we really don't need a lot of food....

[JustPinkFinch]

Are any other females 40+ quite surprised - after taking MJ or similar - at how little they actually need to eat in order to lose weight?

I am eating a healthy lunch, healthy dinner and a snack (either fruit or nuts). On this I am losing 1-2lbs a week.

It feels restrictive vs what I am used to and there is no way I could have done this without MJ.

Once I reach my target, I can increase intake a bit in order to maintain. That I can probably do without MJ, but if not I will stay on the drug long term.

I am very grateful this drug is available, but at the same time a little sad at how little food I actually need.

I am active too. I do not lead a sedentary life.

All my thin friends eat like birds, so I shouldn't be surprised. But I am!

I think to lose and or maintain it seems we're all eating similar seemingly small amounts. I too skip breakfast and don't eat after six now, previously after six would be the wine and crisps time, and during lockdown it was a bottle a night which became a habit, I never went over 12 and a half stones, but at 5, 5 that still seemed massive to me and obviously my habits weren't healthy lol. I have yogurt and a sprinkling of nuts and a boiled egg, then a salad with protein for tea, a protein pudding plus fruit, and tea and coffee throughout the day and that's it.ohand a heaped tablespoon of collagen, I'm losing on this, but I have to be very strict, it is barely any thing compared to what I used to eat. I don't exercise much though, I have arthritis, which has improved but I have to be careful, I want to get back to 8 and a half stones, so one more stone to go, which I think is 'me'. I'm in my fifties and this is what I'll have to get used to to stay slim🤷. I'll micro dose once I get down to 8 12

I’m 5’ 8.5 and 52. I weigh 60.7 kg. I’m active, I run and weight train among other things. I have to keep my calories to 1000 or fewer to keep my weight down.

My BMR reckons around 1800 calories. I’d easily gain weight on that many.

I agree, it's quite eye opening just little I need to actually eat as someone who ate massive portions of healthy(ish - I loved butter too much) food. I think what got me into trouble was eating the same portion sizes as my 35cm taller than me partner.

I've switched to volume eating now and that makes it easier to eat only 1400 calories and stick to it because it feels like huge amounts of food while still be calorie restricted. I am not the type of person who can eat a small amount of something calorie dense and be satisfied.

Doing another 10 hour day at my desk, which is why I got in such a state in the first place [googles walking pad]

Yes. And I find that I can't believe how much I used to eat.

No. I’m Im way older than that and I’m eating pretty big meals, albeit healthy ones. Not counting calories, still eating pasta and rice (brown now!).. Eating full fat rather than diet versions. I’ve just cut out the crap snacks I was eating.before (choc and crisps etc). But three good meals and a grapes and Greek yogurt snack mid evening. I’ve lost 18lbs in six weeks with a fairly big start and touch wood it’s still coming off at around 2lbs a week.

Hi OP, the thread got off to a funny 😵‍💫 start. But just wanted to say - I agree with you. And I’m 60+. Not esp. active really either. One smallish main meal, a very light breakfast and maybe an extra snack later (say egg on 1 x toast), a small glass of wine. About -1400 cals I’m guessing on average. And I’m still 20 pounds overweight.

All I lost was 20 lbs on MJ over 7 months. It reduced my appetite a bit, that’s all.

Im size 14/16. To be very slim eg size 10 (not my aim btw) I’d probably have to eat half the above. Really!!!

I do also sometimes wonder if people’s metabolisms differ. I think some people can eat more at the same weight.

To lose more, I think I’d have to seriously rethink some meals. Eg just fruit for breakfast or as a snack. More salads and soups as whole meals.

I’m thinking about it 🤔

I'm not very active (got mobility issues due to arthritis) but I can maintain my weight on 2000 calories per day. I find if I cut down to 1500 I lose about 1 pound a week and if I cut down to 800 - 1200 per day,I can lose 2 - 3 lbs per week. I've only been able to go that low since starting on weight loss injections. No way could I eat that little per day without it!

“All my thin friends eat like birds, so I shouldn't be surprised. But I am!”

@JustPinkFinch

You know that “secret eater” TV program re. overweight people, I wonder what would what we would see if they did a program for slim people! Would we just see how little they eat?!? I would be genuinely interested. Especially women over the age of 45. I’ve read before that very slim women over the age of 50 either A eat almost nothing or B are smokers. But I’m not sure if this is true, or if there is a lot of variance because of differences in metabolism, both genetic and historical.

I have a lot to lose and although my app gives me around 1450 a day my daily average across the week is 1200 a day. Some days it’s under 1000, then there might be a day of more to balance it out. It’s not much really and I still only lose around 1lb a week. Occasionally a bit more but nothing higher than 2lbs. My loss average is around 1.85lbs a week.

I couldn’t do this without the MJ. I’d have buckled into the hunger by now. Fortunately that’s suppressed well so I can keep on.

But it’s a bit lowering because 1200 is not that much. And it’s hard to get enough protein etc at that calorie level.

I find it a bit of a shock. I've had lots of weight fluctuations in life, and undoubtedly gaining and losing a lot doesn't help. I'm also 61 and 5'2" (ok, probably actually only 5'1" now). If I want to lose weight I have to eat about 800-1000 a day and can maintain on 1000-1200 a day. It gets really tiring having people tell you you're not eating enough when I know that eating what they suggest makes me gain.

I think previously I've found it really hard to accept how little I can eat to maintain. I always knew when I was actively over-eating and gaining weight - like getting into bad habits of eating loads of crisps or processed foods - but I don't think I fully appreciated that just eating the same amount of perfectly healthy food as other people meant I was consistently over-eating for me. You can't request a short person ration in a restaurant, for example! It's a bit depressing to realise my normal eating will have to be like a very restrictive diet for many people, but that's what I have to take on board.

Would watch - would be fascinating to someone like me. I've read that it's a little harder to gain weight if the fat cells have never existed. So someone slim who used to be fat will still have the fat cells, but deflated. They will refill easier than it would take an always slim person to make them the first time.

My mum (70s) has always been very slim and has always eaten lightly. Think Sunday dinner on a side plate while she serves everyone else large plates of food! I think she eats vicariously through us 😁

Being honest I am 63 and all my 40 something friends who are slim do an awful lot more physical exercise too than I have done. I think that’s one thing that’s underrated - the move more one is a bit of a viscious circle as if you are pretty overweight it can seem a real big effort to incorporate much beyond existing and more walking but it’s obvious if you are burning a couple of hundred calories a day extra you can usually eat a little more . I have a friend who is mid 70s and is really slim and toned , she does eat a fair bit ( not like a bird) but she also does swimming twice a week plus Pilates and Zumba once a week-

Weirdly, I sort of think the opposite for me.

I am not on WLI’s but have lost 2st 9lb with intermittent fasting. I miss breakfast and eat within an 8 hour window.

I find I eat a protein rich lunch with yoghurt and fruit and an evening meal which fills me up! I rarely feel hungry these days.

I think I really didn’t eat huge volume before, just really far too much unhealthy snack foods
which made me crave more snack foods and obviously that’s all high calorie stuff! Choc, crisps, biscuits….i snacked all day and had no room when mealtime came!

@Doyouthinktheyknow I definitely think I lose if I cut down to 2 meals within 8 hours , but make them protein heavy and carb light. Tend to do an 11.00 brunch - yoghurt fruit, cottage cheese ( Longley farm of course and ideally the chives one) plus a hard boiled egg and then something like fish and a substantial salad about7.15. With maybe 2 crisp bread with a scraping of baba ganoush when I get in about 6 .

I find that way it feels easier to feel full on about 500 for each meal plus a 150 cal snack rather than try and split it across 3 meals

“Think Sunday dinner on a side plate“ 😮

Missing one of the top pleasures in life surely! 😄

edit: italics

@Crikeyalmighty

when I have been able to exercise I have definitely lost weight faster. I personally believe - this is experience based not from a book - that I lost weight faster because it increased my metabolism or 🔥 it up in some way, rather than to do with any specific calorie deficit, which would have had minimal impact.

Unfortunately, health issues mean this option is very limited me. So for me it’s just a case of calorie restriction pretty much 🤷‍♀️

I’m a woman under 40 on a calorie controlled diet eating around 1400 calories a day. I’m 5’4 and 10st. I’m losing 1lb a week.

Its quite depressing if I’m honest.

I’m 52 years old and 5’5. I do Pilates and weights about every other day. I’m currently on wli and calorie counting. If I eat 1200 or below, I lose 1-2 lbs a week. 1250-1400 I maintain, more than that I gain. Prior to mounjaro, my diets would have mostly been in the 1200-1400 calorie range and I wasn’t exercising as consistently, so I can see why they failed to shift more than a few pounds over several months.

I think I’m going to have to be on maintenance doses to keep my calorie intake as low as it needs to be, particularly as I’m partial to the odd boozy weekend.

I had a moment of this yesterday, when we had no crisps for my pack lunch, and I packed three baby tomatoes instead 😂

I learned that I can shift weight at 1-2lb a week if I eat 800-1200 calories a day. If I eat 1200 - 1600 I maintain, and above I (slowly, almost imperceptibly) gain. By the calculators my maintenance should be 2000 but it demonstrably is not. I am tall, active and walk hilly miles every day. My BMI 20 years ago was about 20-21 and it crept up to 29-30 in stealthy, deniable steps.

On Mounjaro I'm perfectly happy eating these small amounts, but I know my natural hunger is much bigger. It's basically at least one whole meal bigger per day. I was never a problematic eater - I don't have emotional issues with it or binge eating disorder or anything like that. I have been super lucky there. I was eating fresh and healthy meals with a few glasses of wine, not loads or every day - just really what one would describe as moderate.

But I was eating 2000 calories most days - I was - and sometimes more if I had a nice pudding or a meal out. I would usually finish a restaurant meal, whereas now I eat less than half. And it looks like that has lead to me gaining 40-50 pounds, slowly, over 20 years.

Basically I've learned that to lose weight I need to eat much much less than I imagined or than the calculators tell you. I've learned that to maintain weight I need to eat a bit less than they tell you. And to gain weight, just eat what feels like a moderate amount, so actually still less than people say.

I was never eating multipacks of chocolate bars or drinking bottles of cola. I was just eating the recommended "healthy" diet for a woman of my height and weight. And that for me is too much. 🙁

@PastyPasty I'm 50 and lifelong slim but not very thin (BMI 22.5, was BMI 21.5 until recently but have accepted the 2-3kg age-related weight gain). I'm neither a smoker nor someone who eats like a bird!

All I can say is that I've never counted a calorie in my life. I don't even understand the acronyms about what my body needs etc. My understanding is that it's much easier to be slim if you've never been overweight (number of fat cells determined at a young age?) Which is why I'm sad when I see overweight children, as they will (I believe) always struggle with their weight.

(I was raised in an active household with healthy food, piles of veg being the norm; crips/chocolate were around but never on a daily basis).

I'm short - about 5'1" - and middle aged. I'll lose 1-2lb a week if I eat 800 calories a day and exercise. Anything more than that and the weight loss is so insignificant I might as well not bother. I don't have a great appetite for big meals, but I'm prone to snacking.

I don't know what my maintenance intake is, but it can't be much more than 800 cals. I tend to gain a few pounds then lose them when I realise my jeans are feeling less comfortable. Not healthy, I know.

I am on mounjaro now but one of my previous attempts at losing weight was doing the 5:2 diet. After limiting myself to 500 calories for 2 or 3 days a week on that diet nothing since has ever felt that strict. I contemplated doing the Fast 800 but looking a the daily meal plans made me feel depressed. I am fortunate that on mounjaro I have not felt the need to calorie count though. I sometimes do a rough tally i my head if weight loss is stalling but my appetite and urge to snack are so much lower. I do worry what will happen if I stop taking it - still have a long way to go so don't need to worry too much just yet.l