Weight Loss in your 40s

[IamMs]

My weight just plateau. No matter what I do, it just stay the same. I've done extra walking hours, limit my food intake. Help!

have you tried weightlifting?

Waves . I started a thread about this a couple of weeks ago. Following advice I have now dropped my calories down to 1200 a day and am slowly starting to see the scales move.

I am really trying to do more exercise and vary it. I am not someone who naturally enjoys it. I also find I get so tired in the evenings I am often in bed by 9.30. However most days I’m up by 6 and I am trying to do a class before going to work (at home from you tube)

Exercise isn’t great for weight loss tbh, it’s all about diet.

Work out your tdee and then reduce that daily calorie total by 20% for a weight loss target. Re check this as you lose weight as the calorie target will drop.
Get a My Fitness Pal account and accurately weigh and log every morsel you eat or drink.
Its alarming to see where you actually consume hidden extra calories.

I blamed my hypothyroidism/peri for years but, once I started doing the above, and actually stuck to it, I lost over 4 stone.
I’d clearly been kidding myself! I lost my weight age 45 and post surgical menopause. It’s been life changing. I wished I’d known this years earlier.

At 5ft 9 my daily tdee (calories to stay the weight I am now) is only 1,700.

Dont add exercise to MFP though. These trackers wildly overestimate calories burned and give you extra calories to eat back, meaning your weight loss stalls.

I don't know how accurate my watch is at tracking calories burned but I find even doing the same workout video or same run, the calories can vary. So I focus more on exercising often, including weights and running.

As I've said elsewhere I do intermittent fasting because there's good evidence on supporting the reversal of insulin resistance. Early-ish days though.

Yes I’m using the lose it app to log my calories. I am only 5ft 1 so 1200 calories is where I am at. I did a few weeks at 1500 and stayed the same.

i know that exercise won’t necessarily help me lose weight but I would like to increase my fitness and improve my lifestyle too.

I’m not eating any extra calories for the exercise.

@Lemonthymewhat fasting are you doing?

It’s not only about calories, but macros are important as well, you need to get enough protein. I’m on just over 1200 calories and need at least 80g protein. I’ve lost 18lb since September after a couple of years of nothing seeming to work- that’s without any exercise other than walking.

Once a week 24 hours so have a slightly early dinner one day finishing eating at c. 6pm then don't start eating the next day till 6pm. Only water, black coffee, non fruit black tea or herbal tea.

Also as above I prioritise protein and fibre massively on all meals throughout the week. In the past 6 weeks I've probably eaten refined sugar four times. Not 4 days but only on 4 separate occasions.

I've pretty much cut out all simple carbs apart from fruit and dried fruit (as I need some joy in my life).

I don't count calories for many reasons but I know it works for others. I currently use an app to photograph all food I eat or I can type it in if I forget. You can get really interactive with it (it's free called "eating buddy") but I like it because there's an honesty to seeing what you have eaten over a day, not just volume but fruit, veg etc. And I like the fact you are prompted on how hungry you are before you eat.