WTF advice to listen to

[flippetty]

Any one else constantly bombarded by posts on social media giving advice on losing weight over 40?

The problem is they all say completely different things.

Some say doesn't matter what you do, you have to be in a calorie deficit.

Some say you're eating too little, eat loads of protein no matter the calories.

Some say, the reason you're not losing weight is because you need to eat more carbs.

Some say do IF.

Some say definitely do not do IF you mustn't starve your body, eat more.

Some say exercise is irrelevant. Some say you only need to walk. Some say you must do weights every day.

The only consistent advice is cut down sugar and don't go mad on cardio.

Wtaf.

Do these people, articles from journalists have a qualification in the subject matter?

It's really hard to tell sometimes. But yes I understand your point. Even if you look at people with quals though they don't always agree

What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another so advice will vary, try whatever sounds as if it suits you.

It all comes down to calories, IF is simply a way to reduce calorie intake by having less hours in the week/day to eat, and for some people they succeed to sustain a calorie deficit and their body responds well within a IF framework.

I found weight loss is an individual journey and keeping the weight down a lifestyle choice.
The key is to find out what works for you as there isn't a one size fits all. Then work out how you can integrate this into your lifestyle.

At the end of the day it is calorie deficit , consume more then the body needs, you will gain

How you go about getting a deficit and being able to live with those choices is a personal thing,

IF - I do that naturally yet I still managed to get fat so IF isnt my choice

Calorie counting - wayyy too time consuming, so I tended to stick to just a few dishes that I knew the count and nutritional value of which of course becomes restricting - so thats a no no for me

So for me, I prefer SW, I like the support, accountability and the fact I dont need to calorie count and I eat a varied and interesting diet. I got the weight off in a year and have now maintained for 15 months.Those that say SW dont work, havent worked out that if you spend your syns on junk you are never going to break the habits. Id rather use my syns on tasty dressings and foods that SW do restrict - like an avocado or some extra bread to make breadcrumbs for stuffing or breading. Yes I have upped my protein because protein keeps you full and you need it for muscle development and at my age , and for everyone over 30, you need to maintain muscle as best you can. I havent drastically increased it, just make sure I eat it at every meal, but then Im no gym bunny - I walk/hike - even today Ive tried to get out but have had to accept its a sofa day.

Instead of looking at social media for diet advice, possibly tey a professor or expect in the field and read any literature they’ve produced

Bottom line is, it's not hard to lose it through any of these methods, but keeping it off (even while maintaining new habits) is an uphill battle that is not achievable for most. There's not much long term evidence for anything, apart, I think, from Bariatric (which still doesn't work for all) and the new weight loss injections and pills (which studies indicate weight regain after). There's a lot of evidence that cells remember overweightness and seek to regain. There's some evidence I believe that seeking a modest weight loss of around 5% and maintaining it for over a year is good for health outcomes. Stopping ultra processed foods may help appetite regulation.

Those will have been written by AI anyway, so I wouldn't take any notice of them at all.

I think just figure out what works best for you through trial and error. That’s what I did since 2022, but generally speaking most social media fitness influencers say you must be in calorie deficit. Even those who also bang on about protein mention calorie deficit. I’ve rarely came across any who say calories don’t matter.

I’ve 5ft 2 and have lost almost 3 stone over the years. This has been achieved by being in calorie deficit, reducing sugar intake and exercise . Sometimes that’s been swimming, other times it’s been running or dance/aerobic routines.

Right now it’s walking and Pilates . I think I’ve seen the biggest success while walking because running made me very hungry and I was constantly going over my calories. So it was a bit counter productive. I think diet has the biggest impact. My friend who started her weight loss journey at same time as me does slimming world and she’s lost 4 stone and has did no exercise, she lives a sedentary lifestyle working from home most days .

I don’t do weights right now, I will get back into that eventually but I’m focusing on weight loss atm. My body fat is too high but my bone density and muscle mass etc is good so I’m naturally pretty muscular (for a woman) that’s why I’m focusing on burning fat for now.

What matters is the calories you put in your mouth: how many of them and how they will be processed.
The ability of the body to extract calories from food varies. However a calorie is a calorie. What changes is the food they are in. Processing will make them easier for the body to use. The macro they are made of as well. Fats are so easy to access. 100% usable. Carbs a bit less 95%. Proteins require a lot of work so 80%
A calorie on a label is not a calorie accessible to the body. The higher the processing, the easier for the body. An example to help you understand is almonds. Natural ones have a cellular matrix the body needs to break. That requires energy, so in the end, the body will use 70% of the calories. Almond flour/meal, the breaking down is done in a factory, you are going to use 100% of the calories. Yet , on the package of both, the calories listed are the same.

Insta, Youtube, Facebook is not a good source of knowledge.
As others have said, there is not a one diet for all. The key is which diet you can stick to. It can be low carb, low fat, IF, ... it all comes down to having less calories in that you normally have. When you go low carb or low fat, you are often obliged to cook from scratch and cut off snacks, take aways, and this is also a huge contributing factor.
A good rule is to eat real food, a lot of vegetables, sugar is always bad in any form, including honey, agave, rice syrup ..., fruit is ok, just not too much , add beans, cut ultra processed food and that includes deli meats (bacon, ham, sausages) ,
And very important. Don't use your current weight in the energy calculator. Use goal weight. Your excess body fat is not metabolically active.

This is very useful, thank you

Thanks for all your replies. I think I need to try to reset my algorithm online so I'm not constantly fed all this stuff...

If you stop searching the internet for weight loss advice, you'll stop being bombarded on your socials.
Different things work for different people. It depends on a lot of factors. Find what works for you and your lifestyle.