Motivation

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 am so glad to see this thread.  My shape has changed.  I have always been a big girl but my stomach was flat as could be.  All of my weight was in my hips and thighs.  I was a definite pear.  I always had to have the waist taken in in everything I wore because for it to fit in the hips it was too big in the waist...All that has changed.  I would swear that some of my pounds have migrated from my behind to my belly.  I really don't think this is my imagination.  My body does not look like my own.

I also have a hard time exercising like I once could.  Body aches and pains that I never had before are abundant now.  I will look forward to reading the advice of others who have it all figured out.

Thanks for starting this thread.

Karen

It felt we ladies of life experience needed our own thread.  So, please come here often, all welcome!

 

I know I can't be the only woman who is having problems, or challenges with maintaining a healthy weight, losing weight etc.

What used to work doesn't work anymore.

I'm at a loss what to do next. 

My body always used to adapt to exercise quickly and I always saw and felt results within a short period of time.

Now, well, not only can I not shed the extra pounds I have put on over the winter, it feels like the exercising I am doing (3-5x a week, at least 1 1/2 hours), is barely making a difference.

Is this what menopause does? If so, unbelievably unfair!

I'm totally frustrated because as far as I am concerned and from what I know, I should be losing and getting leaner and tighter!

Hi There

I'm also 53 and need to lose a total of 55 pounds.  I joined on February 1 and lost 15 pounds.  Recently I had a big long backslide and gained back 5.  I have new resolve and am back at it again.  I've noticed that I am carrying my weight differently too.  also my skin is less elastic and I've lost muscle tone.  I guess we'll just have to work harder .  There is a healthy attitude at this site where people are talking about not being on a diet but working on a life style change that includes healthy eating and exercise.  Now that the snow is mostly gone and I can get outside, I plan to walk more.

Good luck to both of you

Penny

The loses may be slower and the exercise too but we can still make changes in both weight and fitness.  In comparison to what was though it will just be in slow motion. 

I think your idea of walking more outside, vnnep, is a great one.  I found a website from Molly's thread that will tell you what the miles and calories burned are when you post your path.  It is true on the mileage as I tracked a path I have used for years and it was just slightly higher than I expected.  The calories burned though was drastically higher!  Here is the link:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Just put in the address of your starting point.  Double click to start and at every turn after, first clicking on "start recording". This website is a very big help to me.  I hope some of you might find it helpful as well.

I hope all of us have a wonderful week!

Karen

hi  :D  i'm 50, 5'8" and i was 218 on 9/4.  today i weigh 147!  i haven't had any problems losing.  i haven't even hit any plateaus.  i think it's because i fluctuate my calories all the time & my exercise too.  i don't know, but it's working!

i love that map!!!  i just used it  :D  i just hope i remember to use it now.  that is awesome!!!  i was thinking that i would rather use my treadmill than walk outside, because i have NO idea how far i'd be walking or how many calories i'd be burning.  this is soooooo cool!!!

hubby is at work & i can't wait to tell him!

Wow, snowfence!  Great job on your weightloss.  I am 5'8" too and think 147 would be a great weight.  Actually, a lot lower than my goal of 175 but it would be great if I could reach that weight!

I'm glad you like the map.  It is a great tool!

Karen

Original Post by snowfence:

hi :D i'm 50, 5'8" and i was 218 on 9/4. today i weigh 147! i haven't had any problems losing. i haven't even hit any plateaus. i think it's because i fluctuate my calories all the time & my exercise too. i don't know, but it's working!

i love that map!!! i just used it :D i just hope i remember to use it now. that is awesome!!! i was thinking that i would rather use my treadmill than walk outside, because i have NO idea how far i'd be walking or how many calories i'd be burning. this is soooooo cool!!!

hubby is at work & i can't wait to tell him!

That is so fantastic!  Hats off to you.  Can someone explain the map to me?  I live in Toronto, Canada, and I'm not sure what I  have to do to find my area.

Plus are you saying, once I find my area, I could punch in. let's say two major intersections, and I'd find out how many miles/kilometers it is?  Excuse me for sounding so 'duh'-but I don't mind asking what could be considered a stupid question.  Besides the only stupid question is the one not asked.

I think I need to wait until maybe the end of April, beginning of May to see what is going on with my weight.  As I have said I have put on winter weight in the past only to have it come off in the early spring. 

I don't know if that is what is happening here this year as I have made some major life & life style changes so maybe that also has something to do with it.

I was a substance abuser and smoker for years.  I quit smoking in October and only take my pain meds for pain. So all in all my system has gone through quite a change since September.

The picture of my sister and me was taken about a month ago.  I'm the one without the glasses.

I am not really good at explaining things but I will try.  It isn't a stupid question. I asked on Molly's thread how to do it too.

At the top of the page there is a blank after the words "JUMP TO".  Type in the address of where you want to start your walk.  The map will go to that place when you click on "GO". Then click on "start recording" which is on the left hand side of the screen next to the map.  Double click on the area you will be starting your walk and a little icon type thingy will come up that looks like an exclaimation mark to me.  Move to the next turn on your path and double click again.  Another icon will come up.  Keep double clicking at  your every.  If you want a round trip you can do that on the same side of the screen that the "start recording" area is at.  You can put in you weight and it will also tell you the calories you burned as well as the length of your walk.

If that doesn't make sense it is not because you can't understand so much as I can't explain it.  If so, there is an area on the site that can explain it better than I can.  Good luck!

PS The "ZOOM" section will let you get a closer or more distant view of the area.

Hi

I'm 54 and I have to agree what used to work no longer does.  I'm trying to lose my "winter weight (about 5 lbs) plus a few more I gained (about 4 pounds) from medicine I took for the shingles in Feb. yet despite doing everything seemingly "right" I'm not losing an ounce. I eat way better than I ever did and I exercise way more but to no avail- the scale is just plain stuck! I used to be able to eat dessert once in while and home made cookies woithout gaining ...now it seems I only have to look at it! LOL

But at least I'm healthy even if my pants are snug. I'll just keep trying

Hi there. I'm new to this whole site and hope it is ok for me to join this thread also. I did ok through my beginning and mid 40's, but 50 is really kicking the yahoo out of me. I don't know if it is lack of exercise or improper eating or hormones but something is definately out of whack. I love the calorie counter here,I use it constantly, no matter what I eat. And I'm trying to learn how to use the activity meter to get a proper reading out of it.  I don't spend a lot of time weighing myself, I use my own gauge to how I'm feeling and how my clothes feel on me to decide if I need action or not. But this time, my system let me down. I ballooned from 140 to 160 inside of a couple of months. Aside from the upper part of my chest feeling different, I didn't notice anything else. Hubby being the sweetie that he is, didn't say a thing. Although, weight is a serious concern in my family and I wish he would have made even a side comment to make me aware. But.. he knows now and will help me through this. Anyway. I got really angry when I seen that 160 and decided it was to come off NOW!! I had totally no patience for it. So, I upped my exercise, carefully watched not just what I ate, how much I ate but also when I ate. Because of work, we often eat supper as late as 10 at night and in bed around 11 or midnight. That likely had a lot to do with this. Within a week, I've lost 10 lbs. Could be fluid, could be hormones, could be whatever, who knows. I'm not going to focus on that, I'm going to thank the headstart and be even more focused on losing the rest. Like you, the old joints don't like the harsh stuff so much anymore, the old back is kinda creaky. But, I will keep moving some how, some way to make sure that the calories don't stick to these ribs!! So.. I"m really glad to see this thread and will be eagerly lapping up the support!!  :)

OK ladies - can any of you offer any advice as to why I can't lose a single pound. When I first started I wasn't eating enough so I've been slowly increasing my calories to get over my BMR of 1200. Try as I might I can't seem to get protein to 30% but I don't like eggs, not a big meat eater and don't really care for to many veggies LOL picky eater Have added protein shakes to increase percentage of protein. My sodium is always under 2000 more like 1600 avg. I exercise 5x a week and mix things up. Help !! I'm getting very discouraged.. As you can see below my weight is going the wrong way and soon I'll have no clothes that fit 5'1" CW 127 age 54

2/1 - 2/29 Carb 43.3% Protein 20.3% Fat 30.3% Cal 1077 Fiber 12 B+ Wt 124

3/1 - 3/31 Carb 50.2% Protien 23.1% Fat 26.6% Cal 1094 Fiber 11 A- Wt 126

4/1 - 4/10 Carb 52.2% Protein 24.4% Fat 23.3% Cal 1279 Fiber 24 A- Wt 127

bonton71, I'm getting discourage too. I haven't been getting the exercise that you have, but I have been tracking my calories & activities and should not be gaining weight. Through melkor I found this link http://phord.com/com  which gave my bmr as about 100 calories lower than I had thought. I plugged your numbers in there (without measurements which should make it more accurate) and it came out with 1100 for your bmr & a burn rate using Sendatary of 1337 or Moderately Active = Moderate exercise or sports 4-5 days/week of 1727. In your profile I believe you said you're doing 30 minutes of cardio a day. If that's the case, your probably not actually reaching 1727 in burn (I only get 300/hr working pretty hard on an elliptical.)

Still doesn't make sense to be gaining though, does it? All I can suggest is what I'm going to try...exercising a little more and mixing it up a bit (different equipment & activities.) I read stuff about our bodies 'getting used to' the same exercise all the time. Doesn't entirely make sense to me but since what I'm doing isn't working...

Hi everyone. I'd like to join in here too. I am 53 and also having a lot more trouble losing and maintaining weight than when I was younger. Right now I weight about the same as I did when I was 25, about 150 pounds. But at 25, I had under 24 percent body fat and now my fat percentage is around 30%. Some of my fat has moved to my upper abdomen and my back, not to mention the usual jiggly belly! I am struggling with the fact that I probably just can't eat as much as I used to. I feel pretty mad about that!

I hike between 10 and 20 strenuous miles every weekend, and I walk about 4 miles a day during the week. Recently I started working with a trainer once a week on some strengthening exercises that I can also do at home and at work.

For me, I believe the biggest part of the "no can lose" equation is eating too much. And it sure doesn't take a lot to eat too much. I don't eat out, I only eat healthy stuff, but it is still too much. But if I eat less, I feel hungry most of the time and stressed out.

I try to eat 100 grams of protein per day and minimize refined carbs like bread and pasta. I am still motivated to keep trying, but I need to find a new approach.

Well, I'm glad to see this thread is being used, and there are women out there, like myself, who according to numbers should be dropping the pounds!

The more I read from you ladies the more my beliefs that women over 50, menopausal, or close to it, need something else.  It seems obvious what works for the 25 or 35 or even 45 year-old isn't working for (most) of us.

I haven't figured out what to do. Wish I could offer that advice as the starter of this thread.  The best I can offer is like the rest of you just be and 'ear' to unload frustrations and/or ideas, solutions and suggestions for US!

 

 

I am really glad you started this thread because most of those who have replied have had the same experience as myself. I'm 52, although only mildly active at the present time because of the "body woes" (I have osteoarthritis in back, shoulders, knees, hands, hips - you get the picture!). I too have see a shift in where the weight has settled. I'm 5'9.5" and when I started here was 217lbs.  This morning after 10 days I was 214, yeah! But I'm afraid it won't last, because over the last two years every time I loose some weight it comes back and more. (And in different places than when I was younger.)  This thread I hope will keep me motivated.  Thanks for the map thing, it's great.  That's what I like about this - sharing:)

I am 54 and have also developed the perma-belly.  Like some of the other posters, I was always a pear shape and didn't carry much weight on the tummy and it always came off from there first.  No longer!  I have lost 15 lbs, (still have 50+ to go) and the tummy isn't moving much at all.  For the first time in my life, I have pants that will fit in the hips but I can't button!

Weight loss has been really slow for me too.  I haven't made any real progress in a couple of months.  I have decided to try a South Beach like diet.  Be very careful that my carbs have a low glycemic index.  I am beginning to suspect that insulin resistance is at the root of my problems.

 

What is it going to take to see some results in my mid section?  I mean as far as something which actually resembles muscle?

I am working out differently on a regular basis-still targeting the mid section, for this post I am writing about.  So, I'm not always doing the crunches or leg lifts, etc, get my drift?  Still, the loose skin on top of the fatty stuff is frustrating.  How much harder does a lady need to work?  Will it ever go away, or I am fighting a losing battle.?

 

"or I am fighting a losing battle.?"

Don't say that!!  I don't even want to consider it.  There HAS to be a way.  Try researching Insulin Resistance.  I don't know enough about you to guess if it is part of your problem, but it is common during menopause.  I suspect it is part of my problem so I am going to change my diet to comply with the suggestions for dealing with insulin resistance and see if it helps any.  Basically you have to avoid simple carbohydrates, eat complex low glycemic index ones, and never eat carbs without a bunch of protien.  I will try anything for a couple of weeks.

Oneis2many, do you have any way to measure your body fat percentage?  Maybe you could do it with a body fat scale.  I think if your body fat gets in the low 20's, you should start seeing muscle.  But that subq fat does a great job of hiding the beautiful muscles that are under it!   What about your measurements - is anything decreasing in inches?   My guess is on a lot of us, our belly will be the last place to cooperate.

I am always jiggling my belly to see how much it wiggles, and I also pinch myself in different places to see if the fat feels thinner yet (especially my back, a big problem spot for me).  It's almost obsessive.  I am doing my strength building exercises twice a week, and the rest of my exercise is just to try to develop a calorie deficit.  

Ladies, I relate to the aches, pains and osteoarthritis.  I have bad knees, and the right one in particular.  My elbows were also bothering me a lot.  Glucosamine has done wonders for the knees and elbows.  It takes a few months to feel the effects, but it made a huge difference.   Last year I had terrible lower back trouble and had to stay in bed to get over the spasms.  My approach is just do as much as I can, and not let it cause me to stop exercising.  My knees also got a lot better by making the muscles around them stronger, by hiking up and down hills and using my hiking poles. 

I encourage everyone to kick it up a notch.  Find a group to exercise with, if you can.  Walk, walk, walk, or if your knees are bothering you, bike or swim.  I have gotten to the point where I would no more skip my exercise than not brush my teeth! 

 

 

Hello,

I am new to the site and I am interested in all of the information I see being shared.  It is very heartening to see so many women battling this same new situation as we age a bit.  This tummy is so frustrating.  My entire metabolism seems to have changed.  Nothing that worked before works anymore.  I am having to try every new thing that is suggested just hoping something will work.  I have been using CC for the last week and doing pretty well.  Also, my doctor suggested that I pay more attention to the amount of fat grams I get per day.  I was cutting out almost all fat and found that I had tremendous sugar cravings.  Now I am trying to be sure I get 40g of protein and 40g of fat per day.  I am eating anywhere between 1000 and 1500 cals.  I feel so much better.  I try to walk at least three days per week.  I don't always make it - now that it is getting warm I hope to have better motivation.  It helps that I have a good friend who walks with me when we are both free at the same time.  I find that exercising with a buddy makes it all easier.

I too pinch my little rolls, wishing I could squeeze them away.  My goal is to not be able to grab enough to fit in my hand but only enough to fit between two fingers.

I am also hoping to reduce my cholesterol.  I found out that in the last 6 years my cholesterol count increased from 147 to 235!  This is the thing that scares me the most.  My goal is 20 lbs by July 1st.  I hope that is not too extreme.