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....

Eating maintenance calories for an average 50year old woman is a great plan for OP though. She will initially lose weight, because 115kg at 5 ft 2 is not typical - being that size uses more calories. She will most probably be in deficit at 1800kcal per day. And then at some point she will stop losing weight and start maintaining instead. She won’t need to change how she eats again to maintain and stop the weight loss. It will stop when her base metabolic rate lowers to the point 1800 is her maintenance intake.
She might need to adjust that number slightly but overall it’s a better idea than dropping down to 1300kcal or whatever short term and likely yoyoing back up again when she has lost weight.

“Fat people are allowed to wear swimsuits and get into the local swimming pool or the sea.”

I am only a little lighter than you and the same height. I went to an aqua aerobics class recently and was one of the thinnest there.

I agree with pps, start off eating about 1800 and after a couple of weeks see if you lose anything. Then tweak from there. Better to lose slowly but keep it off than wreck your metabolism with a crash diet.

You can definitely do it. You need your own individual calorie intake and I personally use a TDEE calculator. Then look to see what your exercise level is. I deduct 500 calories for 1lb a week but I often do a lot of walking so lose more. I don’t eat more though when I do a lot more steps on the weekend, it just means I’ll lose more than 1lb some week. I’m on 1200 as I’m short and only have a stone or so to lose. I’m 5.2lb down from 1st Jan and hoping I can get to half a stone and half way to target by end of Jan. Got a meal out tonight though but trying to choose something that’s not too calorific

The fact you’re ready for a change now is great op, and it really is the first step. Well done for getting the treadmill, I think any form of movement is a good choice.

One of the main things when I’ve been successful with weight loss, is recognising that I want to change my relationship with food. I can’t stick with what I’ve been doing that have contributed to being overweight. Resetting your brain isn’t easy, it’s a muscle that you have to exercise and train to make different choices. What do you think have been the triggers for you? Cravings? Portion size? For me, I’m addicted to carbs and being on a merry go round of grazing continuously when processed/simple carbs feature in my diet. If I have toast at breakfast time, I know I’ll be seeking out a mid morning biscuit, which will lead to wanting salty crisps straight away etc etc.

I'm not an expert by any means but I have found that just calorie counting no longer works for me as I've got older. I've been calorie counting on and off for 30+ years but when I worked really hard at it last year I found that the weight loss was painfully slow and I was constantly hungry and I gave up in the end. This time, I've incorporated a lower carb way of eating. I'm in no way doing Keto or really low carb but have made some swaps and introduced more fat in my diet. My daily calorie allowance has not changed. By swapping potatoes for additional veg and adding fat (mayo, guacamole, butter etc), eating nuts rather than crisps / popcorn and moving to dark chocolate (85%) I've managed to lose weight at a more reasonable level of 1lb a week rather than 1-2lbs per month.

I've spent my life eating low fat so it's not been the easiest of changes but by keeping my calories the same (ca 1700 for me) I've managed to avoid the panic of, shock horror, having butter again.

With weight loss I think it's mostly about finding a way that works with your lifestyle. This way of eating seems to work for me at the moment and if I reach a plateau I will see if reducing carbs further helps.

So far so good, I currently have 1800 calories per day and since 2nd Jan have lost 7.5llbs whi h is approx 2.5lbs per week. Its certainly giving me the incentive to carry on and do well x

Well done OP! It sounds like you are taking a really good sustainable approach to losing weight and it's working which is brilliant. Keep going!

@INeedNewShoes - thank you 😄

Oh that’s fantastic progress OP! And it’s really great that you’re doing it with a sustainable calorie count and not a crash diet level count.