Why can't I lose weight?! Is it my age? 😭

[HurryUpAndWait23]

Im 39.

I've never been overweight but I was always comfortable at 9st12 and when I started to push 10+ stone (around Christmas or too many summer BBQ's and wine) I'd do 5:2 or similar and the weight would come off easily, always around 2lb a week.

Now, I'm 11stone and 24.5 on the BMI and I've been trying to lose weight for months.
I've tried WW (worked very well in the past) 5:2 which was always great, and I can get down to 10st10 if I'm lucky and it goes back up again.

What the fuck is going on?! I've even stopped drinking (was drinking wine most nights, now drinking once a week and have done for about 2 months), I thought the weight would fall off then - but no!

I feel fit and well so I don't think it's a thyroid issue or anything medical.

I'm 39 soon - is it my bloody age?!

How fucking depressing if it is?!

Ah low carb, I joined BIWI boot camp 3-4 times over the years and the same thing happened, I would get intense chest pain, really awful chest pain.

The first few times I didn't realise it was to do with the diet and thought it was gallstones. I was scanned to look for them, there were none and she commented on the amount of excess bile and how that could cause the pain.
I changed my diet, the pain went. I tried low carb again the pain increases. I tried to stick with it to 'ride it out' and lasted just under 2 months when I just couldn't handle the pain anymore.

Does anyone remember that weirdo on here that tried to do the 'crisps only' diet for a week to try and get over a crisp obsession? That was me.
I lasted less than 48 hours before I had to stop because of the intense pain.
I've learned through this that a high fat diet does not suit me.

Which is fine because low carb costs an absolute fortune - I don't care what anyone says.

Back in the day I could just cut out junk and booze and lose half a stone in a couple of weeks, now I would have to really really work at it.

Me too.

I don't think it's your age. I think it'll be quantity of food.

I do fuck all exercise and I don't want to change that. I realise I might have to but I want to keep my head in the sand a bit longer and just starve myself a bit more, as infantile as that is.*

Regardless of weight, you are setting yourself up for a really unhealthy middle and old age if you don't keep up some cardio, flexibility and strength. Building muscle will also help with keeping your metabolic rate up, but most importantly, you will be able to live independently for longer.

Your weight and fitness shouldn't be (just) about vanity. It's about living well for as long as possible.

I don’t understand why you get chest pains when you don’t eat bread/rice/pasta/potatoes/sugar, that’s really unusual. I’d see a doctor about that.

Anyway I do low carb, I’m fifty two, I put on about a stone and a half in last lock down due to unhealthy eating, and have lost ten pounds of it in the last four weeks.

Sorry about the random bold.

Regardless of weight, you are setting yourself up for a really unhealthy middle and old age if you don't keep up

Shhhhhhhhhh lalalalala shhhhhhhhh

😁

I've learned through this that a high fat diet does not suit me

But it’s not high fat. It’s fat is the largest percentage of your daily intake, followed by protein and the lowest carbs, this doesn’t mean it’s high fat. It’s simply a percentage of your daily intake.

😄

Seriously though, weight based training. It's life changing. Find a good PT and start lifting.

I don’t understand why you get chest pains when you don’t eat bread/rice/pasta/potatoes/sugar, that’s really unusual. I’d see a doctor about that.

It's go nothing to do with the lack of bread/rice/pasta/sugar.
I've always been sans those items.
The chest pain is high fats.
And I did see a doctor about that.
I was referred to a radiologist to be scanned.

Then why are you eating high fat? That’s not what low carb is?

Seriously though, weight based training. It's life changing. Find a good PT and start lifting.

I lifted a kettle bell once and pissed my pants on each swing.
That was after baby 1.
I'm now 3 babies in and I'm guessing if I tried lifting a weight these days, my lungs will fall out my arse.

Then why are you eating high fat? That’s not what low carb is?

What? I was talking about BIWI's boot camp and it is exactly that. Low/no carb, high fats.

I hear you and sympathise its so bloody hard to lose weight. Im 49 and after 11 weeks of utter hell and deprivation have list 7lbs. 1.5 stone to go and i am overweight. Ive upped steps, cut out all delicious crap, no snacking. Its brutally slow and soul destroying you have my sympathies xx

You need to adjust portion sizes, ditch refined carbs and start walking and/or running. Getting older is shit. And yes, one bad meal and your loss for the week is buggered..

Cross-posted a bit there. It’s true though, sorry!

I know. It's true. I would just like to hide a bit longer though, from that one.

For those who say adjust portion size, yesterday I bought 350g of lean chicken breast, fried it will 5 sprays of oil, added 2 courgettes, baby corn, 1 red pepper, garlic and soy sauce and that was my lunch and dinner.
Black coffee - no sugar for breakfast.

Portion size is not, and never has been the issue.

Although I do absolutely hear you that one mild cheat day really throws the balance - even a tiny cheat day seems to be doing this!

I had the same problem when I hit my mid thirties and it took me ages to connect it with changing from the combined pill to the mini pill. It was only because I did a google search and it brought up threads on MN from lots of women in the same situation that I clicked and realised I had been piling the weight on since the change in my pill. Fast forward a few years and a copper coil later and the weight is coming back off quite easily and I'm 40 now. Doctors will tell you that the pill can't make you gain weight but there's so many women that have the same problem it can't be a coincidence.

I’m your age. I’m definitely finding it tougher to lose weight now having been very slim most of my life and now BMI in the high 23s, but I have had good results with the blood sugar diet where you eat 800 calories a day for a short stint, losing 2lbs a week on average.

Unfortunately exercise is really important. You’re at the use it or lose it stage of life - the less you move your joints the quicker they’ll deteriorate. We have a Peloton which is fun and good for a busy lifestyle, and I attempt to keep up with yoga as well.

I'm 39, and this year is the first time I have struggled to lose weight. I have walked miles, exercised, upped my NEAT, cut down on alcohol. Usually, I would have lost stones doing this for six months. Nothing.... I feel like giving up, but now fear if I went back to normal, the weight would pile on.

I’m 36 , started running in January, going religiously 3 x a week

Cut down on calories and I’m still only about 6lb lighter than when I began