Please only reply if you're female and closer to 50 than 40

[IWillSurviveHeyHey]

Because how in the name of the holy cheeses does one loose weight at the age of 48, when nothing that used to work in the past, works anymore?

I am reasonably active and don't overeat although admittedly I do drink alcohol and have a weakness for sweets. This was never an issue before but clearly it is now. Simple I hear you say, stop drinking alcohol and eating sweets. But I have. And whist in the past I would have started noticing some change after a couple of weeks, nothing moves at the moment. In fact, I am just getting bigger and bigger.

I have extremely large thighs and I am only short so I feel really uncomfortable within myself. My only saving grace is that I don't have a fat belly.

I am a bit sick of being hungry pretty much all the time and still, it seems I need to accept that I've gone from a size 10 to a size 12 in the space of a year and I've been hungry for the most part. Well I don't want to accept that. I need to go back to a size 10 or by the end of 2018 I'll be a size 14.

Please help me.

Search you tube for bodyweight strength training exercises, dont bother with workouts aimed at women, train like a man.

Also re yoga, mobility and flexibility are crucial, but my understanding is that overstretching can weaken tendons, it's easy to get competitive with yoga and aspire to hypermobility, I think it's best not to push things too much with yoga

I turned 50 in December. I would advise go to the doctors and check yourself out and discount any medical reason . If there isn't any then I did the obvious cuts down on sweets, crsips, junk food and full fat drinks . I then bought a fit bit and started walking. First 5000 steps a day and increased to 10,000. I also joined an amazing studio and I o Arial Hoop. Something I always wanted to to do but thought I was to old and fat.

be brave and get out there and do something your heart has always desired and good luck

@Olivia, you got 3 years in this area...pah Johnny-come-lately
I have also trained with many people over the past 25 years in martial arts, body building, cycling, swimming running
I have also done a ton of research over the past 25 odd years

I like to think I know my stuff but I hope I never come across as a dogmatic self appointed expert

@ohfortuna

Be that as it may, I have only heard gratuitous assertions from you. No facts. Just 'can't be arsed.' And a blog from a dude named Stefan.

25 years doesn't mean very much if it's 25 years of 'classical' training in 'classical' nutrition which has led the US and UK to being 70% overweight and 35% obese. Seems the Ancel Keys 7 countries fraud has not yet been presented to you. So keep on recommending the food pyramid because it works so well - let's keep eating the way we are and let's also expect a different outcome. Einstein might have called this insanity.

Experts of your type who don't back up their points of view with evidence or a conceptual / theoretical understanding of how the body works are not really worth a whole lot. Sorry. My 'expert' opinion.

There's always some self-styled "expert" on these threads, who is evangelical about their particular approach & bangs on, and on and ON about it.

Unfortunately they usually tend to be those advocating LCHF, or sometimes personal trainers with their own "success stories". Lots of pushing their own agenda & beliefs (dressed up in quasi-science) on to others.

There have been lots of women on this thread sharing their experiences of what works for them, which is helpful & supportive. That's what I came here for, not lectures & monologues about how their method works best.

A dude called Stephan??
how very dare you!
'Stephan J. Guyenet. After earning a BS in biochemistry at the University of Virginia, I completed a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Washington, then went on to study the neuroscience of obesity and eating behavior as a postdoctoral fellow. I’ve spent a total of 12 years in the neuroscience research world studying neurodegenerative disease and the neuroscience of body fatness. My publications in scientific journals have been cited more than 1,800 times by my peers.

Today, I continue my mission to advance science and public health as a writer, international speaker, and science consultant. My book, The Hungry Brain, was released in February of 2017 and was named one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Current consulting clients include GiveWell and the Examine.com Research Digest. Past clients include the Open Philanthropy Project. I am the primary designer of an innovative course-based body weight management program called the Ideal Weight Program, which is part of the HumanOS platform.

A certain type of exercise and diet restriction. There’s a good bit of research (no, can’t link it as it’s been put in front of my nose by dh over the last year or so!) to say that cardio such as long runs, treadmills and steppers just don’t work once you’re over 40 odd....you have to challenge your body. DH persuaded me to try HIIT training as I’d put on over half a stone, and for the first time in 20 years it just wouldn’t shift AND was creeping steadily upwards.

Sadly he was right! Between 20 and 30 mins of horrid, horrid HITT training and virtually no separate cardio and I’m back down to almost my usual weight. I am also getting muscles where I didn’t know you could get them....I look mildly ripped at times! Good luck.

I often cant be arsed because I have better things to do than write essays on internet forums

but carry on with your publications on Mumsnet Olivia...although one wonders why you put so much effort into selling yourself and promoting your expertise, are you touting for clients?

Yoga for strength : the current approaches to anatomical yoga are very much against over flexibility
and much more about core and spinal strength
eg its better to do a forward fold with bent legs and a straight back than the other way around.

Bodyweight exercises : there are some astounding routines out there - often based around Yoga - lots of balancing and arm balances and press ups - that give the required protection against osteopososis while costing almost nothing in equipment

Particular diets : so much bollocks is said by folks with books and blogs to sell that its impossible not to get confused. The medics do not agree with each other and the media misrepresents everything.

What actually matters is to find a sustainable way of eating that you will be able to stick to for the rest of your life
the less faddy the better IMHO

@ohfortuna

I work in the City. Not looking for these types of clients.

I'm here because I'm interested in helping people as I've already helped many I engage with on here and directly.

Because I was just as confused as most on here. Because I tried a bunch of things that refused to work and was promised they would. Because I increased my exercise volume and gained weight while counting calories (and exceeded 30% body fat). Because I had no clue how this could be possible.

Until I learned why a calorie is not a calorie, that is. And from then it has been about learning how the body works. Once you know the rules it's not hard.

For those who don't want to know, great. Ignore my posts.

Nothing more.

As for you, it would be great if you stopped trolling. I see no issue with challenging views provided you back them up with facts - a debate of sorts. But this baseless harassment is irritating. Just abstain if you don't want pushback.

Alright Olivia, so props for wanting to help people
in my experience, in my many years of experience the greater part of those led to water do not drink for very long, if at all
hence I mostly cant be arsed any more

harassment
fgs, stop exaggerating!

Thank you all for suggestions - I will get googling

Back to the thread!!

I find it interesting that cutting out dairy may help with the damn hot flushes.
My mum had terrible thyroid problems at my age I don't want to go through all that.

I'm going to try Peppermint tea and water when at work - although the team love their brews so I will have to stand firm.

Going to cut down on the bread too.
Could I get away with scrambled egg and oaty wholemeal roll for dinner?

At lunch my colleague who is very into fitness eats eggs chopped up with mayo, spring onions, tomatoes etc or tuna. I'm going to try that.

Totally giving up crisps.

I do love my chocolate though.
I hate dark chocolate so no good telling me to have two dark squares a week. Feels like prison!

I am trying to reduce portion size and am going to a Pilates class next week.

My mum had terrible thyroid problems at my age I don't want to go through all that.
I'm already older than both my grandmother and mother were when they started having to take thyroid pills
not sure what I'm doing differently from them (and multiple aunts and cousins)
but I like being on no medication at all !

My mum had hyperthyroidism at the menopause & I'm hoping for that! She lost about 3st, felt great, had loads of energy & hardly needed sleep. I'd like a bit of that, thank you.

I have not had wine, fruit, sweets or starchy carbs for over a week now.

I think nuts is one of my main culprits. I hide behind the fact that nuts are good for you and full of protein, but I eat one packet (250 grms) in one sitting, and I might have 2 a week; maybe sometimes more. No more nuts.

I bought dark chocolate (85%) on Friday to treat myself when I had a craving. Instead of having the two squares I had the whole thing. No more chocolate.

And are you feeling OK with the changes ?

I am in shock at how much I weighed to be honest. I have clearly been in denial because I thought I had a stone to lose and when I finally weighed myself, I was nearly 5kg heavier than I thought. I literally could not believe the number in front of me.

I feel good that I have started doing something about it, but with a lot of internal tension because I don't trust myself, I've been down this road before and I have failed, every single time.

Physically I feel so much better though. My belly is no longer bloated, my thighs are starting to slim down a little as they looked like they were about to explode, and I keep imagining myself at around Easter time being able to wear trousers without desperately trying to find a top that's long enough to cover my arse.

I am beginning to realise that my feet have probably been suffering too what with the extra weight put on them, and who knows, my snoring might improve as I lose the weight.

It's got to be done.

Feet, ankles, knees, hips : will all hurt less as you take the load off them
Snoring : definitely. Losing weight reduces it.

The main thing is to focus on feeling better rather than any particular number.
Because once you are at "happy weight" feeling good is what will keep you there.

I think this thread has helped me more than any I've ever been on in the 13 years I've posted here. Just understanding that now I'm 45 I do need smaller portions and it is biologically harder to lose weight and I'm not over weight because I'm useless. Thank you all so much.

I'm enjoying the planning meals, enjoying exercising and seeing the calories burnt going up, enjoying my potential IBS symptoms almost gone, enjoying my tummy being less pregnant looking and enjoying more the one or two small pieces of chocolate I have in the evening. Mostly I am enjoying not hating myself when I feel hungry.

I know exactly what you mean @YearOfYouRemember which is why I asked for only 40+ females to reply, because what we experience at this time of our lives is unlike any other times, and what worked then doesn't work now. My Fitness Pal is an absolute godsend to understand just how easy it is to overeat and has made me acknowledge that I have been in denial. It is easier to understand that and act accordingly, than to think nothing works, nothing will ever work, we're doomed!!

All true. Sometimes I feel a bit daunted at logging eveyrhtjng but actually most foods are already on the site and weighing things takes seconds. It's also been a new thing that I'm actually looking to see what a portion size is and I'm shocked at how quickly I've got used to having smaller meals. I had been saying I don't think I eat enough wo lose weight but actually I was talking bollocks but now I've seen what I ate yesterday and having not lost since the last weigh in, I believe it now as I was a lot under my calories yesterday. I wasn't hungry though.

Lunch was a wrap, has avocado, 6 cherry tomatoes and 50% less fat coleslaw. I've made some biscuits with oats and desiccated coconut for the kids and will have one in a bit and not feel guilty.

Stressed this morning as can't walk poorly DDog but I've been on the bike twice and will go on again at least once plus hopefully DDog will be able to have a short walk tomorrow. I knew I'd get obsessed but exercise is a good obsession as is eating well. I love the colour of my meals.

I'll shut up now.

Thought of you all just now when sat on the floor squeezing a chair with my feet -Anyone remember Callanetics?! I bought the book To have a go at a few of the exercises as remember doing them in my late teens or thereabouts and in my head I remember them as being effective so thought I’d have a go.

DD did say yesterday that she thinks my stomach is shrinking, hope she’s right.

My Dad does 20 mins of Callanetics every day.
He is 83 and still plays tennis :-)