Aging and difficulty losing weight?

[Skintight]

I always played sport since I was 5 years old and I got into weight training and treadmill jogging in my 30's and was happy with my body shape. I 'bulked up' during the weight lifting years and since I turned 50 I don't lift weights so much. However, I have continued the running doing 6k four times a week on the treadmill. Now to the question. Why can't I lose weight even though my diet is good, I drink 4-5 litres of water per day and rarely drink alcohol, and I am exercising?

[bodo10]

Hi Skintight, I am sure the same principle applies as always. Calories in equals calories out plus calories stored. So you may take in more calories and burn less than you think. I have just turned 50 myself and apathies with your situation. I also know that I eat far more than I need.

[gingernut49]

Hi Skintight.

Have you heard of the 5:2 Diet? There was an excellent Horizon programme in August 2012 called "Eat, Fast and Live Longer" (still available on Vimeo) and, from that, the 5:2 Diet was born. (This video shows the principles of it quickly youtu.be/W9Aj6hRYg4A)(Not working as expected?). It really is superb and I lost the three stone I needed to on it in six months. I'm nearly 64 and a UK size 10 for the first time since I was a teenager. Because I felt so brilliant I also started C25K - and I hadn't run since hating it at school. I now run three times a week.

[gingernut49]

Sorry if that video link didn't work. You can find it on thefastdiet.co.uk/the-fast-....

[OlsBean]

Metabolism noticeably slows in middle age, it's a well known fact however the reality of it does not hit home with lots of us until we experience it first hand.

I'm 46 and I also run, currently 12k every weekday morning, on top of that I do 5 x 1 hour weight/strength sessions and 2-5 (Time permitting) x 1 hour long cardio workouts each week. I log all my activity via Fitbit as I use the Fitbit Flex activity band and all my food intake via MyFitnessPal. If I was then to consume the amount of calories both these apps recommend for me I would gain weight each week, which is frustrating. So yes I think it's safe to say that it gets harder to lose weight the older you are, should I be lucky enough to reach pensionable age, I'll probably only need a bowl of porridge a day to keep me going!

The other thing to consider is that unless you are logging everything you eat (you've not said) it's very easy to overeat all be just a 100 calories a day, without realising and just a 100 calorie overeat can lead to a pound a month weight gain for Mr/Mrs Average.

[manish83]

myfitnesspal.com/topics/sho...

answers.yahoo.com/question/...

[Skintight]

Thanks to all who responded so far. I don't eat a lot at all to the extent that I get a headaches sometimes from lack of food. I am a "salty sweater" when I exercise and I lose a lot of sweat when exercising and I wondered if my body was storing water because of that. I also live in Dubai which is very humid at the best of times which doesn't help either.

I admire the amount of exercise you are logging OlsBean but I couldn't find the time to fit all that in!

[OlsBean in reply to Skintight]

I'm lucky enough or unlucky enough depending on how you look at it to be at home at the moment as my wife has the better career, meaning I'm the Stop at Home Parent. I think if I had to hold down full time employment at the moment then I would struggle to find 2 hours a day free to exercise. So I'm making the most of it until it ends.

You should try logging your intake even if you just do it for a month, that way you'll have some quantifiable figures to work with. Logging can be a pain at first but it soon becomes second nature with websites such as MyFitnessPal.com and the app they provide for your phone.

It's so so easy to overlook things during the day, it might be beer or a starbucks someone buys for you, me, I might be doing my Son's packed lunch for School and I'll eat some grapes I've got out to prepare for him. The other thing it exposes is those foods that you may not have realised are calorie rich, I think personally it does not matter how knowledgeable you are, there is always something that surprises, it has with me several times now!

Anyway please consider it and whatever you do all the best with it

[Skintight in reply to OlsBean]

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Skintight]

Sounds like you may not be eating enough calories each day and thus your body is storing up the food that you do eat.

[Penel]

Hi Skintight

50 is not old! Your metabolism may be slowing down, or you may just need to change what you are eating. Cutting your food so much that you get a headache is not going to help. Have a look at an alternative.

authoritynutrition.com/7-wa...

[Hidden]

Hi - I'm 50 and exercise every day. Although I'm on maintenance (I use nutracheck to track calories) I'm still losing which is frustrating as I'm eating over 2,000 calories a day. I've built up my exercise levels over the last 2 years and really enjoy the various classes I do at the gym and running. Its important to shake up your exercise routine every few weeks too. Good luck!

[Skintight in reply to Hidden]

Thanks vonnyliz. I admire your stamina and re-establishing my weight training regime will undoubtedly help.

[Helga2013]

You could have a thyroid problem.Before you get up in the morning,put the old kind of thermometer under your

arm for 10 min. If you are below 98.4 or 6 you do have a problem

[kimlewes]

Whatever you do to lose weight, do not take up the offer of 'nutriberryslim' to provide capsules on free trial. They will ask for your credit card details to cover the shipping cost, of less than a fiver and proceed to rip you off big time. I am fighting them for a refund of just short of £200 after receipt of my 'free' trial.

[Zander2]

Same here although I can’t exercise to the same degree as you because of my disabilities I do 1 hour of exercise each day but my weight refuses to budge. I have lost 5 st in 11months but I still have a lot to lose it’s so frustrating

[lucigret in reply to Zander2]

Zander this is a very old post you have found and I don't think you will get any replies to it. It's great that you are managing to do an hour of exercise a day regardless of your disabilities - well done. Be assured weight loss has a lot more to do with what you eat so all is not lost. You have done so well to loose 5 stone since last September, maybe it is just time for a different approach. I don't know how you have done it so far, but maybe try cutting carbs and adding good fats. Have you checked out your personal Calorie allowance on the BMI calculator as IndigoBlue suggested in her welcome to you.

Wishing you good luck

[Zander2 in reply to lucigret]

Thanks for replying I didn’t know the post was so old. I’ve downloaded the NHS diet because that’s how I started my weight loss journey. I joined weight watchers in November and have lost 3.4 stones with them but now I’m struggling so back to basics and hope for the best

[lucigret in reply to Zander2]

Well done on your loss so far 😊

[christofel]

I am just retired worked as a care assistant in a care home

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to christofel]

This is quite an old post christofel although the information is mostly still relevant you may not get many replies 😕