Losing 50 pounds in a year

[Anonymous]

I am turning 50 in a year and my goal is to be fit. That means losing 50 pounds and getting in shape.

I have the knowledge about diet and exercise and was very active and fit until my mid thirties so I know what to do. I am not sure though how being 50 with hypothyroidism and perimenopause is going to come into play.

Are there any good easy apps for weight loss?

I have used myfitnesspal but it is too time consuming to enter the food and I never keep it up more than a week or so. I need something that is very quick and easy but where I am reminded every day to check in about my exercise and diet. I really just need an app that asks me to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to my diet / activity level that day. I found having a step counting watch made a world of difference in how many steps I took as I could look at it often and would set daily goals and see my progress.

I have access to a gym and a pool for free in my building. I have time to cook but I tend to make the same 4-5 meals for dinner after work as I am tired and hungry when I get home as I rarely take a lunch. Diet wise my issues are snacking, skipping meals, a lack of protein, treating myself with sugar / sweet tooth, and portion size.

I feel like this should be completely doable. But given this weight has been on so long (my weight has been stable for 12 years) I am somewhat doubtful I can lose it.

[Anonymous]

Maybe just come up with a set of rules for yourself that you can implement over time.

Just examples..I am sure you know what works for you.

I will limit my alcohol to x
I will limit my snacks to fruit and veg
I will have dessert only x times a week.
I will have a no carb lunch x days aweek.

[Anonymous]

DH did this. As a matter of fact his annual physical is tomorrow, and the doc will be pleasantly surprised. In Feb 2023 he had reached the literal tipping point of his weight. He was pre-diabetic, high cholesterol, aches and pains everywhere. That day was the last day he weighed 285lbs - he's 6'4 and 62 yrs. He's a low-tech guy in that he doesn't use apps, doesn't weigh and measure his food. He automated his eating with eating the same 2-3 meals for dinner every night - eating only protein and veggies. Upped his water intake by double. He completely stopped snacking. He isn't a drinker so luckily alcohol isn't something he needed to wean off of. He started using his Peloton, finally after 2 years of it sitting in the corner as a dusty clothes hanger. He is on that bike for 40 mins, 7 days a week except when traveling which isn't often. Today he is 241 lbs. Not quite 50 but pretty darn close! Point is you can do it without getting bogged down with apps etc. Don't complicate things.

[Anonymous]

I doubt you'll be able to do it. Typically as you age you add 10lbs per decade to your "baseline." I wouldn't hesitate to get medication help to do so.

[Anonymous]

OP, based on your description of what feels Ike the right amount of tracking for you, I'd recommend Noom. I've been using it since October (for free with my particular health insurance). You do log meals, but it's faster/easier than MyFitnessPal, IMO. I've lost 20 pounds so far.

[Anonymous]

OP - learn how to cook and eat differently. Seriously. Pay attention to nutritionally dense and not caloricalky dense foods.

[Anonymous]

An app won’t make a difference so don’t sweat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt you'll be able to do it. Typically as you age you add 10lbs per decade to your "baseline." I wouldn't hesitate to get medication help to do so.

You are stupid.

[Anonymous]

I am skeptical as well, only because you mention that tracking/logging your food is too hard. Nutrition is the best way to lose weight and you don’t seem to want to put the effort in.

Besides that, I’ve found protein shakes (protein + frozen fruit + water) a great way to get more protein and satiety in my day. You could do that as soon as you get home to give you a ‘food buffer’ to make a healthier dinner and avoid snacks. You could do it after dinner too, when you start to get snacky, just have the shake instead.

[Anonymous]

I recommend thr free app, Lose It. You enter your starting weight, what your goal weight is, and when you want to reach the goal weight. Then you track calories. It's super easy, lots of foods are in the system (and if you eat processed foods, you can scan the bar code and it enters the food item).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt you'll be able to do it. Typically as you age you add 10lbs per decade to your "baseline." I wouldn't hesitate to get medication help to do so.

You are stupid.

Really lol? OP is menopausal. She's not getting back to her weight before kids at 20 something.

[Anonymous]

2 pounds per week for a year is a lofty goal if you don't want to count calories. I'd probably do a meal service that counts calories for you and then only eat "free" foods outside if that.

[Anonymous]

I set the fitness app on my Apple Watch for 90 minutes of exercise a day.

I was surprised but it helped. A lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 pounds per week for a year is a lofty goal if you don't want to count calories. I'd probably do a meal service that counts calories for you and then only eat "free" foods outside if that.

Isn’t it 1 pound per week for a year?

Anyway, it’s going to be 5-10 pound blocks with adjustments along the way.

Op, you should journal it. Keep track of emotions as well. Break through those with help because your mind may fight you at different stages.

I lost 16, journaling my foods, how I’m feeling, etc. I know I’ve stopped losing, because I’ve stopped tracking and writing this down.

[Anonymous]

LoseIt is a great app.