Accept my weight at 60? I can’t eat less than I do?

[SolarDream]

Just this really. Anyone have a similar experience? Did you manage to make headway? Or just accept?

I’m 5 ft 6, large frame and weigh 12 st 12. I would love to lose a stone. I managed to lose a stone on Noom last year which was 🤩 to me - and I have kept it off too.

I’d love to lose another stone to get to 12 stone - I’d be very content with that. All my clothes would fit easily and look a bit better. However, I am not losing weight and don’t really see how I can lose any more without “starving” myself basically.

( I am also a bit limited exercise wise because of a chronic health issue and this probably does affect metabolism)

As an example, yesterday I ate:-

Late breakfast - slice of peanuts butter on toast

Dinner - bean burger, no bread, a very large salad and about 14 chips. A small strawberry yoghurt.

Also two glasses of wine and 3 teas with sugar.

Would you just accept things as they are?

I could get on board with meticulous calorie counting 🥱 to try and figure out what the issue is, I guess? But I’m pretty sure I’m generally under 1400 calories a day. Surely anything less is unrealistic?

Answers on a postcard …

Life is short, so it depends on what you value more your clothes size or a few luxuries like the wine.

I think it might be worth doing some weight training, toning and making what you've got denser rather than losing, that'll make your clothes fit better too.

Have you looked at the Wegovy thread on here? Might give some ideas.

1400 calories is low for your weight and height. I'd go more with measurements that weight. Do you feel fit and healthy?

@letsbepositive2024 No I don’t feel fit and healthy as I’ve got a chronic illness that limits my movement 😂 but I try and walk a bit.

@Singleandproud Fair point, can I give up the 🍷 ? Its usually one glass though. that and tea with sugar

Have you had a thyroid check recently? Sometimes underactive thyroid can make weight gain easy and loss quite difficult.

If all is ok in that department, would you consider trying the 16/8 eating method. I'm a similar age to you and the same height. I weighted 13 stones two years ago, Covid greed lol. I now use this eating plan and the weight has gradually come off and stayed off. I'm now 11 stones, which is fine for me. Sometimes I gain but it usually goes back if I get back on track with the 16/8.

It's just so easy, no calorie counting, but obviously avoid bad food choices and huge portions! I think the discipline of it works for me. I have a late breakfast about 11.30 -12 simple porridge, seeds and protein powder made on water. A full fat Greek yogurt with berries as a snack later or something else if I feel peckish, then dinner. I stop eating at 7pm. That became a habit so I no longer feel the need to raid the biscuit tin after dinner. I am so surprised really. It took about a month or two to get into the groove, but it's normal for me now.

I do break out of it now and then for special occasions, some weekends, and of course holidays.

@Quizine I had a thyroidectomy. So no thyroid. I take thyroxine and its checked regularly.

I have done Intermittent fasting in the past but it doesn’t seem to work now! But I get your drift. Maybe my metabolism, health and age are working against me. Although I see you are a similar age maybe you are more active as well?

I’m probably sounding negative at suggestions - but I will take them on board for more reflection later!

I think it's probably more important to be a healthy weight now than when younger? I definitely feel I need to make it priority now

Slow and steady OP. I'm nearly 55, I've lost 5kg since May just eating a bit less. Dry Jan helped me lose the 1.5kg I put on over Christmas.
I'm 174 cm and currently 72kg, and I am aiming for under 70kg. MFP reckons 1200cals for 0.5kg weight loss per week, which I obviously haven't met, but just doing it keeps me accountable.
I'm fairly sedentary at work and do pilates and PiYo weekly.

As for activity levels, well I am retired now and am a lazy mare a lot of the time if I'm honest. I'm not one of those gym bunnies, hill walkers, sea swimmers or whatever. But I am blessed with limber limbs in mid 60s, so I can walk a good bit, when I'm in the mood. I just try to get out in the fresh air for about 30 minutes every day, or longer if the mood takes me, but I am not fanatical about it. I am conscious of the fact that I'm very lucky not to have arthritis or any other aches and pains so I do try to use what I've got.

However, I don't think what I do actually helps weight loss in the long run, but it's good to get moving. I see you have difficulties in that aspect, but even some chair exercises and those designed for mobility impaired are good for you overall, but if you are in pain or discomfort I wouldn't put myself under the pressure either. Maybe have a chat with the GP to see what might be suitable for you.

I think you are great, so positive about trying. All the best, it ain't easy is it!

Aww, thanks @Quizine

Is it worth booking a sesh with a PT at a local gym? He or she may be able to set up a fitness plan with weights, taking into account your health conditions.

Total solidarity in how hard it is to lose weight

1400 is brutal but necessary as a sedentary woman!

In started to lose weight at 61 so it's doable. But I think you'll have to knock the wine in the head, lots of hidden calories in that and the sugar in the tea can add up as well. It's really easy to drink a lot of calories without even noticing.

Tea with sugar is an easy win surely

The lack of a thyroid won't be helping you, even when taking thyroxine, so that's likely part of the issue.

The other thing is Also two glasses of wine and 3 teas with sugar !! How about ditching all that sugar?

I am your age and height and that wouldn’t be anywhere near enough food for me. Do you not have lunch? I wouldn’t have the wine or sugary tea, though. I’m pretty sedentary, though, and also have health issues. I weigh about 8.5 stones, but I have a slight build.

I know, I know but I like sugar in tea, and it’s usually only 1 glass🍷, honest guv.

@CrunchyCarrot I do wonder if that’s the case re my thyroid because it’s not normal obviously, I’m not sure if that’s part of the reason. I also have low blood pressure and low pulse, maybe that’s saying something too. Who knows.

yes @coxesorangepippin . I’ve got today all free to do sweet FA so there some maintenance work to be done, currently dying my hair a bit, painting the forth bridge. In some ways I wish I could not care 🙂

Calories in tea with milk and two sugars is 83 cal
red wine half a bottle (2 medium glasses) about 330
so you could be drinking just over 600 calories, that's 3x marsbars a day

Thanks everybody. It’s a bit of a conundrum. I’ll have to ponder it more. Either change something if I’m able or make my peace and accept. Sending all the best to those struggling in a similar way….

Agree on the alcohol advice.
Your body completely 'puts aside' the fact it should be metabalising your food calories and concentrates first and foremost on the alcohol.
Alcohol creates a lot of energy/heat for your body to deal.
So it's not just the extra calories, it's that your body doesn't bother to burn your food calories as efficiently.
Total abstinence - at least when dieting - is the best thing you could do.

I read a newer study that said after the age of 30, every ten years you have to eat 100 less calories a day to maintain the same weight, as your metabolism slows that much as you age. So you may have to eat even less to lose weight now.

Also are you menopausal? I've always found that hormones can cause huge weight gain with me despite not eating any more.

For example, I was three stone heavier than pre pregnancy immediately after I gave birth. I genuinely didn't eat any more during pregnancy or after pregnancy, but that three stone dropped off fairly rapidly in a few months postpartum. I didn't breastfeed and ate the same pre pregnancy, pregnant and post partum. Ditto all the women in my family have temporarily put in a few stone during menopause, then lost it again when they're through menopause.

So I can only conclude that hormones have a big impact on weight gain sometimes.

Firstly at 5’6” you are not at a bad weight, I don’t k ow what your bmi is but doubt it is in the obese range. It is harder to not be overweight as you age so if you can make your peace with this that is fine.
Secondly wine is lethal, it wrecks your metabolism and it isn’t healthy to drink everyday. If you could drop to once or twice a week you might slowly lose a small amount.
Thirdly, have you looked into intermittent fasting. Instead of breakfast and dinner you could have a late lunch and early dinner to have a short eating window of say 4 to 6 hours. Once you are used to this way of eating it massively cuts down on hunger and has lots of health benefits. If that doesn’t see the results you want you could try one meal a day and see how it suits you.

Are you effectively doing IF with just two meals a day? Anyhow in identical situation. Restricted eating but nothing shifting. Am trying some bursts of high intensity activity on days like today when I dont walk for 40 mins.

Just accept who you are, eat and drink whatever you want and stop weighing yourself. I'm nearly 60 too, and by our age we all realise that how we look is totally irrelevant. If we have an active mind and an interesting life, we're winning, quite frankly.

I'm nearly 60, 5ft 8 and until last September weighed 12st 7. It's the heaviest I've been apart from when I was pregnant. I'd tried to lose weight all through my 50s and always did well in the week but weekends and holidays did me no favours.
Last September, with 6 months to go until my 60th, I decided I needed to make one last ditch attempt. I don't really do diets as the minute I tell myself I'm on a diet I want all the things I'm depriving myself of. Also in the past when I've dieted, I've lost weight only to put it back on again once the diet ended.
So this time I've switched to healthier foods (although I ate relatively healthily before), cut out snacking and cut right back on alcohol - which was my downfall at the weekends. But if I want a bit of chocolate then I have a bit (but I stop at a bit). I allow myself a glass or 2 of wine at the weekends but don't drink 2 or 3 glasses a night over Fri-Sun like I was doing. I'm now down to 11stone 12 and hope to lose a few more lbs before my birthday.

My typical food for a day is:
Breakfast - porridge with semi skimmed milk, blueberries and chia seeds.
Lunch - a chopped salad with ham, tuna or chicken usually with boiled egg OR home made soup and a couple of sliced of wholemeal bread.
Dinner - A home cooked meal including veg, carbs and protein.
Snacks - a few dried prunes or an apple/ satsuma/kiwi.

I do exercise 3 - 4 times a week but I've been doing that for the last 25 years so nothing has changed there.

So whilst I had almost given up hope of losing weight at my age it can be done.