Please post a typical day’s menu if you have succeeded to lost half a stone post-40

[Rentonsstillgettingit]

I think I am deluded. Trying a bit of slimming world, no snacking and 16:8
Cannot shift any weight. I suspect it is my portions but I am not going to start weighing stuff and not going to start mega depriving myself. Genuinely feel like I am being a load healthier than a month ago and run 6 miles theee times a week, but can’t lost any weight. Is this just what happens at this age?! (43) if you did lose weight at this age please could you post what you would typically eat in a day so I can compare. And then decide if that is an option for me. Am not overweight but clothes don’t fit and have a holiday soon. Thanks!

[Siameasy]

Hi I would recommend the Low Carb Bootcamp threads.
I’m early 40s I’ve lost 2st since last Sept. waist is sub-30in and I cannot remember the last time that happened.
I do 16:8 but very occasionally I may have three meals a day

Today I ate
Breakfast-nothing
Lunch-left over chicken curry with cauliflower and salad
Snack-dessicated coconut
Dinner-4 hot dogs, half a bag of roast kale in olive oil, half a glass of Kefir

Dinner is very random as I’ve just got in. I don’t make a habit of hot dogs but they are quick.

This way of eating is good as I’m not hungry in the same way as before.

[Arabuella]

Breakfast - Spinach feta and broccoli 2 egg frittata
Lunch - chicken salad
Dinner - salmon, broccoli and cauliflower rice and asparagus

I don’t snack during the day.

[NicoAndTheNiners]

I lost 2 stone when I was 41yo.

I did 16:8.

I'd have a banana about 11am
Lunch was quinoa and chicken salad
Evening meal was 2 slices of toast with peanut butter
I'd have a cereal bar mid afternoon

[FATEdestiny]

What's your weight / BMI OP?

Because the single biggest factor in how easy losing 7lb is will be how big you are. A BMI over 40 and it should be easy to drop 7lb. A BMI under 21 and it's likely to be very hard work to lose 7lb.

Today's menu for me (and I ran 10km this morning and burnt around 2800 calories)

• About 55g of porridge oats mixed with hot semi skimmed milk and a teaspoon of cacao.
  
• (Very) Large Salad. Made with two large peppers, 2 celery sticks, 1/3 of a cucumber, lettuce leaves, a full tin of tuna and lemon pepper dressing
  
• Bolognese sauce (kids had pasta with it, I just had sauce). Home made with peppers, tomatoes, carrot, lentils, chickpeas and lean mince. I had a good 3 ladles full - big portion.
  
• home made banana berry ice cream (1/2 banana, handful of berries, milk blitzed and frozen)
  
• two options hot chocolate made with semi skimmed milk (not water)
  
• About 8-10 cups of coffee with sweetener and semi skimmed
  
• About 2-3 litres of water
  

This is a maintaining diet. If I was looking to lose I wouldn't have hot choc or ice cream and would have reduced by porridge portion to 40g or (more likely) skipped breakfast altogether.

[Whatdoyouknowwhenyouknownowt]

I've lost a couple of stone twice since turning 40. Have to be massively disciplined, as in only 2 days of crap in 9 months good but it's slunk back on since. I eat really well but portions are probably an issue, as is hormones. Not easy!

[Rentonsstillgettingit]

I weight 9 stone 13 just now and am 5’4
Usually around 9.5 stone
Nico that would not be enough for me atall!
FATE you seem to eat a lot
Today I had
11 am Cucumber and pepper chopped and an apple

13:30 Large salad - tomato lettuce cucumber avocado olives and feta
16:00 activia 0% yogurt
18:00 spaghetti bolognese
Cadbury mini roll
I think I may have to accept I am a bit bigger as the thought of cutting back any further- well life is too short!! My portion of dinner was mahoosive so that is the only thing I could cut back on and obviously the chocolate. I could have not had the yogurt but it was going out of date!

[Rentonsstillgettingit]

FATE I meant that in a positive way in that you must have hi metabolism

[QueenoftheIceAge]

As late as possible in the morning, small bowl of yoghurt and some gluten-free granola. Later in the afternoon, a mixed salad with loads of variety and including halloumi or mozzarella, seeds and oils. Nothing else in the day except herbal tea and water. No snacks except maybe a few nuts. It’s probably not a very sensible diet but I’ve tried less hardcore options and not lost much. Have lost nearly a stone and still going down, am 42.

[TemporaryPermanent]

Boiled egg, coffee
Big salad with anchovies, pear, coffee
Bed of spinach, roasted veg, pinch of carbohydrates (a few noodles or pasta pieces, dessertspoonful of rice), protein
Small glass of wine
coffee
Litre of squash to drink

[sleepyhead]

Breakfast: porridge made up with 1/2 cup oats and 1 cup water. Served with cinnamon and blueberries.

Lunch at 12 so no snacks in am. Couple of cups of homemade bean chilli, a wholemeal pita and an apple.

Biscuit mid afternoon with coffee but I've kind of got out of the habit of snacking during the day unless there's something nice on offer like cake.

Dinner is whatever's going. Chicken satay with noodles tonight. Plenty of calories left over so I just eat as much as I want.

Snack in the evening, handful of almonds and/or an apple.

I've lost 2 stone in last 12 months and am maintaining for last 6 by eating like this but not worrying too much if I blow out once a week or so. I think I've got better at portion control and recognising my triggers which was snacking and not stopping (e.g. half a packet of biscuits and then some).

[BackforGood]

I think FATE has it spot on.
Whenever dh decides to lose weight, he drops 1/2 stone, or a stone really quickly with little effort. This is because he is probably a good 5 stone over what would be ideal.
I can do exactly the same as him and would be lucky to see 1lb disappear.
You aren't exactly huge, so it is much more difficult to shift 1/2 a stone.

[Rentonsstillgettingit]

sleepyhead that sounds balanced and seems to be working for you. And maintaining at that is encouraging for me. I am going to journal because I think I have THOUGHT I eat sensibly but some people up thread have said they haven’t had many blips in 9 months, well I would struggle to get through mon-fri without thinking “f8ck it I must be due a wee treat by now”, so maybe my norm still contains more treats. I can’t bear to restrict too much though, it just backfires. Thanks for all replies! Will log food for a fortnight and see how many days I actually stick to what I posted!

[fishonabicycle]

I'm 54 and lost about a stone 2 years ago. I eat most things, but calorie count. Unfortunately you either have to eat less, or make your peace with being larger.

[Rentonsstillgettingit]

Haha yes I know it sounds simple like that. No quick fixes then! Thanks

[WhoAteMyNuts]

I have lost 8kg since end of last year. Slow weight loss because I am doing intuitive eating rather than following a 'diet' but I am now in the healthy range for BMI although at the top of the scale.

Typical breakfast is either:-
Porridge with fruit or slice of toast with bacon and tomatoes

Typical lunch is:-
Salad with halloumi or chicken

Typical dinner is anything so pizza, roast and veg, pasta, sausages and mash. Basically anything we have decided to cook but I am careful not to over eat so once satisfied I stop.

I do eat snacks but only when really hungry.

[curlyLJ]

OP from what you posted about what you're eating, it doesn't sound like it's enough! I know it sounds crazy but if you are restricting your calories too much, your body will do it's best to cling onto to every lb it can, kind of like a starvation mode.

You really need to be eating more protein, especially at breakfast, as that helps to keep you feeling full.
If you eat 3 decent meals with lots of veg (at least 50% of the plate) and cut out refined carbs (white bread, white pasta etc) eat whole meal/whole grain carbs, good fats (avocados for example) and good lean protein, you will find your metabolism will stabilise and you'll lose weight.

[Rentonsstillgettingit]

Curly and nuts you are making sense. If I were to stick to three healthy meals and cut out snacking I think over the piece I would take in less calories

[Daisy62]

OP, you mention portions and you say you don’t want to start weighing yourself. I was like that but I didn’t lose any weight until I did start weighing stuff. I was eating hearty portions and barely noticing the size of my ‘healthy’ snacks - like maybe 40g of cheddar. I was dead against counting calories, weighing... but MFP has really changed things for me. I just didn’t realise how much I was eating. I put on weight on low carb, as I can eat cheese and other dairy products endlessly. Using MFP just stops me from eating crazy amounts of my already healthy eating, it’s introduced me to what a portion looks like!

[Daisy62]

Sorry OP, I meant ‘weighing food’ in my opening sentence above.

[Knitclubchatter]

I use MFP, and count calories to help with my portion sizes.
Breakfast: old fashioned oatmeal (the big thick flakes) cooked with whole milk, blueberries and pecans (aim for 250 calories)
Lunch: 1 slice of rye bread sandwich, typically lean ham, cheese and lettuce. Grape tomatoes and other cut up veggies on the side aim 400 calories
Dinner: 3 oz of meat, rice/pasta/starch of some type and more veggies steamed or salad (home made dressings) aim for 500 calories.
Exercise daily walking hills for 45-60 minutes.

[JamMakingWannaBe]

I'm 42 and have a stone to lose. I'm on MFP which works for me. A weekday is:

8am breakfast - two slices of toast, butter and peanut butter. 300 - 350 calories.

1230 lunch. Chicken salad (50g roast chicken), tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, bell peppers etc. Natural yoghurt. 300 - 350 calories

1730 after work snack. Kitkat or other biscuit 100-150 calories

1800 dinner. (DD is 4yo) something like fish fingers and oven chips, quorn mince spag bol, sausages and mash, cauliflower cheese. 400-600+ calories

I do a yoga class, and 2 zumba classes a week.

Weekends are scary calorie wise as they contain alcohol, DD and I will bake bread or scones, the sweety jar is close at hand... My worst day was nearly 3,000 calories and it was very easily done!