I can NOT get below 11 stone

[PigOnStiIts]

My happy weight is 10 stone. At 11 I start to look porky (see username).

I exercise 12 times a week.
I stay under 1300 every day.
I am 50
Eat Keto

wtf am I doing wrong? Since I turned 50, like the very month I turned 50 I stuck on a stone and it’s not shifting. Also my periods stopped, so that’s been six months now.

I can’t exercise more or eat less so is this me? Is this the menopause setting me a new set weight? So pissed off right now! I just want to get into the 10s’

size 12, 5’4 and big bones.

Are you me? 😂

Sympathies, no advice but placemaking in case someone else has any.

Why are you exercising so much? Too much exercise (particularly in people your age) raises cortisol which in turn could cause weight gain amongst other things.
I'd try reducing exercise and giving your body a rest a few days a week.

It’s not that much. Most Pilates and strength training. I do it because I love it 🤣🤣🤣

It is a lot. Its on average twice a day 6 days a week. Like I say it's likely causing high cortisol so could be the cause of you not losing weight.

Ok. Will look into that, thanks xx

I agree with @Q124. There is evidence that too much exercise has the opposite effect. Pahla B, who I follow on YouTube, has a podcast where she talks specifically about losing weight in your 50s.

I'm 59, and my weight had steadily crept up to over 12 stones. I'm 5'3" and looked quite overweight.

I started working out gently, to Pahla B's YouTube exercise program designed for menopausal women (and post menopausal too) and also began intermittent fasting. Since then, I've managed to drop just over 3 stones. It's been hard work, and has taken about 18 months but I'm pleased it's working. I came down from size 16/18 to size 12 which was what I always used to be.

Cortisol, high or otherwise does not cause weight gain. Fat can’t be stored from nowhere, energy (fat) can’t just be created out of nothing.

What chronic stress and cortisol can do, is increase appetite which means people gain weight by eating more. But we probably all know someone who loses weight when stressed.

OP, you are eating more calories than you think.

Are you tracking properly? Very unlikely you'd not be losing weight on 1300 calories plus all that training.

I track absolutely everything and have been doing that for over a year, which is easy and I eat only two decent meals a day. no snacks.

also, I father that the cortisol effect is only with intense exercise which I am definitely not doing, much as I love Pilates it’s not intense.

Actually 💡, it could be too much salt!!

Have a look at ‘reverse dieting’. I listen to a few fitness podcasts and this is generally recommended for people in your exact situation. I think the last episode of the Mind Pump podcast includes a question from a woman trying to lose her last few lbs and she’s given some great advice. Good luck, it sounds like you’re working really hard 🙂

Here it is. You can skip the whole podcast and go straight to the question open.spotify.com/episode/0QpjjAZbfTNsK2AT0QeQpL?si=JJnUHFvaS1GKCEdBZBbFjw&t=4144

I think either your calorie tracking is way off or you have a medical condition. If you're eating 1300 calories a day and working out 12 times a week, you'd look like Victoria Beckham!

If you're sure your not overeating/drinking then I'd be booking an appointment to see your GP.

Keto is so restrictive I am not sure I really believe it’s actually practical either, as you will be having to substitute some things for other things and this could tip you into having more calories or salt than you realise. Can you just try eating a normal balanced diet and seeing if this helps?

Im not good at staying under 10st 8 but this is because I simply eat too much sometimes and go over my calorie allowance or I am not really pushing myself with exercise to get my heart rate going

I agree with PPs - you can't be tracking properly. You would lose weight on 1300 plus exercise.

It’s actually really easy, not a life of bacon and eggs at all. Helps that I cook everything from scratch so no substitute unless you count cauliflower rice instead of rice etc.

last nights dinner was chicken stew, tonight pork teriyaki with veg, tomorrow will probably be roast chicken. I’m eating healthily and properly just not having the carby sides. And I weigh everything! However I am becoming convinced it might be water retention caused by salt.

Thyroid?

@gardenmusic interesting - my entire family has under active thyroid and my mum had it from menopause

But I’m really bouncy and full of energy with thick hair! I’d be surprised

Are you weighing the uncooked weights? Tracking cooked weight is much less accurate especially for things like roast chicken.

Something is going badly wrong with your tracking or you have an undiagnosed medical condition. I suspect it’s calories from fats as so calorie dense it’s easy to get that wrong.

How much movement do you do in a day? Do you track your steps?

Also, you need to weigh yourself everyday at the same time (after getting up, naked and after a pee), not just once a week so you can see the normal fluctuations of weight. Are you getting 30g of fibre a day?

It’s so hard to know what to say as obviously you are very sure your calories are within range. So then I can only assume that your Pilates are not adding very much in terms of calories burnt through activity, try brisk walks?

weight loss is usually about trial and error so if what you do now isn’t working you need to try something new

Your basal metabolic rate given your height, weight and age is 1374. That is to stay alive, not moving at all. Agree with other posters there is almost certainly something amiss with your tracking or you're going missing for days and not sticking to those days.

I'm 46, menopausal on HRT, 5ft6 and lose 2lb a week on 1200 plus a shed load of fast walking and weights. (I lost 8lb in July).

Can you drop to 1200 to see if it makes a difference?

It does take discipline but I'm sure you have discipline from what you've said, you obviously enjoy the exercise too.

I don't lose weight unless I add in all the extra walking, eg. Not weights alone. Can you up that?

OP do you really believe there is such a thing as being “big boned” and if so how have you decided that you are?

I only heard this recently! I think it was Pahla B, an over 50s you-tuber (no longer does exercise videos sadly) who said it.

Not to make you feel bad OP but it's not universal I don't think. I'm 55, 5ft 3ins, very small bones/frame. Current weight is 8st 8lbs, my happy weight is a little lower - 8st 2 or 3lbs so working on that. The extra pounds go to my stomach so I want to get rid of them before I go on holiday.

I workout 5 mornings a week to you-tube videos - 2 mornings weights (only light weights - 3kg, or 4kg kettlebell), 2 mornings cardio (sometimes just walking or dance videos) and 1 morning Pilates. I walk for about 20 - 25 minutes at lunchtime and also do some skipping and hula hooping during the day. I don't often track on MFP but when I do, I probably average 1,500 cals during the week but more on the weekends.

I try to eat a good bit of fruit and veg and cut down on sugar / processed foods but other than that I'm not willing to cut out any food groups entirely. I don't honestly have a huge appetite so wouldn't often have dessert or sweets mid-week, just breakfast, lunch, dinner and fruit for snacks.