Weight Loss

Hello,

  I have just joined the group.  I hope someone out there can give me suggestions that will help me.  I'm a 51 year old woman who has gone through menopause.  I exercise weight lift and I don't diet, but I portion control with my food.  I have such a hard time lossing weight especially through the middle.  I will appreciate any suggestions.

Hi - welcome. I'm post meno., too. I've noticed that I need to be a whole lot more careful about what I put in my mouth and how I exercise now. Only a suggestion, but how about some cardio exercise? Plus, just to make sure you're not over-eating you could do a diet journal for a week to get a good idea of your food intake ('course you'd need to put everything down that you eat). For the excess in the middle, different "experts" are now talking about monounsaturated fats being important (without going overboard, since the calories there add up fast). Those are the only things I could think of so hope they work.

I suggest that you log. Log your food, your exercise, etc. I know for me that I eat differently when I log and don't log. Logging forces me to measure. It is so easy for me to overestimate. Also, I really have to watch my carbs. I have found that eating a diet with more than 55% carbs means that I don't lose weight. So, I keep carb intake to 50% or less and I am slowly losing (5 lbs in May). At 51, that's a good rate.

Also, when you workout, do you do cardio and if so what is your heart rate? You really need to have the heart rate at a 65-80% output to lose. I keep mine around 140-150 when I am on the treadmill or elliptical. I only use the stationary bike for fun, as it is hard for me to sustain that high of a heart rate on the bike. I have not tried spinning; have upper back problems so that's not the best exercise for me.

I talked to a nurse at work who runs triathalons (she's in her 20's). With all her training, she still has a small belly pooch. Her triathalon coach told her to cut out carbs before bed. She dropped 5 lbs immediately by eating protein and fiber instead of cereal before bedtime. AND she is thin already!

Hope some of these suggestions help. It is tough to lose over 50, but not impossible. My goal is to have a flat gut by age 52. I am almost there, but it has taken lots of hard work and sweat.

Good luck.

J-mom

I've have thought about keeping a journal.  I will try this.  So this means you keep a count of ever carb that you eat.  Thank You.

Good information, jehzimom!  I am not post-meni yet, but have not had a period since January so I'm on the road.  I have lost close to 100 pounds and haven't found it any more difficult than when I lost weight in my 20's.  The principle is the same, I think:  Calories in vs calories out.  I don't make it more complicated than that.

 For me, logging is essential.  That's why they call this site Calorie Count, right?  I needed to learn a lot about what kinds of foods and how much of them to eat in order to be healthy and lose weight.  Portion-control is only part of the picture for me - I didn't like Weight Watchers because I could eat whatever crap I wanted as long as I monitored the portions.  This led me to continue poor eating habits and to be hungry all the time because I was wasn't getting the most bang for my buck, calorie-wise.

When I first started exercising, all I did was cardio because with my family history of heart problems I wanted to ensure that my heart/lungs were strong no matter what else I did.  And I wanted to burn as many calories as possible to support weight loss.

Yeah, my stomach is still the largest problem.  Part of that is skin apron, but I also still have more fat there than I should.  I am working now on toning in addition to cardio, and include 50 stomach crunches in my exercise routine no matter what.  Will I always have a tummy?  Maybe.  Do I care?  Only a little.  I look and feel so much better than I ever have before in my life - at our age, this is about more than vanity.

Congratulations, jacovian, on finding CC and being in the solution regarding your health.  It's a long journey, a marathon not a sprint.  Take care.

jehzimom said it best - low carbs!  I will be 52 in August this year and also am post menopause.  I had always been very slim until reaching around 40 and then I noticed my belly.  Back in 1999 someone where I worked suggested trying Atkins (low carbing) and I started my research.  I loved all kinds of meat and this sounded perfect for me.  The first 2 days were tough - I love my chocolate and hated giving up bread (mayonnaise sandwiches yum yum).  But I stuck it out and lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks - mostly all from my belly area.  I was more energetic and thrilled with my new body.  

I have kept up the maintenance part of the lo carb diet and can eat most anything now because I know the carbs in most everything I put in my mouth.  I do fluctuate around 3 lbs but that is around the holiday season.  

My worst habit is still munching on my chocolate - mostly now just semi-sweet morsels though.  My husband loves chips and that is hard to resist, though I try to buy only baked tortilla chips.

Try the lo carb route for at least 2 weeks and you WILL notice the difference!  Good luck.

 

I'm confused  about the burn meter. I see where the burn meter increases as I add exercise. But what is the other number at the top?

I am on a 1200 calorie diet and am trying to keep my exercise rate above that.

I totally agree with mad4moon. If the idea is diet, WW is OK, 'cause you can eat crap but stay under points and lose weight. You won't be healthy and it won't last, but you can lose.

I am mixed with chewie08, because I have done both Adkins and the Carbohydrate Addicts diet. With both I lost, but one slip--usually wine with dinner or champagne at New Year's threw me off and I gained it all back PLUS!!! Now it's a balance. There really is no food that I don't eat (OK, donuts I NEVER eat--I don't like them), but since Jan there are many foods that I have lost the taste for. Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich used to be my fave--the last one I had tasted like sh** to me, so I threw it away and never went back. I rarely eat a Sonic double cheeseburger (2-3 times a year) or have a blizzard from Dairy Queen (once a year), but it's not because of deprivation--I just don't want one.

Keeping carbs at 55% or less means I eat whole wheat pasta with spaghetti sauce, lasagna, manicotti, brown rice, oatmeal, bread, beans, etc. I just don't eat it every meal, and I watch the percent of carbs. When the meter starts reading high (under analysis) I have salad, cottage cheese, chicken, skim milk, etc and boost the protein/ fat side which lessens the carb readout. At the end of the day, I note my deficit and move on.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. Once I got used to doing it, it became second nature. I could write on paper or in a journal, but CC makes it easy and I don't spend much time looking up foods.

My abs are not totally flat yet, there is about 1 1/2- 2" fat on the roll when I pinch my gut between my fingers. This is a huge improvement, though. When I sit down, there is no gut sitting on the top of my thighs. This is not genetics, lipo, or anything else--just the result of exercise and re-thinking food.

I am no rocket scientist. If I can do this, anyone can. CC makes it easy. Just keep in mind, it has taken me 5 months to get here and learn not only how to use the tools, but what works best for me. I really feel good, sleep through the night, and feel good about myself. At 52, I feel like I look hot--if I don't, who cares. My husband says I "look better" and my friends tell me I have lost weight. In numbers, there has not been a huge drop, but the tape measure and my appearance tell me what I need to know. My clothes fit better, too.

Two weeks ago, I went to the gym to swim and my swimming suit was too big! I actually looked like crap with the baggy seat and saggy middle. I bought my first 2 piece suit since I was in my 30's!!! I have yet to wear it at the gym, but I do wear it at home in the yard. For me, this is big!

Good luck in your quest. I hope 6 months from now, I read your report of your journey, too.

If you want to talk, friend me.

J-mom

I have had the same experience as jehzimom, the longer I stayed away from junk food, the less appeal it had.  Now, there are many many formerly irresistable foods (McDonald's Big & Juicy, ice cream drumsticks, Ding Dongs, any kind of milk chocolate) that totally don't interest me today.  I also had limited success on Atkins.  I believe in moderation.  Finding sanity and serenity in my lifestyle is my goal.

We each have our own way.  We can learn from each other, take what we need, and leave the rest.

Well said, Mad. We all have our own path. CC allows us to find it with others on the same quest.

J-mom