Perfectly Pinned, I agree with Infogoddess about the calories. I was eating about 1200 calories for a while and weight loss was slow. Upped the calories to about 1350 and I've been losing steadily for over a year averaging about a pound a week. It takes diligence and patience. I weigh and measure everything I eat but it is so worth it. It takes some experimentation. Hang in there. You can do it!
INFOGODDESS 5/18/07 6:23 A
Perfectly Pinned: If you are eating fewer calories than your plan says, your body may think you are in starvation mode and thus hold onto the fat! In fact, a nutritionist I consulted told me to eat about 200 calories more than my SP recommended level if I want to be healthy, and increase the exercise and water. So you may want to re-think your caloric intake.
Just a suggestion
RZRIGHT 5/17/07 10:43 P
We all have to keep a-chuggin' along!! I have recently begun a hypnosis program - the power of the mind is still there - but the metabolism is S L O W!! Best wishes to all! Annie
KOREENSIMS 5/17/07 10:25 P
Lorri, I think you look great, congrats on the pounds lost, soooooooo much better than ounces, right? Incedently, I'd give anything to be at your old weight even. WTG Koreen
REBCCA 5/9/07 7:56 P
Two Pounds gone is great! hApPy dAnCe!
PERFECTLYPINNED 5/6/07 10:43 P
Wellllll....... Completed weeks. If I can believe the scale (the menopause thing gives water retention a new meaning - and no certainty that any given day isn't a "low" or "high" water on board day.....) I'm down 2 lbs. Better than nothing - or gaining!
I'd injured my left foot about 10 weeks ago - twisted over a 2.5 inch heel, falling, skinned knee like in grade school! - and all the walking, gardening and packing the first week on Spark brought the injury back in a big way. Thought I was healed. I mainly stayed off of it this past week. This weekend, tho, went back to packing (daughter moves for real next weekend!) and getting the garden pretty. Hope I'm not limping again tomorrow.
I'm eating less than my allowed calories, and exercising more, but still this lard sticks like glue. I'd have thought burning what I'm burning, especially on the weekends, would have moved more than 2lbs by now. Alas.......
Lorri
INFOGODDESS 5/2/07 8:29 A
Okay, I'm in the "over 50" -- actually, 60 is now just over the horizon. I did Sparkpeople for most of 2006, but lagged after awhile. Keeping the food journal led to thinking about food all the time, which made me want to eat. Ahh, excuses, excuses. Actually, I just couldn't hold onto the program, and got discouraged. But I'm ready to re-commit. I may not enter everything daily, but will be on several times a week and try to develop a few better habits. After all, it's "one step at a time"
So, are Denny, Fitness57 and other old friends still out there?
10ACBIRDWALKER 5/2/07 1:04 A
I know I can be extremely careful about what I eat and drink my water, but if I don't exercise I don't lose. I have to do at least 30 min a day to make any headway. I am really struggling to get the motivation to exercise, just to much on my mind to concentrate. But I am really close to my goal and I want to hit it so I can change it. I did an hour walk this morning and I will continue to force myself
REBCCA 5/1/07 8:37 A
I do empathize with the challenges of losing weight after 50 and it did take me 11 months to lose the extra 57 pounds I was lugging around. The emotions along the journey ranged from resentment to dismay. I learned perseverance, consistency and affirmations could counter those thoughts. ie. "I am so fortunate that my body only requires small amounts of whole food to thrive" The short walks have grown to an hour almost everyday and now include steep hills and much brisker pace. It does seem to take more effort to maintain a healthy body but it brings a new active lifestyle too. Getting out and doing physical activities is a happy way to enjoy life. I feel it was a huge help to my weightloss to become a vegetarian when I decided to lose weight. My thoughts were for ethical concerns but the more I considered the additives, steroids and hormones added to meat to fatten them, the more I believe/d that those things fattened me too.
MSTREYGAL 5/1/07 7:22 A
Hi all - glad I found this thread. I'm starting over today.I'm at the gym doing both cardio and strength training 5 days a week, sometimes 6, but nothing seems to be moving. So.......gonna try all over again, starting today.
Did hit the gym this morning and am bringing a salad to work for lunch....I think I really need to pay more attention to my food intake......If i can't lose any weight with all my exercising, I shudder to think of where I'd be if I didn't do any exercising....
WHAZZUP4ME 4/29/07 10:25 P
My symptoms have finally quieted down -- well, they did until my last epidural on Apr 2 -- WOW what a miserable time again. Don't miss it! A Friend of mine used to like to write his name on my back -- and it would stay in my flushed skin.
I've lost 15 lbs since Apr 2, and am DETERMINED to keep on heading down the scale. I know I'll plateau, but worry about that pain when it gets here!! Oh, I'll be 51 this year.
SLINKIECAT 4/29/07 10:18 P
Perfectly Pinned, you are right about the difficulty in losing weight after menopause. Sometimes it takes a whole new look at your life, some new source of motivation, and maybe a new activity.
I'm new here, so I hope I'm not speaking out of turn. I too am faced with losing my girlish figure and getting discouraged about being able to turn things around and get the scale going the other direction.
Once the menopause hits us, our metabolism slows down, which means we need a lot less food to stay the same size. Unfortunately, our appetites and habits don't change that easily, and it seems that the more we gain, the less active we become.
I hope to gain some inspiration from the successes of the people in SP, and will read as many of the boards as I can to gather insight, inspiration and hopefully some good advice. Perseverance is important, I know, and just like any other endeavor, the rewards of success are worth the effort.
Good luck, and I hope you don't lose heart before the success starts to happen. You have a lot of life left to enjoy.
RZRIGHT 4/29/07 10:16 P
Hi Boy - Can I sure identify with all of you that are on this forum...I am 52 and "officially" menopausal. The hot flashes come on strong - but I do not take any RX for that -I do, however, take Synthroid for my SLOW thyroid...I joined SP on 4-16-07 and have found this site to be very helpful. There have been times when I thought I was the only one who was going through all of this & weight gain..This site is a powerful motivational tool as well as a place to make on-line friends! Thanks! Annie
PERFECTLYPINNED 4/29/07 9:26 P
Ah... I, too, hit the big 5-0 this year. I've always known I wasn't alone in how this affects us, but having company or seeing it happen elsewhere doesn't make it easier. And I know life isn't fair. But it sure stinks that after we've fought to make good lives for our daughters, sons and husbands, than we get to work 3 times as hard to take off the results of tending to them, and paying less attention to ourselves! At least my other symptoms are not too bad - no flashes, no mood swings, ok sleep.
I've just finished my 1st week here, and I hope to get on the scale tomorrow to see about 2lbs gone - a first in over 3 years. I've really been 'good'! Tracking what I eat seems to somehow have changed my apptite. Can that really be? Whatever. I'd always read that a food diary would help, but I always kept a daily list in my head, and didn't write it down or log it like we do here. What a difference, somehow.
Tdoay I burned over 650 calories walking 3 mi., packing/cleaning my daughter's room to be moved for summer school at a new college, and getting a few of the 'sacrificial plants' in the ground before they join the 3 tomato plants that didn't get watered last week before planting. I hope it puts me over the top! Tomorrow it's back to desk godess and the great stress I'm having at work right now as a program I oversee (and the fantastic team I've assembled) begins to implode. ARGHHH! I'm using the stress to get me out walking as much as I can stand.
Since I've been on Spark I haven't craved the chocolate (much) and have really stayed on target. Lifecycle-wise, I'm nearing the end of the 'peri' and getting close to the 'pause' (sometime this year, I think, given the irregularities now). I hope to lick the gains I've had over the past 4-5 years, and settle into something with lower numbers: weight, size, cholesterol. Keep in touch, and we can commiserate about our hormonal challenges togehter!!
- Lorri
ICANDOIT12 4/28/07 7:02 A
I used to be thin and if I gained a few pounds, I could get rid of them with no effort. Once I started menopause, the weight came on and on. I ignored it and just bought larger clothes telling myself I'd lose the weight. Now I'm over 200 pounds and having a hard time with it. I get so frustrated with myself because I'm not getting rid of this weight. Writing in a journal has helped me see how much of an emotional eater I am. I wish a few pounds how be gone soon. Laura
BEEJAY49 4/28/07 5:25 A
Oh my, to be a little part of this conversation! I just turned 50 this year and I'm going through the peri-menopause. It really bites!!!! Fluctuating numbers on the scales, cravings for things that aren't good for me. Exercising my butt off and it's not coming off. I am however losing the weight with determination, diet, exercise and sheer will power that I never knew I had. We can do this! Hang in there and in time the weight does come off. Sure, it takes a lot more work, strength and courage, but keeping the faith that you can do it sure helps a lot! And it doesn't hurt thinking about kicking the doctor when he says..This could go on for a good 10 to 15 years for you! I dream of doing that! LOL! Hang in there, it just takes time and I know you can get through this!
SAVONA 4/27/07 10:37 P
I wonder why nature decided that once women get to a certain age, everything can go to pot?? I never had an issue with weight until I went through the hell years called peri-menopause and entered the "real deal". I swear I woke up one morning and poof! my waist had vanished! My skin lost it's tone and everything moved south, east and west. I battle for every pound lost these days. Don't take it the wrong way - but I am so glad to hear I am not alone. Most of my girl freinds are just hitting their 40's and don't get it.
PERFECTLYPINNED 4/26/07 10:56 P
I've tried to be sure to have positive self talk, and I never did say it until the last couple of years. I've nearly always been fairly thin, and didn't gain a lot all that easily. Part of my overall frustration is that I eat a healthy diet - reasonable amount of fresh fruits and veges, mainly whole grains, low fat meats, little overall fat - but still can gain at the drop of a hat. Last fall my Mom & I went to China for 2 weeks. The food was mainly veges, with a bit of low fat meats, etc. I ate very little rice, and few sweets and limited fried stuff. We walked miles & miles every day, and dropped into bed truly tired. None the less, I didn't drop a single lb in the whole time....at least I didn't gain. I was quite disappointed by that aspect, but the trip was otherise FAB (let me know if you have any interest in knowing about the tour company, etc.)!!
My point is that it feels as though I nearly have to fast to get the lard off now. It wasn't that way just 5 years ago when a reasonable South Beach-like diet and 45 minutes of walking twice a week took off 17 lbs in 4 mo. I knew I was in trouble 2 years later when I started walking about 3 miles 2-3 times per week when my daughter was training for cross country, and couldn't drop an oz., depite not eating any more. The scale has only moved one direction since.
I'm on day 4 here (woo hoo!!) and have done really well cutting Kcals, and exercising. If I keep up this routine for 2 weeks and don't drop anything, I'll know it's time to throw in the towel, enjoy my oral temptations, and just buy a new wardrobe every year.......... I'm determined for that not to be the case, but there's only so much deprivation a person can stand!! I will say that committing to 'writing it all down' in the tracking tools really does help. So has the extreme stress I'm having at work right now - enough to have killed my otherwise always craving appetite. Next goal: day 5 meeting diet/exercise goals, keep job.
REBCCA 4/26/07 2:04 P
Maybe it is harder because it is said so often that we begin to believe it. It is my belief that the way we think and talk to ourselves has a HUGE impact on our reality. When I needed to lose 50+ pounds I decided that I would do what it took to make that happen. Yes I had to eat less and exercise more, delete desserts in all but small amounts, but it is worth it and was not really that hard. It helped to think of the lifestyle change as a growth opportunity for self-mastery.
Appetite goes way down if you are eating whole grains with lots of fiber...especially if you are not eating sugar.....just a bonus tip
PERFECTLYPINNED 4/24/07 4:27 P
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know it can be done, although uncomfortably - that's why I joined. I tried Meridia last summer and really was a lot less hungry, but it only worked for the first month, and $110 is a lot to pay for it!! I dropped 5 lbs, so I know if I eat enough less, it can happen. VERY hard to do without the assistance with appetite control at this stage of life, but I'm giving it a shot. I've always walked 2-5 miles a week, but am stepping it up now to try to double that or more. I've tried some strength training before, but not seen much come of it, but again am trying to add at least a little to the mix. I'm hoping the accountability I can get from this site will be the difference. Thanks again for encouragement from those that have made it happen!
10ACBIRDWALKER 4/24/07 3:50 P
I refuse to accept the idea that because I am aging I have to accept stay fat. I have lost 30 lbs since joing sparks last October. Yeah it has been a big struggle, but it has been worth it. If you can't find anything wrong medically you may have to cut your calories a bit more, drink more water, exercise more or any combination of them. I will testify that it can be done. It just is alot harder at our age. I went through menopause about 4 years ago. I used to drop weight without alot of effort but now it is alot harder. I can't tell you why but I can tell you it can be done. Just stick with it, be patient and never give up. Diane
PERFECTLYPINNED 4/24/07 11:34 A
I wouldn't be so fearful if I didn't look around at many others at my age (or over) and stage of life, and see what WebMD called the inevitable rounding of the waistline and overall weight gain. The message was clear that this is something we should just expect, and learn to live with. There's got to be a better answer, and it seems that exercising 2 hrs a day may be the only way, along with giving up the things that in 50 or more years we've learned to love to eat, even when they aren't all that unhealthy.
With so much research it has boggled me that there seems to be so little info directed at women in this stage and age to assist specifically and differently than at other life stages. I'm not a total slug, I don't eat fried foods (or much fat at all), I do eat alot of fruit and veges and lean meats, I drink tea, water and diet soda and yet I gain, gain, gain. And my appetite just seems to keep increasing, instead of going down with my metabolic rate. If I could have help with the hungry feeling (even when I've eaten), I might have an easier time, but lately, no luck. water helps, but only a little (and since the hourse between 6-10 PM are the worst for nibbling, I hate drinking too much or I'm up all night in the bathroom). ARGHHHHH!!!
CLWILLIAMS329 4/24/07 10:45 A
Perfectlypinned: Don't give up! There is a lot of support here! I know you've heard it over and over, but no one loses weight the same way. I do think that yoyoing your calories and changing up your exercise routine will help. Don't forget to drink lots of water. Go over the 8 cups daily if you can because it also keeps you from feeling so hungry. I went thru Menopause at an early age, (43). My mother was the same way. I hope you stay motivated! Best wishes! CindyW
PERFECTLYPINNED 4/23/07 3:43 P
In the past few years, losing weight has just become impossible. I've read "The Menopause Diet" (who can have a professional career and eat 5-6 meals/day?), had my thyroid checked endlessly (another test today, with hope that the doc will up the dose as I can tell I'm losing ground here)and just no improvement. Is there hope after menopause (I'm close, but not quite there). I can eat about 1,400 cal/day and walk 45 minutes at a good clip, and still the weight sticks. The things that worked before have stopped, and the scale just keeps inching up and up. So frustrated, I finally joined here 'cause I just can't bring myself to do the weight watchers thing. I'm hoping dialog and journaling will keep the motivation going, but most days, I just want to throw in the towel and enjoy the chocolate!
