Advice gratefully accepted please!!

[diberry]

I don't think I've posted on here before and could really use some advice please. I'm female, in my late 50s and finding it desperately hard to lose weight. I lost 35 pounds between April and December last year which averages out at only about 1 pound per week. I eat very carefully, counting calories, low fat etc. I go to the gym 5 days a week and still have about 50 pounds to lose. Why won't it come off quicker? Over Christmas from 19 Dec to today (14 days) I put on 12 pounds because I was eating and drinking more than usual and not exercising. So today I started my diet and exercise regime again. Other people seem to be able to lose weight quickly by simply eating less but I have to work so hard to lose weight and keep it off. I find it really discouraging when I'm trying so hard. Any advice would be very gratefully accepted. Thanks in advance!!

 

[blue_eyes5212]

I am not sure what to tell you. I just wanted to post and say good luck and continue to keep at it. I am 25 years old and weigh 232 lbs and am restarting Weight Watchers and Curves. I have been overweight all my life and am tired of it. So I really think that this will be my year if I just keep at it! I keep trying to remember that I didn't pack on all this weight quickly and it won't come off quickly either. Good luck to you again and I plan to check these boards frequently so maybe we will cross paths again. I am keeping my November trip to Disney in mind to inspire me to stick to my program!

 

[blue_eyes5212]

I am not sure what to tell you. I just wanted to post and say good luck and continue to keep at it. I am 25 years old and weigh 232 lbs and am restarting Weight Watchers and Curves. I have been overweight all my life and am tired of it. So I really think that this will be my year if I just keep at it! I keep trying to remember that I didn't pack on all this weight quickly and it won't come off quickly either. Good luck to you again and I plan to check these boards frequently so maybe we will cross paths again. I am keeping my November trip to Disney in mind to inspire me to stick to my program!

 

[donac]

I know what you are going through. From Feb till the beginning of Dec I only lost 21 lbs. I felt at times that I was being cheated but when I consider that this is the first time in a long time that I have been able to lose weight I consider myself pretty lucky. Keep up the good work and keep at it. It is not easy.

 

[DisneyGirl]

Hi! You are experiencing a "problem" a lot of us have, and that is genetics! No matter what I do, I can't lose weight quickly-- I'm LUCKY if I can lose a lb./wk, and I have to workout a TON, and not eat that much. Others can eat so much more and workout so much less. It's unfortunate that some of us are like this, but I always look at the bright side, and there can be a lot of other things even worse-- this is something I just have to work through.

Just don't give up, and remember that a lb is still a lb! That's one less lb that you had last week!

Now, there are some things you can try to try to kick your metabolism up a bit (if it is something that you are doing, it will work. If it is genetics, they may work initially, but you'll go back to what your body is comfortable with):
1. Incorporate weightlifting into your workouts (if you don't already)-- building muscle will make you burn more calories
2. Do you eat enough? Yes, with working out a lot, sometimes you need to eat more-- your body needs calories to lose weight. It sounds counterintuitive, but it is true. If you are hungry all the time, or feel sluggish, this could be the problem. Try adding some lean protein or high fiber foods into what you are already eating.
3. Some people will tell you to lower your carb intake, and raise your protein intake. I think this works better for people who don't workout a lot, though-- you need carbs to be active (I'm an anti-low-carb advocate )
4. My doctor said that if you workout in the morning, it kicks your metabolism into high gear early, and you burn more calories
5. Eat lots of small meals throughout the day instead of a few big meals. It doesn't let your metabolism slow down.
6. Eat breakfast-- your metabolism is slow in the morning.
7. Change up your workout routine-- if you always do the same thing, try something different, workout longer, or increase the intensity
8. Vary your calorie intake from day to day (have a low calorie day, followed by a high calorie day)-- it keeps your body guessing as to how much it needs to metabolize.

Now, if I can only take my own advice

 

[diberry]

Thank you so much for your replies. Just knowing someone else is experiencing the same things really does help!!
Blue eyes - good luck with your weight loss programme - I'm sure you'll succeed and I do think it's very sensible to take it in small chunks - I started out wanting to lose about 84 pounds but am approaching it in 7 pound chunks as otherwise it's just too overwhelming. We're coming over to WDW again in August so that's motivation for me too to be in better shape!!
Dona - that's such a fantastic attitude. It's so hard when other people can lose weight so much faster - thank you for your encouragement.
DisneyGirl - thank you so much for your very positive attitude and very helpful suggestions - I'll certainly act on them. I used to be able to lose weight but since I got past 40 nothing seems to have worked!!! I'm going to print this out so I can look at it every day!! I'm really glad I found this forum!!