Anyone mid-40s lost weight and if so, how?

[FarquarKumquatsmama]

Hi all,
Despite having more time on my hands this week to eat healthily and move more, the scales continue to creep up and I find myself at a bit of a loss.
What works?
Mid 40s, with a thyroid problem. Hate intermittent fasting.
Just started running again (currently a slow 4-5 km).
It’s so shit 😭

I am a bit younger (going on 39) but I have lost over 30kg with a very low carb diet - not quite keto as I am eating lots of veg.

I have, last year. With intermittent fasting and tracking on MFP though, sorry. I lost 2.5stone over the course of about 6 months and have kept it off for the last 6/7 months.
I have a chronic illness which makes exercise very limited so it had to be via diet only.

Same age, with a well-medicated thyroid problem. I lost 18 kg by eating a lot less.

I lost 40kg in my mid to late 40s (took a while to get it all off: pics attached

I did it by going to Weight Watchers - the weekly routine really helped - but for me it was really about portion sizes. My eating was relatively healthy but simply too much

I also got myself a personal trainer and started taking my gym membership seriously. I'm 53 now and will be entering my first bodybuilding competition when we're through the current madness.

I'm ordinary: really ordinary. You got this Happy to help in any way, bearing in mind I'm a chartered accountant and not a nutrition/fitness expert.

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace bloody hell, what a transformation! Well done you! That's fantastic.

Can I ask did you go right into the weights or do cardio then gradually introduce the weights. What does your diet generally look like? In the early days did you reduce carbs?

@supercee Thank you so much for your lovely message.

I've never been a big cardio person although, having shed the weight, it does mean that I can walk the two miles to work much quicker and run for the bus when needed. I went straight into weight training with my trainer. The weights were pretty moderate for a while and then I suddenly had a light bulb moment and thought: 'I really want to go on stage and compete'. I only started seriously training in January for two shows in May: now put back to August and September (although may get pushed back even further).

I've never restricted carbs; my trainer is a big fan of good, complex carbs. My diet pre-January consisted of lean protein (chicken, fish, quorn, eggs), carbs (rice, pasta couscous), veg and fruit. I'd have a treat fairly regularly (usually crisps as I'm not a big fan of sweet things). I don't eat bread as it simply doesn't sit well in my stomach.

As I'm currently in show prep mode, I'm having:

• porridge and protein powder (twice a day)
• three eggs over the course of the day

• chicken, brown rice and veg for lunch and dinner
• a couple of pieces of fruit

Same thing. Every day. But that's only because I need to burn fat (around my tummy) and build muscle to get 'stage ready'. It'll relax somewhat after the shows.

One thing that I can say is .... I've absolutely never felt better. Repetetive? Yes. But I'll take it for the amazing energy it gives me.

Good luck with your journey: whatever that be. I'm here if you need any support (smile).

Thanks, good to know you have still been having carbs. I lost loads of weight in my 20's doing strict very low carbs, so it's my go to. As I'm getting older (now late 30's eek) I'm finding that harder to stick to.

I'm petite and every bit of weight gain shows, and it's ALL round my middle. I hate it. My wine consumption is definitely not helping this but going to try and use this isolation to tackle it. Not the biggest fan of cardio but I do like weights.

Good luck in your competitions when you finally get to do them!

Yes it's possible, I did it in my 50s by giving up sugar, mostly. It led to a re-setting of my body so that I no longer had food cravings or the wish to eat more than I needed. Exercise (running 2-3 times per week) also helped.

I lost 2 stone at 45 years old. Calorie counting I'm afraid. It's very dull but effective. I had been a runner and, though toned, I never lost weight and then had to stop running (injured), so i lost weight while not exercising at all.

I put half a stone back on at Christmas and have not managed to lose it since which is frustrating. I'm so bored at home at the moment that eating is an attractive pastime. And my family are here all the time eating. I cannot restrict as much as I should to lose. I think I was on 1200 calories a day 2 years ago. Now trying to stick to 1100 but ending up at about 1300.

As I'm getting older (now late 30's eek)

Eeeh lass, you're nowt but a nipper

Low carb and exercise worked for me. I’m a sugar fiend though and never feel full on it, so removing it removed the cravings, and kept me fuller longer, by eating more fat and protein.

I lost 3stone with Food Combining (which is great because you don't hve to count calories or eat diet food. You just eat your carbs WITHOUT protein eg. a salad sandwich and then salmon with peas, and broccolli etc. Oh and eat plenty of fruit BUT on an empty stomach so I eat it for breakfast . with nuts for snacks. Drink lots of water cut right down on normal coffee and tea. Oh and as you know forget alcohol.

Paul Mackenna helped me get into the right mental mode too!! he's brilliant.

Intermittent fasting and went vegan

No thyroid
Lost 19ilb to a BMI to 22.5
Cycling, gym & slimming world with a limit of 5syns per day and a lot of speed, very little meat

Logging everything I eat on My Fitness Pal and sticking to no more than 1200 calories. Meant that nothing was "forbidden", I could see all the little things that I was eating adding up to a large amount of calories and I could split my meals as I saw fit - so had (relatively) big breakfast and dinner with pudding, and little lunches.

I lost about 15kg in six months and kept it off. Tried things like SW and WW and to be fair I probably follow some of the SW principles but found it all a bit too complicated and some of it didn't make sense.

my fitness pal here too - from a size 14 to 10 - used it religiously - and about a year in started logging exercise

48, overt hypothyroid. Not yet brilliantly managed, but getting there.
Lost 2 stones since August, now at 9st6.
Low carb. Not exactly keto, but close enough. I don't track or measure foods. I'm happily never hungry eating this way.

No expert here but I've lost 19 lbs now in almost 6 weeks. I'm 48

I've ...

Calorie counted. Followed principles of the Fast800 but I eat between 900-1350 cals a day. Replace one meal with a protein bar or shake. Eat loads of fruit and not quite loads of veg, but more than I did. Not eaten any cake or chocolate

That's about it. Now doing a walk a day and the odd peloton session but only a couple so weight loss isn't down to my exercise that's for sure

Yes Tattered I lost a load of weight (I go by my clothes) by just going on the Food Combining way of eating and stopping a daily coffee. And not doing ANY extra exercise but at the time I had 3 little ones!

Now 20 years later I've used Paul Mackenna (I Can Make You Thin) for help with mindful eating and I've cut down sugar a LOT. So it's worked well. With stretches and dancing though!!

I lost a little weight by counting calories using MFP. I lost a lot more with 5:2.

I do a lot of cardio, running, which makes me hungry and the weight is creeping back on unfortunately.

Yes. Had ds at 45, started to gain weight at about 48. Took up running and now do 2 x 5k a week.

I’m back to holding steady at 10st. I’m 5’8”

I'm 54 and have lost over 2 stone in the last 7 months.
I eat two sensible meals a day and still have treats at the weekend (wine & chocolate)
Once a week I do a water only fast and I try to exercise several times a week.

5:2 and not overeating on the 5 days worked for me.

Gastric band, all else failed.