I can't do this, can I???

[Oopsididitagaintomorrow]

51 years of ages, gone through menopause and weight 115kg with a grand height of 5ft2"
I need to lose weight, I want to lose weight.. at the moment I am limiting myself to 1390 calories a day (my fitness app provided this number after entering my stats). I have bought a treadmill and at the moment walking 30 minutes a day on it, with a view to doing more as my fitness levels rise (hah)
I've been reading so much about weight loss in the over 50 group lately and I just feel so disheartened and like no matter what I do thr weight will not shift.

The information is so confusing, I just don't know where to start. Some websites say I need 2000-2200 calories per day, and others say I need to half that due to age. I'd never bloody cope
Is there any hope at all....

Yes there is hope. Everything you do will help.

But, don’t try to change everything at once, just pick small changes one at a time and then build it up slowly. Concentrate on health more than weight, losing weight is a side effect of improving your life.

It can take longer over 50 and doesn’t always make sense, you don’t eat much one week and no weight change another week you can drop and another even increase. Life it strange like that!

You can, it will be a long haul like for any of us who have a good whack to lose.

• make sure you've set your goal to lose 1lb per week in MFP, you can set for 2lb but it gives you a very low calorie target which can be difficult to stick to.
• if you find yourself slipping and going over target just brush it off and start again the next day, none of us are perfect and will all have worse days than others but it's important to just keep trying.
• diet is the main way to lose weight, exercise however can make you feel better, increase lean muscle which increases metabolism, improve your posture so it can be helpful to add in.

Your TDEE based on a sedentary lifestyle is 2,059, this means you should be able to eat around that many calories and stay the same weight. If you eat less then you should lose weight. 1500 calories a day would give you a 3500 deficit each week which should relate to around a pound a week loss, I usually find it actually works out more of a loss than that initially while I'm heavier.

Of course you can do it OP!

PP has mentioned general health, which is important, but you've asked about calorie counting so I'll answer that as I have experience with getting good results.

Keep it simple. Basically you need to work out your basal metabolic rate, or how many calories you expend each day just by being alive, doing nothing. You can Google plenty of sites that do this for you. They also provide numbers for various amounts of exercise.

I've just tried one with your details, and with moderate exercise (4 or 5 times a week) it gives around 2,500 cals per day.

This means if you consume 2,500 a day, you'll maintain.

The general rule is that to lose a pound a week, you need to knock off 500 cals.

Therefore if you consume 2,000 a day, you'll lose a pound a week... on average!!!

Yes, remember it's an average. You'll have weeks where you lose less, or more. But if you stick at it over the long term, you'll pretty much hit a pound a week or a stone every three months. That's a sensible rate long term

And also remember to recalculate your BMR every few weeks as you lose weight, as it will reduce so you'll plateau if you stick with the same.

One last thing, muscle is "hungrier" than fat so you'll do better if you include some wright-bearing exercise, even if it's only light stuff or bodyweight exercises.

Good luck!

Thank you so much. I am setting myself goals of feeling better abd moving more. Treadmill has been great so will keep at it.
So if I go with 1500 calories a day that will help losing weight?

Thank you @SirCharlesRainier I posted before I saw your post.

One day at a time! I will get there x

See attached image

The number of calories to maintain weight changes based on your exercise levels (sedentary/light exercise etc). Eat less than your maintenance number to lose weight.

Dont go too low or you will be hungry and much more likely to devour the biscuit tin.

Remember there will be massive benefits to your health if you lose a significant amount of weight even if you don’t get to an ideal BMI of 22 or whatever. You’ll still see huge benefits from going down from 115 to 80kg for example - they’ll be far less strain on your joints and you’ll have improved range of motion and stamina.
Pick a reasonable calorie limit and stick to it. You can start with something like 2000 or 1800 and drop it a little if need be if you don’t lose weight at that level. It’s a better plan than going really low straight away and finding it unsustainable and miserable. If you do lose weight at 2000kcal (for example) you may find it stops working when your weight lowers - but that might be fine because it might be a good balance between a healthier weight and a sustainable diet.
Your plan of half an hour walking per day to be upped as your fitness improves is a good one. Walking in a pool is also really good, especially if you find your joints are struggling at any point. You get more resistance from the water but less pressure on your joints from your weight.

When I was 57 I weighed 15.5 stone and 5ft 3. so decided to do something about it by calorie counting. I wasn't in UK at the time so bought books and did it on my own eating about 1800 day to start with and dropped it as I lost weight, walked when I could and went swimming.
It took about a year to lose 5. 5 stone and must admit at times it was hard but eventually got there and hover with half a stone of 10 stone but keep the same size clothes.
Getting rid of the holiday weight now 😀keep at it and it will disappear.

Op my start weight is similar to yours .
And I am starting a diet tomorrow ( always a Monday )
I can't exercise So it will be through diet alone .
I aim to get it of reasonably fast ,but I am not thinking of the 50/60lbs I have to lose.
I will aim to lose 7lbs a month minimum.
One half stone at a time .
Good luck and keep us posted as to how you are doing .

I'm also over 50 and trying to lose weight. It's awful. For me, it's not popular but a medical condition meant i had to go low fat and I lost 20lbs pretty quickly. The food was boring, that helped! But I've since found things i like eating so i have to be careful. Also, exercising is good for you but it can make you want to eat more. I've benefited from exercising before a meal so that I'm not eating extra, and I'm also doing 30 min sessions so that i don't have to eat the entire contents of my pantry afterward! Oh, and I've bought scales so that if i start to gain i can reign it in quickly. Good luck. It sucks, but it's better than the alternative.

Thank you all, you have no idea how helpful you've been. Losing weight is not easy, mentally or physically.

Good luck @gloriawasright I will keep you updated.
@FishPie2 that is amazing, well done you. I hope I do half as well as you x

@dudsville I definitely feel hungry after exercising and I've also started doing my workout on the treadmill before eating, it does help!

You're not eating enough OP! 1800 will suffice just fine for your weight and height. Don't go all or nothing.
I drink miso soup to stave off the hunger pangs.
Lots of veg and fruit. Lots of protein and plenty of water.

I think educating what calories are in what, is a great start. Being mindful of how many hidden calories there are. But 115kgs is a lot (and I don't mean that to in an unkind way I'm in awe of people for taking the first leap) and you aren't doing yourself any favours by starting so incredibly low. It's a lifestyle change, not a dramatic diet. I was 80kg for a long time and I'm not 61. I eat 1800 a day to maintain. I workout and move a lot. I could not live on 1390

Well done on treadmill. Great start. Walks outdoors in the winter sun will be great too.

Yes, you can do it OP!

I lost weight when I was 62 -63.

1lb a week, making adjustments one by one, eating healthier food, concentrating on healthier food in healthier portions in order to take care of myself, rather than thinking about denying myself things and ‘dieting’.

1lb a week can be done by tweaking and making healthier adjustments, so is sustainable and not miserable,

What are your biggest challenges OP?

I'm now 61kgs is what I meant to write in my previous post!

Also all walking is exercise. A treadmill is great because it’s something you can do at home everyday with no prior planning. But you might find after you’ve got your fitness up to a level that gives you confidence that you enjoy the exercise more when there’s a goal that’s unrelated - like walking found a little lake in an urban park or along a beach or round a national trust garden or through a forest path or along a canal path.

Sunshine and fresh air are great mood lifters on top of the endorphins from the exercise itself.

@strawberryandtomato this is what confuses me, you say 1800 will be enough, but is that enough to lose weight? The fitness app I use suggested 1390 for weight lose after i put in my details.

@DontPutTheKidsThroughIt exercising will change once I've lost some weight and gained some confidence. My sister gors to a gym regularly and has asked me to go with her, , but I'm just not ready for that yet x

@TempleOfBloom I think ignorance about food/calories and laziness have been my biggest challenge.

I work in an office so pretty much sat for 8 hours a day, come home, cook food, then sit some more. Hence the treadmill to at least give me the opportunity to do something at home x

@Oopsididitagaintomorrow yes I PROMISE you. My husband is ex sports pro and just from trial and error, I promise you your results will be much more beneficial long term than a crash diet of 1400. It's just not sustainable. You will lose the weight slower in the short term. But 10 days of 1400 calories and you'll end up ruining all your progress.
If you weigh 115kgs at 5ft 2. You will be in a deficit at 1800. And it is more sustainable long term. You have to give yourself a fighting chance. And this is the way to do it.

I tried 1200 cals a day. And I lost loads initially but then the weight wouldn't shift. My metabolism changed. I upped my calories a couple of weeks later and noticed results.

1200 is a crash diet in my eyes.
1800 is much more sustainable. And look at a weekly deficit rather than daily.

Good luck! You can do this. And get your protein up! Lots of water. Fresh food. Miso soup sachets or bone broth to stave off the cravings

@strawberryandtomato thank you, that's very helpful, I appreciate it xx

I would be surprised if you lose weight at 1400 and people saying 1400 is a crash diet are plain daft

There is a culture of overeating in the uk

There is a culture of not accepting the differences between a muscular 33 year old man and a more ordinary menopausal woman

1800 calories is the general Maintenance calories for a typical uk female

1800 for a 5ft2 115kg women will give a deficit and set on the right path to a diet change. And give noticeable results.

1400 is too low for me at 61kg.
I need 1800 to maintain. I do exercise regularly but it's not plain daft at all.
Weight is so subjective. And lifestyle has a huge factor.

Moving and eating the right foods in the 1800 is far more helpful than 1400 cals. When OP starts seeing a weight loss, she can adjust her calories accordingly.

@Oopsididitagaintomorrow
You never have to set foot in a gym if it doesn’t appeal.
I think your treadmill walking idea is excellent because you’ve clearly thought about it and decided it’s something you can do and you will do. The barriers that are stopping you going to the gym with your sister aren’t stopping you using a treadmill at home.
The only thing that might happen is that you get bored of it, or that you find you are thinking and worrying about losing weight every minute you spend walking on it and that starts to drive you a little crazy.
My point about walking outdoors is really simple. Exercise doesn’t have to look like exercise. It doesn’t matter if you get off the bus one stop early and walk ten minutes home or whether you walk those 10 minutes on a treadmill in work out gear. It’s still 10 minutes walking. Long term it might help if you find some ways in incorporate exercise that don’t make you think about losing weight the whole time you’re moving and that don’t always require much or any special exercise equipment or clothing.
There is no size limit or dress code for a stroll around the park. Fat people are allowed to wear swimsuits and get into the local swimming pool or the sea. Find the active things that you feel comfortable doing and that ideally you enjoy doing. It can absolutely be a panache of stuff like always parking at the far end of the carpark and going for planned walks in places you enjoy being. If you find you want to exercise in a gym then that’s great, but don’t feel you can’t exercise any way but your treadmill until some imagined point in the future when you will be worthy of it, or acceptable to be seen in legging/swimsuit/visible sportsbra.

Hi op, I am shorter than you and the same age. I have lost 19kg in the last 8months, from a starting weight of around 80kg. I have around 4kg left to lose to get into the bmi healthy weight range.
Truthfully, I have found it really hard to keep going but I've done it and you can too. I haven't counted calories exactly (but been mindful of keeping them low) I have been eating approximately 1500 cals per day and have a moderately active job. Good luck xx