Weight maintenance is so much harder than it used to be!

win231 said:
I lived with the same problem, but much worse. I was already overweight at birth, a chubby kid, an obese teen, & by age 28, 405 lbs. (5'11"). After several useless doctor visits, I realized I was looking for help in the wrong place; most doctors know nothing about nutrition. After some research, I learned that it wasn't the amount of food that mattered, it was the type of food. Now, at 170 lbs, I eat more food than I did before; just not the same foods. 70% of what I eat is unprocessed food - lots of fruit & vegetables, nuts.

The problem with weight comes from processed carbohydrates - anything made with flour, sugar or other processed grain - bread, pasta, chips, and the obvious - cookies, etc. I have a sweet tooth & I still eat those, but limited to maybe once a week & in very small portions.

By the way, nuts DO NOT make you gain weight; I snack on them frequently. The fat in nuts does not cause weight gain, regardless of what you've been told by so-called experts. My doctors told me the same thing. It's not as simple as "Eating fat makes you fat." Eating processed foods causes your blood sugar to spike. Your body responds by secreting lots of insulin. Insulin is a fat-storage hormone. That's where weight gain comes from. My weight problem came from snacking on bread, chips, Oreos & Pepsi. Now, I snack on fruit, nuts, etc. & I can't gain weight if I tried.
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Wow Dude! That's quite an inspirational story, going from 405 to 170! I'd love to hear more about that experience.

After I read that I decided to try to get rid of some of my belly fat. I've been on 2,000 calories a day for 8 days now and I'm down 5 lbs. from 215 to 210. But realistically I figure at least 1/2 of that was water weight. So from now on the honeymoon is over and I expect the weight loss rate to slow considerably. And then there's the way a body goes into survival mode when it starts to get less food and your metabolism becomes more efficient in order to get by on less calories. Yeah, I'm familiar with the drill.

Back in the day, my late teens early 20's I felt pretty good at 6 feet and 190 lbs. But now, at almost 72, I've shrunk and inch to 5-11 and I'm sure I don't have the same muscle mass either. So I figure 180 would be an ideal weight for me. But dayum, that's 30 more lbs and that's just too daunting a goal for me to consider right now. So at the moment I'm just looking to get down to an even 200.
 

The myth of "starvation mode" has pretty much been debunked. From the Washington Post...

Metabolism will slow when you’re cutting calories. This is your body’s natural response to a significant change in your diet and your routine, but this doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, this slowing of your metabolic rate doesn’t even happen within the first six to eight months of extreme dieting, which is when most people find that they hit their first plateau and look toward starvation mode as a reason. It takes years and years of severe calorie restriction for your metabolism to completely offset a reduction in calories.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/starvation-mode-why-it-might-be-a-myth.html/
 
I am 5' 4" and weigh 152 lbs. The most I've ever weighed in my life except in my pregnancy. I absolutely HATE it. I attribute my weight to two things - still working at a damn desk job and menopause slowing down my metabolism. I joined the Real Appeal program through work. It is a free program through my medical insurance and they really hit the ball hard. They have a website that you track your food, exercise, goal weight, water, etc. They have half hour on-line sessions once a week that you check into and have a "coach" guide you through it. They give you scads of recipes and dvds with exercises. I started to lose weight on this program, but jeez, you are constantly immersed in tracking something. I just got to the point where I just said "enough".

One thing I think makes a big difference in my weight is if I drink alcohol. Even just a couple. I am going to cut out drinking entirely and see if that makes a difference. Also, I am going to try drinking plant-based protein shakes for lunch. Eat a nice, big healthy breakfast, a shake for lunch and a healthy reasonable dinner. I also want to start biking now that it is getting nice out. I have to increase my exercise. I bought an elliptical that I keep forgetting is downstairs. I have to start working on it, also.

We'll see how it goes. I've got to get this weight off.
 
I lost some weight when I went on a lower carb way of eating for a number of mos. I haven't gained the weight back but want to lose more. It's very hard for me to exercise because I have muscular problems due to a health condition. I have to really ease into exercising or get very bad pain. So, I have a freezer full of ice packs to put on my muscles and have been to physical therapy to learn some exercises that are supposed to help. When it's hard to exercise it's hard to lose weight or all the weight I want to. And it is so much harder to lose weight at this age, too, I have found.
 
As expected my weight loss on this 2,000 calorie a day diet has slowed way down. I dropped 5 lbs. in the first 6 days. Now, after 12 days, I'm still down by just 5 lbs.
 
Trade said:
As expected my weight loss on this 2,000 calorie a day diet has slowed way down. I dropped 5 lbs. in the first 6 days. Now, after 12 days, I'm still down by just 5 lbs.
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Now it's been 16 days and I'm still stuck at 210 lbs. It's like the scale has a groove worn in it at 210. All I can figure is that those first 5 lbs in 6 days were't real, but mostly water weight and that now, 10 days later, they are real. After all 5 lbs in 16 days is not a bad rate of weight loss.

At least that's what I am going to keep telling myself.

 
I agree that getting the weight off and keeping it off is much harder than it use to be many years ago. I think one major factor for me anyway is my inability to be as active as I once was. For one just 12 years ago I retired as a Elementary School Teacher which for that career period which was many decades of my life I was on my feet moving around so I could eat and burn the calories much easier. Now with the way my hip is and knee it is much harder to do that.So I find myself in my later years eating much healthier which is a good thing and doing what I am able to exercise which is taking short walks and swimming when I can to at least maintain my weight.
 
Three weeks in and I'm only down 6 lbs. 5 in the first week, none in the second, and one in the third. This on 2,000 calories a day. OK, I cheated a little. Two days I went up to 2500. And one other I went 2300. I was hungry dammitt! Anyway, I'm tired of counting calories. And what I am even more tired of is being hungry. So I'm gonna try something different. Low carb. Starting today, I can eat as much as I want as long as it's low carb. We'll see how that works. Breakfast today was sausage and cheese. 1,000 calories, only 6 grams of carbs.

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Diet, alone, can only go so far when one tries to lose weight....Exercise Must also be part of the equation. If you don't burn the calories you consume, you will likely never lose any weight. A sedentary lifestyle almost guarantees that the belly and behind will continue to "expand".
 
Get sick and lose your appetite. That worked for me. Actually, though, that really precipitated my weight loss that was genetic in my dad and in her mother. Somehow when I was sick and lost pounds, it started this thing where I lost my appetite and started to get skinny like my dad and grandmother. The rest of the family got and stayed fat. Genetics can play a big role in this. I am needing to eat more now although I really don't want to. Just like my dad an his mother.
 
I cut my portions, and cut my beer, and almost no snacks last May....I'm down 39 pounds.

Am aiming for another 20? but the weight loss has slowed now ?...if I achieve that ? I'll shoot for another 20....we'll see.

I have always been on the large side...in my prime [as they say] I was 6'1 215-220. But when i quit smoking, I piled on the weight, going all the way to 287. Now down to 248 I would really like to get down to an even 200.

With aging [70 in June] , arthritis, and disc degeneration, I just do not want to carry this kind of weight. And.....I don't think I am as tall as i was either.....probably down around 6' even? But we can't set the goal out of reasonable reach either. One reason , [as Don mentioned] exercise, but exercise is now so damn much harder, some days almost impossible to do.
 
Don M. said:
Diet, alone, can only go so far when one tries to lose weight....Exercise Must also be part of the equation. If you don't burn the calories you consume, you will likely never lose any weight. A sedentary lifestyle almost guarantees that the belly and behind will continue to "expand".
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I do exercise. This morning I walked 2 miles with a 20 lbs. weight vest. I do that almost every day. I also lift weights three days a week. This morning was a dead lift day. However after that I usually practice my favorite occupation of couch potatoing for the remainder of the day. I feel like I've earned that.

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Trade said:
Now it's been 16 days and I'm still stuck at 210 lbs. It's like the scale has a groove worn in it at 210. All I can figure is that those first 5 lbs in 6 days were't real, but mostly water weight and that now, 10 days later, they are real. After all 5 lbs in 16 days is not a bad rate of weight loss.

At least that's what I am going to keep telling myself.
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Trade said:
Three weeks in and I'm only down 6 lbs. 5 in the first week, none in the second, and one in the third. This on 2,000 calories a day. OK, I cheated a little. Two days I went up to 2500. And one other I went 2300. I was hungry dammitt! Anyway, I'm tired of counting calories. And what I am even more tired of is being hungry. So I'm gonna try something different. Low carb. Starting today, I can eat as much as I want as long as it's low carb. We'll see how that works. Breakfast today was sausage and cheese. 1,000 calories, only 6 grams of carbs.
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2000 cals a day is too much if you're over 50, of average build and looking to lose weight. Both of us weigh the same right now at 210. As you know as we get older our metabolisms begin to really suck wind, unless your workouts are so vigorous that you're burning 500cals or more each one then you should be closer to 1500cals a day or under. I try to stick to 1200cals per day with a 1500cal max and that's with an exercise program. I have one "cheat day" on Saturday, where I eat what I want within reason. When I keep to this schedule I can lose 1-2 lbs per week. I gained about 20lbs last year because of my foot/leg operation and not being able to walk. I've lost 10 of those 20lbs with 10 more to go.

1000 cals for breakfast??? Yikes!
 
JimW said:
2000 cals a day is too much if you're over 50, of average build and looking to lose weight. Both of us weigh the same right now at 210. As you know as we get older our metabolisms begin to really suck wind, unless your workouts are so vigorous that you're burning 500cals or more each one then you should be closer to 1500cals a day or under. I try to stick to 1200cals per day with a 1500cal max and that's with an exercise program. I have one "cheat day" on Saturday, where I eat what I want within reason. When I keep to this schedule I can lose 1-2 lbs per week. I gained about 20lbs last year because of my foot/leg operation and not being able to walk. I've lost 10 of those 20lbs with 10 more to go.

1000 cals for breakfast??? Yikes!
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That's three of us stuck at 210

I don't count anything

Just eat less

Now that it's spring, I'll eat half meals

I should break 200 this summer

Winter....another story
That's when eating hot savory things become part of my regimen
 
Gary O' said:
That's three of us stuck at 210

I don't count anything

Just eat less

Now that it's spring, I'll eat half meals

I should break 200 this summer

Winter....another story
That's when eating hot savory things become part of my regimen
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If I had the temptations of Mrs G's homemade bread and fixins, I'd weigh 310, no doubt!

My problem this year with the diet is every time I get in a groove, something happens and I end up going off it. We've had to travel twice this year, once planned and once unexpectedly, both times we ended up eating road food for a week which is the worst thing anyone can eat. I gained about 5lbs on each of those trips and had to lose it when I got home.
 
JimW said:
If I had the temptations of Mrs G's homemade bread and fixins, I'd weigh 310, no doubt!
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I worked hard on gettin' there back in town
265
Wasn't that hard to get off when out here
But, geeeez, even bending down to get a tool was quite the effort
 
JimW said:
2000 cals a day is too much if you're over 50, of average build and looking to lose weight. Both of us weigh the same right now at 210. As you know as we get older our metabolisms begin to really suck wind, unless your workouts are so vigorous that you're burning 500cals or more each one then you should be closer to 1500cals a day or under. I try to stick to 1200cals per day with a 1500cal max and that's with an exercise program. I have one "cheat day" on Saturday, where I eat what I want within reason. When I keep to this schedule I can lose 1-2 lbs per week. I gained about 20lbs last year because of my foot/leg operation and not being able to walk. I've lost 10 of those 20lbs with 10 more to go.

1000 cals for breakfast??? Yikes!
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1200-1500 calories a day! Those are Death March of Bataan rations!

No way I'm going to try that!


I had 1,000 calories for breakfast again this morning. With 39 net carbs.

Then 550 for lunch with zero carbs. Then I weighed in at 210 lbs. in gym shorts, T-shirt, and socks.

I'm 5-11 in socks. That's down from 6 feet even in my younger days.

I will turn 72 in 2 days.
 
Trade said:
1200-1500 calories a day! Those are Death March of Bataan rations!

No way I'm going to try that!


I had 1,000 calories for breakfast again this morning. With 39 net carbs.

Then 550 for lunch with zero carbs. Then I weighed in at 210 lbs. in gym shorts, T-shirt, and socks.

I'm 5-11 in socks. That's down from 6 feet even in my younger days.

I will turn 72 in 2 days.
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If I was going to dump 1000cals into a breakfast, it would be a large stack of blueberry pancakes smothered in butter & syrup or eggs benedict with homefries! For breakfast I usually eat two eggs scrambled or in an omellette with onion, mushrooms and cheese for about 300cals. Lunch is usually another 300cals and then supper I clock in around 600cals. Rarely do I have any snacks when I'm trying to lose weight, if I do it's never more than 100-150cals, usually nuts or a grapefruit.

I'm 5' 10" in socks, well over 6 feet in heels. :playful:

Anyway we're pretty much the same height and build based on the info here and I know I can't lose weight if I go over 1500cals consistently. Your metabolism must run a little higher than mine does, which is great for you. If I went over 2000cals regularly, I'd pack it on quickly.
 
JimW said:
If I was going to dump 1000cals into a breakfast, it would be a large stack of blueberry pancakes smothered in butter & syrup or eggs benedict with homefries!
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That would be about a million carbs. When I eat a high carb meal I get hungry again in no time at all. If I eat a high fat, low carb meal I don't get hungry again for a much longer time.
 
Trade said:
That would be about a million carbs. When I eat a high carb meal I get hungry again in no time at all. If I eat a high fat, low carb meal I don't get hungry again for a much longer time.
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I agree about the pancakes being high carbs, but 1000cals for one meal is a lot of anything unless you're doing something to burn half of it off. If I were to blow 1000cals on breakfast I'd go all in and blow it on something that's junky. On our Sat cheat day we usually go out to eat and I always indulge in a piece of chocolate cake or a canoli to satisfy my sweet tooth. Eating high carbs has the same affect on me as it does with you, I get hungry much sooner and I end up craving more carbs. I don't completely avoid carbs but I do try to keep them at a minimum. I do better with a higher protein diet.
 

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