Older women and weight loss

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Art63
Art63 Posts: 87
in Health and Weight Loss
During lunch today the topic of weight loss came up. I've lost 26 pounds since August and was justifiably proud to say so especially since I had weighed 210 for 15 years. The women then sort of ganged up on me and poo-poohed the accomplishment as no big deal. They said it was nothing for a man to lose weight but that it is so much harder for a woman.

They went on to say that I had no idea how difficult it was for women...espcially older women...to lose weight and that I should pretty much just shut up because what I've done was nothing.

Really? Are they right? Eating less calories doesn't work the same with women compared to men? I just wondered about the experiences of women here on MFP...especially those over a certain age. Thanks.

Replies

  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
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    I don't know for whom it's harder...

    I just know it's hard for EVERYONE.

    Congrats on the loss!!
  • Rubyinthesand2012
    Rubyinthesand2012 Posts: 92
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    when i was younger and before i had children i could lose weight easily.... maybe i just had more will power then!

    Im not exactly over the hill at 36 but ive definately found that i gain weight more easily now and it is harder to shift those extra few pounds.

    But i agree with the previous poster that i think it can be hard for EVERYONE no matter what age or sex they are.

    I expect they were negative about your achievement because they feel bad for themselves as they havent had such a success.

    Maybe you should tell people how you did it using this site and maybe they will be encouraged to try it out too!

    Well done with your weightloss :flowerforyou:
  • MIMITIME
    MIMITIME Posts: 405 Member
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    First, losing 26 pounds is a great accomplishment whether it be man or woman so congrats on the loss. Based on experience, the man in my life does lose weight faster than me but he still has to work at it. Most men do lose weight faster than women and they usually get to have more calories than we do for the weight loss. That's just the way it is but it doesn't minimize the weight that you have loss. I am 50+ and the man in my life is 60+. We both agree that it is harder to lose weight the older you get. Most likely because we are not as active but we can still lose weight if we work at it. Yes, it does work the same for women as far as less calories in more weight loss. The ladies did make some valid points but on the other hand, I think they were just making excuses to not even try. I would just ignore them and keep doing what you are doing.
  • missgailPer
    missgailPer Posts: 18
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    Every pound lost is an achievement, don't let anyone make you feel like you haven't accomplished much! I'm in my 40's its not easy the weight seems to creep up. Everyone's metabolism is different male and female , I think it has a lot to do with how active you are compared to what you eat . Your doing great You!!! Do what you can and take one day at a time. Keep up the great work!!!
  • Christinemary6
    Christinemary6 Posts: 60 Member
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    I find it very hard to lose weight. It has always been difficult, but now I am 57 years old, it seems harder still. In the limited experience I've had of being in weight loss classes with men and women, it has seemd that men of any age, once they have decided to lose weight do so with a lot less effort than the women! I have absolutely no idea why that is.
  • duckpond11
    duckpond11 Posts: 197 Member
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    Congratulations on your weight loss, you are doing great and should be proud. It is a big accomplishment, man or woman.

    I think what makes things "harder" verses easier in general is whether you are carrying a lot of Lean body mass, as that will increase your metabolism and also dictate how large a calorie deficit you can create. The larger the calorie deficit you create, the fast the weight can come off. It can take longer for women to take weight off because they can't create as much of a deficit. Generally men have more LBM than women because they are bigger. Also, sadly it is true that the older you get, the slower your metabolism gets.
  • Gwen7121
    Gwen7121 Posts: 126 Member
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    I think it's hard for anyone to lose weight, and that was mean of them to gang up on you. But to the actual question - I believe it has to do with muscle mass. Men carry more muscle mass than women do, and muscle tends to burn more calories, even while resting.

    But I still think a 26 lb weight loss is awesome! WTG!
  • tangal88
    tangal88 Posts: 689
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    First Congratulations! You should be proud. :)

    It is true many things can alter the ease, one loses weight.

    Gender is one. Men have more muscle mass, even when overweight, then a women of the same size. So your resting metabolism is higher. Which means you body burns more calories just sitting still, and you have more room to eat higher calorie amounts and still loss weight, compared to a women.

    Women have hormones that actively work to maintain a higher fat mass, then a man. So it is harder for this reason, for a women to loss fat stores.

    Size, men are typically "bigger" so need more calories to maintain, which means you can eat more and lose pounds.

    Age can factor in also. After Age 30 I found it MUCH MUCH harder to maintain or lose weight, compared to younger years. And after age 40 it gets harder even more. This is true of ether sex though, but I think women feel it more, since we typically have less muscle mass, compared to a man of the same age. (muscle burns more calories at rest then fat)

    The metabolism slows as we age, and the body muscle loss rate increases with each passing year. So a 70 year old will usually have more muscle loss, and is losing it at a faster rate, then a 30 year old. (assuming neither party is taking steps to maintain or keep lean muscle)

    I also read, that a women over age 40, needs at least 60 mins of active exercise a day, just to maintain her weight. It was only one study, so not sure on that accuracy. But I know for me, at age 47, that seems to be true. To lose weight you need to add in even more exercise, or cut calories more severely. Being short stature myself, I have less room to cut calories, compared to a man. or even a taller women.

    None of this is said to discredit your accomplishment - You have made excellent progress, and should be proud. :)

    Its still hard for ANYONE, at ANY AGE!

    Just wanted to explain where the ladies may have been coming from.
  • ymachick
    ymachick Posts: 33 Member
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    I've always found it difficult to lose weight and even more so after I turned 40. I'm 43 now and yes, it's very difficult to move the scales downward. However, I agree with the community that your weight loss is a huge accomplishment. Any weight loss is an accomplishment for the individual losing it and I would ecstatic if I lost 26 pound so congratulations! I think your lunch buddies might be a little jealous. :wink:
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    It is harder for females to lose weight over males. Even harder the older you get. The reason.......hormones. Hormones are the great regulator of body composition and metabolism. Whenever I help someone lose weight, my advice revolves around having them do things to raise their fat burning hormones and lower their fat storage hormones. Calories in/calories out is a great place to start but its much more complicated than that.

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