Struggling to lose weight

[emer95]

I’m not overweight, but I’d love to lose 10 pounds. I’m more than I’d like to be, and all of my clothes feel tight and I’m not at my best.
In the past I could lose weight quickly without much effort. But this has been over a month of trying really hard and getting no results. I’m eating very small, healthy meals, no snacking, cut out alcohol completely, and I’m exercising every day. I either go for a 4 mile walk, or do a tough video workout at home. I haven’t lost an ounce! You would think at some point I’d get some results, right? Could it be my age? I turned 45 a few months ago.
It’s becoming very frustrating. Not sure what more I can even do.

 

[wenrob]

I’m not overweight, but I’d love to lose 10 pounds. I’m more than I’d like to be, and all of my clothes feel tight and I’m not at my best.
In the past I could lose weight quickly without much effort. But this has been over a month of trying really hard and getting no results. I’m eating very small, healthy meals, no snacking, cut out alcohol completely, and I’m exercising every day. I either go for a 4 mile walk, or do a tough video workout at home. I haven’t lost an ounce! You would think at some point I’d get some results, right? Could it be my age? I turned 45 a few months ago.
It’s becoming very frustrating. Not sure what more I can even do.

Have you calculated how many calories you need to cut to lose? I know people balk at counting calories but it really is the simplest way to know how much to eat and takes all the guesswork out. Even if you’re not willing to count calories doing it for a week or two will at least give you an idea so you can ballpark it. People are usually genuinely shocked when they see what an actual serving size is for things. Aside from veggies most things are probably less than half of what most people eat, usually even less.

Most people are going to say yes, age matters but the slow down in metabolism is actually very small. We tend to be more sedentary as we get older and have less active jobs. I lost 89lbs in my 40s without much of a blip and am maintaining in my 50s by pretty much paying attention to serving size and getting some movement in my day.

Exercise. Most people are burning a lot less than they think they are. It also tends to make them hungrier so they eat more or they justify that they exercised so they can eat more. Most of the time this will wipe out any calorie deficit created. To eat extra calories from exercise you need to burn quite a bit. I walk 6+ miles a day so I can have a 200ish calorie snack in the evening.

Ten pounds is not much so you don’t want to be too aggressive. It will be slower and take longer.

 

[SL6827]

Yep your age has a lot to do with it. This 45 year old is fixing to have a gastric sleeve to combat this problem. I am about 55-60 lbs overweight.

 

[J'aime Paris]

Same issue here. I want to lose about 10 pounds before our cruise in early March.
Cut out alcohol, junk food and exercising 4-5 times a week at the gym.
Scale has only budged 1.5 pounds.

Maybe I do need to count calories as @wenrob suggested....
Sure isn't as easy as it used to be to drop a few pounds.

 

[wenrob]

Same issue here. I want to lose about 10 pounds before our cruise in early March.
Cut out alcohol, junk food and exercising 4-5 times a week at the gym.
Scale has only budged 1.5 pounds.

Maybe I do need to count calories as @wenrob suggested....
Sure isn't as easy as it used to be to drop a few pounds.

1.5 lbs is 6 sticks of butter. That’s not nothing and with only ten to lose that’s excellent.

eta: And a lot of us were much more active when we were younger. I watch my 23 year old daughter and am exhausted by her schedule, lol. I remember dropping 20lbs like it was nothing but I was also working two jobs, going out with my friends and heading out to the gym. Moving all.the.time. Now I don’t work, go out maybe four or five times a year and fall asleep on the couch watching Dateline by 10pm. I have to work REALLY hard to get movement that matters into my day.

 

[Boardwalk Jedi]

Cut out the white flour and white sugar, keep the carbs lower than normal, get a more routine sleep pattern, and try intermittent fasting to start...Intermittent fasting doesn't mean don't eat. It just means on some nights stop eating around 5:00.

I'm 49, no longer have a thyroid and was a night shift nurse. I refused to admit to my invincible self for years that age and lifestyle do take a toll. I had to take a day job, go on a elimination diet, and focus on me. Working out got me nowhere and it was frustrating. I had to jolt my body nutritionally and it worked. You can do it!

 

[ChrisFL]

I'm no expert, but weight loss isn't linear...it doesn't always show up on the scale....meaning sometimes if you're gaining muscle, you're not losing as much weight but your clothes will fit better.

Avoid sweetened drinks, even artificially sweetened drinks as in my experience they will make you crave other sweet things.

Also, every person is different. Diets don't work the same for everyone, even if following the same routines.

Don't starve yourself to get thinner fast, that will backfire eventually.

 

[40ariel]

Something that has helped me is not eating within 3 hours of bedtime.
Also I try to eat food that has very few ingredients, like oatmeal instead of cereal, plain yogurt instead of flavoured, etc.

 

[OneOftheB's]

I’m not overweight, but I’d love to lose 10 pounds. I’m more than I’d like to be, and all of my clothes feel tight and I’m not at my best.
In the past I could lose weight quickly without much effort. But this has been over a month of trying really hard and getting no results. I’m eating very small, healthy meals, no snacking, cut out alcohol completely, and I’m exercising every day. I either go for a 4 mile walk, or do a tough video workout at home. I haven’t lost an ounce! You would think at some point I’d get some results, right? Could it be my age? I turned 45 a few months ago.
It’s becoming very frustrating. Not sure what more I can even do.

One podcast I listen to, which targets us mid 40 yo's, recently had a nutritionist & trainer on discussing a lot of women (the podcast is female focused) limit calories, do a ton of cardio and don't either lose weight or never really meet their weight goal. The main reason, in the individual's opinion, is that you also need to add a weight training element to your program. Sometimes your body goes into survivalist mode because you are stressing it by increasing cardio, and burning more calories yet decreasing caloric intake, so it holds onto that extra weight as a buffer to keep itself alive longer.

So, in a nutshell, maybe try adding weights and lighten up on the cardio.

 

[loves to dive]

Yes, age makes a difference, our metabolism slows down as we age. The small amount you want to lose is also part of the problem. If you've ever lost a lot of weight, those last 10 lbs. are the hardest. You might also do the math, yes count those calories. You might find that you actually aren't eating enough. Sounds just wrong but since you have started working out your body does need more calories then it did before. I agree weight training also will help. I can feel your pain. I wanted to lose 10 lbs, it took me about 3 months to get 5 off and I decided 5 was o.k. I'm a 62 year old woman who has no lady parts left and can't work out like I could at 55. I do work out, just not as hard as I used to and now usually only 3 days a week.

 

[DLgal]

Here's the thing. When you exercise, your body compensates by burning LESS calories at rest, so your overall daily calorie burn remains the same. It's a fascinating phenomenon that has been proven by studying hunter gatherer societies (who, it was assumed, would burn more calories than sedentary westerners because they have a more active lifestyle...turns out that was not the case and they burned essentially the same 2000ish calories as most adults here do). The point is, unless you are doing extreme training like a professional athlete would, your body is going to burn the same number of calories, more or less, every day. Probably somewhere around 1800-2200 if you are a woman in her 40s.

What will help you actually lose weight is, use a calculator to determine your BASAL metabolic rate. Eat that many calories per day. The additional that you burn through all your activities will create a nice deficit for weight loss.

I have had some luck after a long time of NO loss (seriously, the last 2 years I have been losing and gaining the same 2 pounds). I now eat 1450 calories per day, exercise moderately most days and have lost a steady pound a week. Finally.

Also, don't underestimate the amount of water you can hold onto as a 45 year old woman. It's insane. I can be up or down 3-5 pounds day over day and it's obviously water because it is is gained and lost so quickly. I weigh myself every day in the morning before eating or drinking, and use the lowest weight each week as my benchmark measurement.

 

[Minniesgal]

Have you calculated how many calories you need to cut to lose? I know people balk at counting calories but it really is the simplest way to know how much to eat and takes all the guesswork out. Even if you’re not willing to count calories doing it for a week or two will at least give you an idea so you can ballpark it. People are usually genuinely shocked when they see what an actual serving size is for things. Aside from veggies most things are probably less than half of what most people eat, usually even less.

Most people are going to say yes, age matters but the slow down in metabolism is actually very small. We tend to be more sedentary as we get older and have less active jobs. I lost 89lbs in my 40s without much of a blip and am maintaining in my 50s by pretty much paying attention to serving size and getting some movement in my day.

Exercise. Most people are burning a lot less than they think they are. It also tends to make them hungrier so they eat more or they justify that they exercised so they can eat more. Most of the time this will wipe out any calorie deficit created. To eat extra calories from exercise you need to burn quite a bit. I walk 6+ miles a day so I can have a 200ish calorie snack in the evening.

Ten pounds is not much so you don’t want to be too aggressive. It will be slower and take longer.

The impact of age is not due to the slowdown in metabolism so much as the hormonal changes going on about 45-50. The drop in Oestrogen is the big culprit.

 

[DLgal]

The impact of age is not due to the slowdown in metabolism so much as the hormonal changes going on about 45-50. The drop in Oestrogen is the big culprit.

This is so true. My husband is the same age as me and when he wants to lose 5-10 pounds, he can do it effortlessly, in a few weeks.

 

[Christine]

For the last 5 years or so, I go up and down with "those 10 lbs." I'm never, ever really overweight and people roll their eyes at me when I tell them I'm watching what I eat. I'm 56 years old and I got the "slow down" when I was about 42. I used to be able to lose weight at about 1700 calories. Not anymore.

So, I totally believe you when you say you have cut back. You'd think the weight would roll off, but as you get older (and if you are very close to an ideal weight), really all you are doing at this point is "maintaining" and stopping the upward trajectory of weight gain.

Get a food tracking app, calculate what it would take for you to lose 1/2 of a pound per week. Stick to that. For me, it's 1450 calories WITHOUT exercise. If I were to exercise, I could probably eat 1600 calories. NO more. Exercise burns are greatly overestimated. Exercise because it makes you feel good and puts you in a good frame of mind.

I can tell you right now, unless you are having a medical issue, you are not cutting enough to lose, just to stop any more weight gain and maintain. Keep eating like you are today (healthy, small portions, etc) but measure it/weigh it and log it into and app and figure out what that amount is. Likely it is a little too much for noticeable weight loss.

 

[wenrob]

The impact of age is not due to the slowdown in metabolism so much as the hormonal changes going on about 45-50. The drop in Oestrogen is the big culprit.

It doesn’t really matter what does or does not cause it. To lose weight you need to take in less than you burn. That’s science. I am 51 going on 52 and if I decide I want to lose a pound a week I need to eat 3500 (give or take) calories less a week no matter how jacked up my hormones are. For some that might be 3700 for others 3400 or whatever. What needs to be figured out is how much you maintain at and then how much you need to subtract from that to lose. Half the things suggested in this thread like cutting carbs, eliminating alcohol, not drinking sugary drinks, WLS etc. all do the same thing- they cut calories from your diet. At the end of the day it’s all just math.

 

[whatname]

I have no advice. Just want to say, same boat here, except maybe 20-30 pounds to lose, and it is VERY frustrating. I don't even care how I look. I would just like to be comfortable in my body again. You are not alone.

 

[sam_gordon]

This is why I don't try.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

10lbs may or may not be the end goal. I think sometimes we focus so much on a specific weight amount we want that it can make it harder for us.

I know I need to lose weight but I also think that for me mental health-wise I can't just focus on losing X amount of lbs that makes me so stressed out to think about that. I like to try to focus on increasing my activity level which has been very lacking over the last couple of years (aside from I can walk a ton in the theme parks lol) and eating better. I try to find recipes that are more aimed at being healthier while not dipping my toes in an actual diet. I'm working out more and working out at a pace I feel comfortable with which is not some fitness guru.

OP are there trouble spots for your clothes fitting tighter? Maybe it's a plan to target those areas specifically without respects to losing 10lbs.

I know for me the excess weight I gained in college went through my whole body basically rather than being concentrated in one area or another. Therefore I could say that losing 10lbs may make me feel better but it may not make my clothes fit any differently if the weight didn't come off from multiple areas more evenly.

 

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

I feel the same way! I do think a lot of it has to do with getting a few years older. I do think the body slows down. I do think that it is possible to still lose some weight. But, I just wish I could! I do think that eating regularly, beginning in the morning, every few hours until a kind of early supper, might help. And, look at what you really are eating, too. I wish it were easy!

 

[DLgal]

It doesn’t really matter what does or does not cause it. To lose weight you need to take in less than you burn. That’s science. I am 51 going on 52 and if I decide I want to lose a pound a week I need to eat 3500 (give or take) calories less a week no matter how jacked up my hormones are. For some that might be 3700 for others 3400 or whatever. What needs to be figured out is how much you maintain at and then how much you need to subtract from that to lose. Half the things suggested in this thread like cutting carbs, eliminating alcohol, not drinking sugary drinks, WLS etc. all do the same thing- they cut calories from your diet. At the end of the day it’s all just math.

It has already been proven by science that is is NOT "just math" for a lot of people. Hormones can absolutely affect how your body processes food and burns calories. This is a good explanation of why calories in/calories out is flawed, and why "diets" always fail.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/cutting-calories-wont-solve-weight-issues-instead