking without some sort of purpose, especially now since I am currently living in Guam which is entirely way too hot and humid for me to even consider taking a walk. So I do a couple of indoor workout videos on youtube and listen to some music that I enjoy and just keep reminding myself that it's keeping me from being an invalid and hopefully progressing me to the point where I'll reach my goals and be physically ready to have both hips replaced.
The one area where we are different is that I enjoy doing my daily logging. It helps me stay focused and on point with my goals and leads me to other areas of MFP such as the community at large and these forums...all of which help keep me inspired. Do you by any chance plan your meals out ahead of time? If that were the case, maybe you could plan a week's worth of meals at one time and only modify it if anything changed during the week so you wouldn't feel so tied to constantly logging food. Not sure if that would work for you, but just a thought.
Best of luck on your journey and I look forward to hearing from you in the future. 😊
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Couldn't resist a little exercise humor for the day! 😀😉
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BethCW2963 wrote: »Couldn't resist a little exercise humor for the day! 😀😉
LOVE it!! hahahaha1 -
I have 14lbs to lose but it an' t budging and getting fed up!
How are you doing this week? remember consistency is most important!! your body will adjust to your new normal then will start losing again. Also maybe switch some things up if you are doing the same thing every day. make dinner at lunch time or switch a different type of protein. You can do it!4 -
azalea4175 wrote: »I have 14lbs to lose but it an' t budging and getting fed up!
How are you doing this week? remember consistency is most important!! your body will adjust to your new normal then will start losing again. Also maybe switch some things up if you are doing the same thing every day. make dinner at lunch time or switch a different type of protein. You can do it!
Thanks for the advice I will try to alternate things a bit. Thanks for the support!0 -
Hi everyone! I’m 5’ 8”, 230 pounds and turned 50 this past December. I was well on my way to reaching my short term goal weight of getting below 200 then covid hit and the lockdown didn’t agree with my nervous eating habits. I gained 30 pounds in a few months and I’m miserable because I have a gym membership but didn’t feel comfortable going. I’m here to give and receive support on this journey where I plan to reach my goal weight of 150.
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@ready2lose2101 Hello and welcome! Great to have you here.0
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Hello friends!
My oldest turned 20 on March 30th.
He’s coming home from college tonight, so I’m taking a quick break from baking, cleaning, and decorating. Can’t wait to see him! 🥰🎈🍰
I actually have 4 days off in a row to hang out with the family and celebrate his birthday and Easter. So happy!
Jill7 -
Hello friends!
My oldest turned 20 on March 30th.
He’s coming home from college tonight, so I’m taking a quick break from baking, cleaning, and decorating. Can’t wait to see him! 🥰🎈🍰
I actually have 4 days off in a row to hang out with the family and celebrate his birthday and Easter. So happy!
Jill
enjoy!! I love to spend time with my adult son, he's a really cool guy. Have fun!1 -
I'm 67, 5'3", and weigh 282. That's not my highest but it's my starting weight.....starting now. Gotta lose so I can get knee replacements and fix a growing list of other issues.
Point is, I start now. Goals for tomorrow, 1) log accurately, 2) no alcohol, 3) log 4500+ steps.
Ready, set..... go!5 -
I'm 67, 5'3", and weigh 282. That's not my highest but it's my starting weight.....starting now. Gotta lose so I can get knee replacements and fix a growing list of other issues.
Point is, I start now. Goals for tomorrow, 1) log accurately, 2) no alcohol, 3) log 4500+ steps.
Ready, set..... go!
those are great goals to start with, we're here for support. I need a knee replaced too, I can relate. 1 -
Good luck, dew 11252.0
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Starting weight: 214 pounds on 1/1/2021
Age: 51
Height: 5’8”
Goal weight: 184
Weekly Check-In:
January 1: 214
January 3: 211.6
January 10: 209.7
January 17: 207.6
January 24: 208
January 31: 208
February 7: 207.2
February 14: 207.9
February 21: 210.8
February 28: 212
March 7: 207.9
March 14: 208.1
March 21: 207.2
March 28: 207.0
April 4 : 207.3
This week up .3 pounds
Not too bad at all!4 -
Seems like lots of us have knee issues. I try to exercise without twisting or jumping since it hurts my knees and then my knee makes popping sounds. Not cool.3
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Seems like lots of us have knee issues. I try to exercise without twisting or jumping since it hurts my knees and then my knee makes popping sounds. Not cool.
arthritis runs inmy family and I've had trouble with my right knee since I was a teen. Now it needs replacing but doc says I have to lose weight in order to do it. How the ^*%%*%* am I supposed to do that when it hurts to move it??? makes no sense to me. BUT I will keep working at it. I sound like Rice Krispies when getting up from sitting!! lol
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Hi all, do you mind if I join in?
I'm 55 years old, 1.54m tall (just a shade over 5 foot) and I currently weigh 93.4kg (206lbs) - my BMI is 39.4.
Five years ago I got to 60kg (132 lbs) using MFP, but in the intervening 5 years I've gained all the weight back.
This time I'm hoping to get to 54kg (119lbs) , which is a BMI of 22.8. That sounds about right, since I don't have much muscle mass.
I don't expect this to be fast. At a pound a week, I'll reach my goal by Christmas 2022. So I'm here for the long haul.
I walk for an hour most days, and I'm a keen gardener, so those are my main forms of exercise.3 -
Welcome Bella!
The more the merrier! Welcome to our fun group. ❤️
Jill1 -
good morning Bella, nice to "see" you. We'll love to see your progress 0
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Seems like lots of us have knee issues. I try to exercise without twisting or jumping since it hurts my knees and then my knee makes popping sounds. Not cool.
I was medically discharged from the forces just under 30 years ago because of both knees being damaged. Always struggled with my weight since and can't run or ride a bike, BUT since starting this push and moving onto MFP I've started to do step aerobics as I was told it's low impact! Well I do 45 minutes a day now 5 days a week and I still don't believe apart from the cracking noise, no problems!!!4 -
Bella_Figura wrote: »Hi all, do you mind if I join in?
I'm 55 years old, 1.54m tall (just a shade over 5 foot) and I currently weigh 93.4kg (206lbs) - my BMI is 39.4.
Five years ago I got to 60kg (132 lbs) using MFP, but in the intervening 5 years I've gained all the weight back.
This time I'm hoping to get to 54kg (119lbs) , which is a BMI of 22.8. That sounds about right, since I don't have much muscle mass.
I don't expect this to be fast. At a pound a week, I'll reach my goal by Christmas 2022. So I'm here for the long haul.
I walk for an hour most days, and I'm a keen gardener, so those are my main forms of exercise.
Hi Bella, another newbie here (35 days on MFP) but about to weigh tomorrow which will be 12 weeks. I've lost 18.5 lbs at week 11. Exercise seems to be the key this time for me!4 -
Hi everyone - new to MFP. I just joined a 16-week program on Tuesday to lose as much weight as I can & the doc recommended MFP for tracking so... here I am. I'm not 50 yet but will be in a few months so I hope I can be grandfathered in. I'm having a tough time understanding the macros vs. nutrients thing. Like yesterday I had some of the nutrients left, but my macros were maxed out or over goal, so I don't know how to balance that. Is there any kind of meal plans that I can refer to for my specific macro goals? I'm totally confused as to what I can eat to keep things within limits. Seems like everything I entered, I went over in some area or another and it's frustrating. Little did I realize that a freakin banana and apple for lunch would throw everything into chaos. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you! 4
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Hi everyone - new to MFP. I just joined a 16-week program on Tuesday to lose as much weight as I can & the doc recommended MFP for tracking so... here I am. I'm not 50 yet but will be in a few months so I hope I can be grandfathered in. I'm having a tough time understanding the macros vs. nutrients thing. Like yesterday I had some of the nutrients left, but my macros were maxed out or over goal, so I don't know how to balance that. Is there any kind of meal plans that I can refer to for my specific macro goals? I'm totally confused as to what I can eat to keep things within limits. Seems like everything I entered, I went over in some area or another and it's frustrating. Little did I realize that a freakin banana and apple for lunch would throw everything into chaos. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
With macros & nutrients, close is good enough, especially if any given thing's under sometimes, over others, so it kind of averages out over a few days. Some macros/nutrients, it's fine to be over, and the goal really should be thought of more as a minimum (protein for example).
For weight loss, it's calories that matter, period, especially in the short run. Macros and nutrients are for nutrition and health.
Long run, seriously poor nutrition could affect weight loss *indirectly*, through fatigue or appetite. Fatigue reduces calorie burn (we rest more, basically). Also sub-par nutrition can lead to cravings (not necessarily cravings for the nutrients we're short on), making it tough to stick with calorie goal.
Just keep working at it, trying to get reasonably close, on average. It'll be fine.3 -
whats that saying? Make God laugh, make plans?
So my mom fell back in mid march and broke her right femur up by her hip. She was in the hospital and then in rehab. Well in rehab they did a *kitten* job of monitoring her (she has Alzheimer's) and she fell AGAIN last week and broke her right femur AGAIN (this time down by her knee) and spent another week in the hospital. She's back in rehab again but I'm so angry because they are not willing to do any number of things that would help with control of her movements. They wont use guard rails, they wont use a bed alarm, et etc. Which results in us having to pay for private sitters who basically just sit next to her and help get the care team if she tries to get out of bed.
So yeah - my food intake has been crap and I'm just trying to be gentle with myself and watch quantity. I am liking this pretty spring weather though in this part of the world....
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whats that saying? Make God laugh, make plans?
So my mom fell back in mid march and broke her right femur up by her hip. She was in the hospital and then in rehab. Well in rehab they did a *kitten* job of monitoring her (she has Alzheimer's) and she fell AGAIN last week and broke her right femur AGAIN (this time down by her knee) and spent another week in the hospital. She's back in rehab again but I'm so angry because they are not willing to do any number of things that would help with control of her movements. They wont use guard rails, they wont use a bed alarm, et etc. Which results in us having to pay for private sitters who basically just sit next to her and help get the care team if she tries to get out of bed.
So yeah - my food intake has been crap and I'm just trying to be gentle with myself and watch quantity. I am liking this pretty spring weather though in this part of the world....
Beautiful photo! Sorry to hear about your mom’s struggles.😔2
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