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?!

No it’s not, it’s fat as the highest proportion of your daily intake, which is not high fat. They are too very different things, biwi does not advocate eating a high fat diet. I’m sorry but you’ve been doing it wrong.

I tend to agree, I didn't eat loads of fat on the BC and still lost 1.5 stone in 2 months.

@Bluntness100
Here's a screenshot from BIWI's second boot camp

Unless she has changed things completely in the last few years that I'm not privy to - the diet I followed was BIWI's and it absolutely WAS high fat.

You sound like you are making all kinds of excuses about why you can't do anything.

There's a woman near me who does a 6 week boot camp, diet and a PT session twice a week.

Try something like that?

You remind me of my mum, OP, she also complains about chest pains when she doesn't have wheat based carbs like bread.

I'm not sure if you read my post properly.
I don't eat bread or carbs like that. And I have zero chest pains.

Op you said you’re doing bugger all exercise. That’s what you need to change!

52, and last year went from 10 stone 10 to 8 and a half stone, lost all my belly fat (24" waist for first time in 30 years!) and most of my cellulite. Never dropped lower than 1800 calories a day and excercise was brisk walking for around 45 mins 5 times a week. I've maintained this for 7 months now eating 1800 to 2000 calories a day. I'm 5' 4. I rarely drink and eat no meat, fish, white carbs or junk foods, and eat up to ten fruit and veg a day. Unlike many, for me, I think the real game changer was becoming post menopause, as I really struggled in my perimenopause decade, with constant hunger and cravings.

Yeah BIWI is high fat. It's worked really well for me. Sounds like it doesn't work for you OP but could you at least cut out sugar and white carbs?

It's not your age. I'm 58 next month and have dropped 5kg (65kg to 60kg) since the start of May. Sorry.

Cutting out most sugar apart from a few berries a few times a week has been a game changer. More energy and I don't think I'm going to bother going back on HRT after having a break as mood swings and cravings have gone.

You sound like you are making all kinds of excuses about why you can't do anything.

I really am. I hate exercise.

The reasons I'm giving are true. But there's a bunch of exercises I could do that don't make me piss my pants or hurt my back.

I just don't want to.

I want to be able to feel hungry, be driven by that and lose weight. It worked! And now it doesn't.

I'm starving, not losing weight, getting old and being told I HAVE to exercise.
And like a child, I want to dig my heels in. (I am listening though)

God, you are only 39! Feeling like this is shit OP

I'm 54, have 4 kids.

Please prioritise getting help for your incontinence and physio for your back

@HurryUpAndWait23

So all in all - strength/weights (I think I'm much happier with this than Fucking Cardio) and GP about my pant pissing.

Does anyone recommend how one goes about doing strength/weights?

I can't do the gym, so home stuff? YouTube videos?
I have a really bad back, that's the other thing (thanks kids!)

I started out with Nerd Fitness. www.nerdfitness.com/blog/strength-training-101-where-do-i-start/#strength_training_weight_loss

This is useful as a starting point. What I liked about Nerd Fitness is that the info is written for complete sedentary beginners who know nothing. That's what I was (I'm also a sci-fi loving dork, which is what drew me to it).

I mentioned Joanna Soh (free on YouTube). This is a basic strength training workout from her, which is the sort of thing you would build up to.

I would start with body weight exercises though and when you're comfortable with those, add weights. 1kg hand weights at first, then 1.5 or 2kg, and so on.....

You need advice from your doc though re. your back issues. That's so important before you start anything at all. And any other medical issues.

.... I now do my own strength training routine. I stick on a favourite (non-exercise!) TV programme and do weight training for half an hour x3 a week. Half an hour, while watching Corrie or whatever floats your boat, goes by so fast.

It's so much better to do this than embark on yet another miserable restrictive diet that will consume your energy, emotions and thoughts.

Thanks Wobbling!

@Bryonyshcmyony

God, you are only 39! Feeling like this is shit OP

I'm 54, have 4 kids.

Please prioritise getting help for your incontinence and physio for your back

To be fair, I feel great.

Just a bit chubby.

You feel great? You piss your pants when you do exercise and your back is fucked? Why on earth are you focusing on your weight?!

Exercise. I’m about your age, and thought the same a couple of years ago. But now I run 3-4 hours a week and managed to lose the weight and have no problem maintaining anymore. It’s been a revelation to me, after years of parroting the old line about it being 80% diet. It’s true, you can’t outrun a bad diet, but a 10k run gives me the 500/600 calorie deficit I need either to have a treat or lose a bit of weight!

OP, which WW plan were you following? I'm 12 years older than you 😭 and I've just lost 4.5 stone on WW. It fell off at first.

What you posted eating (chicken, veg and soy sauce) would be 0sp on most WW plans, or just 3 or 4 points on the Green plan.

Did you eat all your points every day? How many points were you given?

@Bryonyshcmyony

You feel great? You piss your pants when you do exercise and your back is fucked? Why on earth are you focusing on your weight?!

I don't exercise. Therefore I never piss my pants or hurt my back.

Your metabolism does not slow as you age. That is a crock of shit.

No, it isn't 🙄

From this link https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/metabolism-and-weight-loss/

As we get older, we tend to gain fat and lose muscle. This explains why your metabolism may slow down as you get older.

It's not a simple equation. But absolutely, metabolism can slow as we age, due to muscle loss.

So here's again why exercise matters - you will maintain muscle mass if you exercise which both prevents fat gain and helps ensure a faster metabolic rate.

It’s hard, I’m late 40’s the only thing that works for me is Intermittent fasting. I don’t exercise really but am quite active doing at least 10k steps per day.

I drink water and coffee all day. If I’m really, really hungry I will eat a sliced apple and 2 tea spoons of peanut butter (together it tastes so good,) at about 3pm, then have my evening meal about 7:30-8. I eat whatever I want but not a massive portion. I generally eat healthily, plenty of veggies, salads jacket potatoes, stif frys etc but every so often if I want a bag of chips from the chip shop or a pizza, I will. This works for me, because by fasting in the day I can still have a great meal and my overall intake is still around 1000 - 1200 calories.

It takes a bit of getting used to but overall I don’t feel that hungry during the day now and have lost 11lbs in 8 weeks.

I'm 64 and have lost 3 stone 5lb since 3 February. It has been more difficult than the last time I dieted but average of 7lb or so in a month on 1000 to 1200 calories a day. I have taken up running and completed couch to 5k a few weeks ago. I think you need to weigh and measure everything you eat and drink.

@AlbertBridge

OP, which WW plan were you following? I'm 12 years older than you 😭 and I've just lost 4.5 stone on WW. It fell off at first.

What you posted eating (chicken, veg and soy sauce) would be 0sp on most WW plans, or just 3 or 4 points on the Green plan.

Did you eat all your points every day? How many points were you given?

I use this one. There are other plans?! Tell me more!

What does happen is that you lose muscle mass as you age.

Yes - and this contributes to a slower metabolism. Possibly - genes & your own physical make up play a part.

build muscle (through strength/resistance training) as this will help you burn more calories at rest. When you lift weights and build muscle those muscles will constantly be burning calories while at rest. Basically, as we age it is in our benefit to build muscle and get rid of the fat.

Agree with this.