calling out to women 50+

I'd like to start this thread specifically for women who are 50 or over.

As a 53 year-old woman, myself, I am finding new challenges, unexpected difficulties and wonderful insights on my path to getting to and maintaining my health, weight and body shape.

What seemed to work for me as little as five years ago doesn't work quite the same anymore. My body doesn't seem to respond to what I consider healthy eating habits and good workout schedules as it even in my middle to late 40s'.

SO, I am would to hear from those out there who are finding themselves in situations. OR NOT, maybe you can enlighten the rest of us as to how you keep your shape, or how you're getting into better shape and a healthier overall lifestyle.

Hopefully this will be the start of something wonderful, educational, funny-offer up jokes anecdotes, whatever!

LET'S GET STARTED!

I also have bad knees - so I started walking about 7 years ago.  I now walk at a pace that is about 4 miles/hour.  My knees never hurt.  I try to walk 3-4 days per week and I walk 3-5 miles.  I did gain weight over the last 5 years during menopause however I also stopped working for a while and found that when I am at home I eat more!  So I prompty put on about 25 lbs.  I am now back at work and curbing my food intake, much with the help of CC and I am 7 lbs lighter.  I love the walk, not only does it keep me in shape, it is beautiful to be outside in the early morning or at dusk.  I don't want an exercise regimen that is overwhelming.  I would never keep it up.  I walk and when it is raining I exercycle and on the occasional beautiful day I kayak.  I wouldn't give up my walk for anything, it not only helps me physically, it helps me to stay calm mentally.   I also try to walk with friends so that social aspect is fun and rewarding.

I'm 50 and can't believe how my body holds on to weight now. I have a goal of a 20 pound weight loss. The first 5 pounds slipped off with exercise and watching my calories....then nothing. I have doubled my exercise. I am trying to eat about 1300 calories a day but it is SO hard. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. I burn an average of 300 to 500 calories a day in exercise. I feel stronger. But the weight just sits there. Trying to increase my fluids....wow...whats it going to take? I don't mean to complain. Guess it is just such a relief to find a group such as this. 

It really is because I can see it peeling off of younger people and have a doctor telling me bariatric surgery is the only way to go............... each pound is a bigger victory when you are older.

I know this can be done - when I succeed it will be the biggest challenge of my life!  We should get together and write a book after this.  A motivational book for weight loss after 50!

I know.  It is sooo sloooow.  I think I am averaging 2 lbs a month.  I need to lose 50, so at this rate it will be two years!  Yuck!  That assumes that I can keep the 2 lbs a month going.  Can't even think about it.

I move that we all ignore scales and focus on eating healthy and exercising.  If you keep the calories down and exercise you suceeded!  Who cares what the scale says?

...

I know, we all do.  

I had a cold over the weekend.  I found that it is very hard to stick to my diet when I am sick.  I want comfort sick food!  Lots of tea with honey - not so bad. Fruit Juice - loaded with calories!  Lots of chicken soup and rice and more.  Anyway I gained back 3 lbs.  A little depressing.  I have noticed that at 50 it is so easy to gain and so hard to lose.  It's no fair.  It takes weeks to get some off and one day to put it all back on.  So different from just 10 years ago.

I pretty much feel that I have always eaten a fairly healthy diet.  i just didn't watch how much I ate.  That is the hard part.  I can't really eliminate a couple of really bad for me items.  I have to just eat less of what I already eat.  10 years ago if I had been walking as much as I am now I would have had to drink Tiger Protein just to keep weight on.  I would love those days back!  Ah well.

Good morning ladies

So many of your posts I'm reading and shaking my head - yep that's me. We all sound alike with the difficulty to shed even a few pounds. I used to bake and always had home made cookies which I would come home from work and devour 3-4 before dinner every day, now... I gain if I even look at them so I just don't bake much any more (hubby has high triglycerides so he doesn't need them either LOL). I could always shed a few pounds just by cutting back now ... I don't know what the answer is to losing a few. Have tried increasing calories, decreasing calories, zig zagging calories changing the percentage of C

Bonton71 said: We all sound alike with the difficulty to shed even a few pounds.

It's comforting to know we're not alone: guess that's where the "misery loves company" expression comes from. I've been losing the same two pounds for about four months now, but I am now trying to vary the calories a bit, i.e., kick up the protein, even if it means 1700 calories a day instead of 1600.  I have read frequently on this site that people get stuck from eatng too little.

Delilahbluebike said: I have noticed that at 50 it is so easy to gain and so hard to lose.  It's no fair.  It takes weeks to get some off and one day to put it all back on.  So different from just 10 years ago.I have noticed that at 50 it is so easy to gain and so hard to lose.  It's no fair.  It takes weeks to get some off and one day to put it all back on.  So different from just 10 years ago.

Ain't that the truth. The difference for me was dramatic especially after 53, when I went through the dreaded "change of life." My waist disappeared and my ability to recover from a binge in a few days went wherever my waist went. I find myself drawn to clothes with elastic waists, a fashion felony I would have eschewed even 5 years ago. On the bright side, my husband has gotten more dependent on reading glasses with age, so he can't see all the damage when he's up close.

Hang in there girls!

LOL sad but true! I don't know what happened to half of my post - it disappeared LOL oh well I was just ranting about all the things I've tried so far to not much avail. My hubby is very dependent on his reading glasses also and tells me all the time "you look great the way you are" must be that he can't see that well LOL

But on the bright side - I'm healthy (minus a little osteo in the knee and tendonitis in the elbow) so maybe I'll have to break down and buy new capris since none of last years fit!

And robbie615 - you're right menopause has certainly changed where the weight hangs out! My waist used to be really tiny ...uh not any more. When I lost that 1.75 pounds I didn't get too excited until it stayed off for 3 days! cause sometimes it comes right back LOL

I try to get my protein to 30% but seem to have a hard time doing that - not a big meat eater, don't like fish or tuna or eggs... and a host of other things. Being a picky eater makes this a little hard at times. I did add a protein shake and that at least got me to 25%

I hear you bonton...I have considered breaking down and buying some new clothes but the entire concept depresses me. My deal today has been to drink a bottle of water before I eat and one afterwards. Too often after I eat I still feel hunger but I think I eat too fast and my body just hasn't had time to recognize the intake. It seems to have been effective so far today.

I have seen a lot of talk about not consuming enough calories...I'm not sure. I think I will try to zig zag but start with a lot lower calories today. Heck I don't know. Seems like quite a few fit ladies in here who like me have never fought so hard for a loss of a pound.

 Heard on TV today that they have proven it is harder for women to lose weight than men... well, duhhhhh wonder how much they spent to study that no brainer.

OMG - I finally bought a pair of pants that have an elastic waist!!!  I am ashamed to admit I really like them.  What's really funny is that they make my derriere look better than my tight jeans do.  You just never know!

 

As far as what works after the change of life?  I think having one of those thinning mirrors might do the trick.  Everything else i have tried has not worked.  I have to say I have more recently been trying a few different things.  Mostly to be sure I am getting 40g of protein and 40 g of fat per day.  I happen to love chicken, turkey, tuna - those things that give us protein - but when I am trying to watch calories i have been relying on protein bars - one for breakfast and one for lunch makes 30 g of protein.

All in a days try.

 

A couple of you mentioned that people on this site are always cautioning against eating too little.  I have read that over and over on this site too.  Okay, so if that is really true, why does bariatric surgery work?  Why does the Medifast 800 cal per day diet work?  Both of those diets work by severely restricting calorie intake, and I have never heard of someone on those diets who does not lose weight!!  Granted, the bariatric surgery patients can regain the weight, but it is after they stretch that stomach back out so they can eat more    And these severe diets may not be a very healthy way to lose.

If someone can continue to be just as fat if they eat 1000 calories per day PLUS they exercise A LOT, that person needs to donate their genes to our national energy crisis.  You are probably getting the feeling I do not buy into this "eating too little" theory.  There has got to be more to the story.   Maybe if you don't eat enough, your body will get extremely sedentary and it will lose more muscle than fat. 

Oh, I almost forgot - recent studies show that women should be getting about 100 grams of protein per day to avoid losing muscle.  Sorry, I know that sounds hard, but you can cram 30 g into a protein shake a couple of times a day.  It just leaves less calories for our beloved carbs.  Depressing.

 Well, that's my rant for the day, and I am hungry!  Welcome to the new people. 

Alice

 

Thinning mirrors...  It could work.  I will have to give it a try.

The whole thing about eating some minimum amount of calories is based on 'starvation mode'.  There is medical evidence that our bodies have the ability to slow down our metabolism when calories are cut too much.  Then you have to eat even less in order to lose.  The problem is that it is difficult  to get all the necessary nutrients to keep healthy if you drop calories under 1200.  People undergoing bariatric surgery are monitored by a doctor and work with nutritionists to make sure they stay healthy.  Most of us are on our own.  So it is safer and more pleasant to stay out of starvation mode.

delilahbluebike - what protein bar do you eat that gives you 30 grams (must be 15 at breakfast and 15 at lunch?) I eat SB protein bars but they only have 10 grams of protein  - willing to try a new one especially if it has more protein.

frostslave - I hated to go buy them but it was getting nice and alas I could not squeeze into any of my capris without my underwear line showing badly oohhh I hate that. It was depressing but I'm still trying to get back into them.

My golf league started tonight - it was quite a chilly start - low 50's and windy but I took low gross with a 45! - I had to wear long underwear LOL but I walk when golfing so I'm hoping that will help me to lose this stubborn 8 pounds!

I have to say I'm enjoying this thread. It really helps to relate and chat with women going thru the same things.

You know, I have been buying soy protein isolate at GNC and adding it to my cereal for a decent protein boost in the am.

I have been hitting around 70-100 grams a day this way and keeping the cholesterol down.  I have heard some good and not so good things about soy isolates though.  But also any protein powder - looked at whey protein because folks were all over soy not having enough methionine and whey does not have much either ........... plus I eat my soy protein in the presence of whole grains which do have the methionine to balance it .   Oh, who knows..........?

Carol, I totally agree with you that eating below 1200 calories is not healthy, and I'm not saying anyone should do it. I'm just skeptical about telling people they aren't losing weight because they need to eat more. One lady on a different forum claimed she eats 600-700 calories per day with normal activity and had been stuck at 200 pounds for years! How I would like to have a secret video of her typical day and see whether she REALLY eats that little every day!

I got a good deal on whey protein powder from puritan.com

Alice

Okay, so where do I buy a thinning mirror? At the circus or a carnival? There is one coming to town this weekend and it might be an opportunity.

I realize you can eat too few calories and put yourself into a mode of starvation and extreme fat storage. The short term effects are awesome but in the long run you gain that back and usually more. But I think you have to be careful not to use the "maybe I need to up my calories" concept as an excuse to eat more. Perhaps most of you wouldn't fall into that trap but I would go for it.

Today was okay for me. The large doses of water before and after each meal was effective. I kept my calories at 1300 and burn almost 700 calories in exercise. But I go back to work tomorrow night and working nights has always been an eating challenge for me. I need an effective way not to graze in the wee hours of the morning. I'll try my water theory tomorrow night at work and see what happens.

I have no doubt that I will prevail in my quest for weight loss in my 50's. I just want to do in right and make it permanent. I love reading all of your thoughts and comments. You help me more than you know.

Hi 50+s, I'm 51 and I really haven't had any trouble losing once I stuck with the plan of healthy eating and exercise. Just curious, bonton71, as I saw a post of yours on the first page and then again on the last page about getting 30% protein. Based on a 1500 calorie a day diet, I worked out that 30% protein would be over 112 grams. Why is it necessary to have so much protein?

I usually have about 65 to 70% of my calories from carbs, and the balance split evenly between fat and protein. So that would be around 15 to 18% protein. I'm a vegetarian and eat nonfat or lowfat organic dairy products.

The main focus for me was to keep my metabolism revved up, so lots of water (at least 8 glasses daily), eating 6 small meals a day, exercising at least 60 minutes a day (serious walking, biking, hiking), and some spicy foods everyday like cayenne pepper or jalapeno.

Good luck ladies!!

I get protein bars (yes they are 15g each) from the nurse practitioner in our little town - the company that makes them is called Advanced Health Systems.  They are not prescription but I don't know where else you can get them.  Possibly online.  Some of them are pretty tasty.  If I run out of those I eat Luna Bars - 10g each.  Either way I am pretty close to the 40g I aim for.  she was the one who suggested how many grams of fat and protein I should be eating - actually 44g protein and 40 grams fat.  I had been going just for high grams of protein and I was super hungry all the time.  The fat grams help with my hunger.  I also aim for 1200 - 1500 cals a day and I try to get some exercise in each day.  I can't say I am always good about the exercise but I do manage to walk 4-5 miles at least 3 days per week.  I have also cut out almost all sugar with the exception of the tsp of sugar in my tea in the morning.  When I stick to it I seem to lose 2-3 lbs per week.  I have also gotten better about taking a daily vitamin - seems to help with cravings.

I am not sure where to get those carnival mirrors.  Must make them somewhere.  I think tho that those cheap home depot ones can bend a little and might work - just bend them the right way or it could backfire on you!

Hi figurethefat,

Recent studies show that women who eat higher protein (30%) lose more weight than women on a lower protein diet, whether or not they exercise. They also lose more fat and less muscle. If you are interested, I can try to find specific references for you. A very new study just came out that shows older women need more protein than men in order to maintain muscle mass, because we don't metabolize it as well.

Alice

Hi figurethefat - I was aiming for 30% protein because on a diet of 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein I wasn't losing any weight so it's a shot at something to change things up and see if the scale moves. I try to eat 1200 - 1300 calories a day depending on my exercise level - I'm only  5'1"...maybe i just need to grow 3" then I could quit all this nonsense LOL. I do lift weights and in the past month have been going heavy so I need the protein to heal the muscles or so they say. I do have whey protein shakes mostly everyday but they don't agree with my stomach so I have to take Beano first. Oh the woos of trying to lose weight!

moonduster - I do think that the body becomes very effecient at conserving when a real low calorie diet is followed. There was a good article about this on  a body building website. When I started on here I was only eating about 900 -1100 calories, (not a big eater, reflux, forgot to eat, didn't get hungry etc. ) and that was every bite I put in my mouth - not a closet eater! - and I wasn't losing any weight at all despite exercising 5x/wk. After increasing to 1200 - 1300 for about 6 weeks now I have finally started to lose a little. Granted, I don't have much to lose but it is very stubborn.

longwaytogo - keep up the good work! Something I did at work for the weight loss group that I had - if you have access to free weights - put the amount of weight you have lost in a plastic bag and hold it for 10 minutes - you will be totally surprised how heavy even 5 pounds get after 5 minutes and it helps to feel better with every small loss. My folks at work who had only lost about 10 pounds at the end of our session were thinking it wasn't much but when they had to hold it they realized that it was a very good start!