Need to lose 15lbs and reduce waist size

[Anonymous]

Title says it all.

I’m 5’4” and 154lbs. This is the most I’ve weighed ever, and even in pregnancy I only weighed max 163lbs.

I’d like to get down to below 140lbs. I know menopause isn’t helping but until recently I’ve always been below 140lbs.

I’m 51. I’m on hrt and lexapro and those aren’t changing. I also lift weights w a class 3 times a week and walk about 7500 steps a day on average.

I hate my measurements. I’m 39-36-41. Yes that waist measurement is right.

I’ve tried tracking my food but I never get past about the 3rd week. I generally think I need to eat like 1700 calories total and follow a macros (higher protein and fiber, low carbs diet) but not sure what else.

What am I missing?

[Anonymous]

I'm basically you. For me the issue is consistency: I need to consistently, seriously eat 1200 cal a day, and have some level of activity most days. I can do that some days, but cannot seem to do it enough to do more than lose a few/gain a few. I tried semaglutide and had good results but bad side effects and regained when I stopped. I am going to really give it my best, and if I can't, considering tirzepatide instead as I've heard some do better on it.

[Anonymous]

I basically could have posted this (except I don't lift weights). 5'4", 52 and now at 151 pounds. Most of my adult life I weighed between 112 and 129, and it was only in my late 40s that I suddenly started packing on the pounds, even though I'm eating more healthily and walking more than I did in my 30s and early 40s.

Last year I started calorie counting and was able to lose about 10-12 pounds in about 3 months by keeping to an average of about 1300 calories a day. But I found that really hard if you travel at all -- I got off track with summer vacation and then some work travel in the fall, which then led into the holidays and I gained back all of the weight over 6 months. I'm going to try again for the new year, and see what I can lose before spring break, but it's not great. I don't feel like increasing exercise helps -- it's basically all just calories and keeping to a depressingly low level of calories.

FWIW, I used LoseIt to track calories and found it to be pretty easy. you can enter in recipes that you use a lot, and it will sort of remember what you usually eat, and will list those choices first so you can just tap them. Like it knows that when I eat Icelandic Vanilla Skyr yogurt, I usually have it with a quarter cup of granola and a cup of fruit, so it suggests those if I pick the yogurt. One thing I'd note is that because it allows people to enter in foods into the database, sometimes the carb/proteins are WAY off because people enter just the calories, so if you see something that seems to be wrong (e.g. a milk-based dish with no protein), you might need to correct the entry if you care about tracking protein or carbs. The calories generally seem right.

I'm also going to try to lft weights while I watch TV at night, but I'm not optimistic that will really make any difference.

[Anonymous]

I was able to drop from 155-160 to 115 at age 48. I didn't count calories or track anything, but probably averaged at least 1600 or so. I cut out added sugar (but not carbs). I focused on fat burning exercise (for me a brisk 5 mile walk at a 8-10% incline on the treadmill worked). It took about 8 months to lose and I've kept it off for several years, maintaining 120 pounds.

I will say that I had to eat a LOT to get up to such a high weight, like probably 3000+ calories a day of mostly junk over the years. I was not a victim of slowing metabolism, perimenopause, etc. That's probably why it's easy for me to maintain without being restrictive, even in my 50s.

[Anonymous]

I'm the same height and age, hitting 146 this year. I am trying to get to 130 and have made it to 136 so far. Here are a few ideas:

Like PP I used LoseIt but focus on getting enough protein at each meal. I'm mostly vegetarian, so that means adding beans/cottage cheese/tofu/etc at each meal. I thought protein was a fad but it really does fill me up, so I'm less likely to overeat through mindless snacking. Finding high protein meals I really like and eating them on repeat has helped me stay consistent. If you can meal prep breakfast or lunch, that's another way to set your calories and stick to it.

Check your water intake - I used to eat 300+ calories of snacks while cooking dinner just because I was thirsty. Now I fill 3 big water bottles in the morning and make sure to finish one before lunch, one before dinner, one after.

Like PPs, I aim to get 10-12,000 steps a day and include a brisk walk and/or incline. I upped my Apple Watch to target 55 min of exercise a day. I also do 20 min of strength/pilates/yoga 5 days a week and have been really pleased how much stronger and more flexible I feel.

It's so hard to do all of this every day but my mother and MIL gained a lot at 50+ and now face a variety of health problems. Hoping to avoid similar outcomes but the struggle is real.

[Anonymous]

Same age and same height. I haven’t weighed myself in a while but I would say I am probably 138, especially doing the holidays maybe 140. I don’t count calories but I try to eat a lot of protein, and I don’t eat sugar/desserts. I like my wine though, and will work on cutting it out in 2025. I do a version of CrossFit with high intensity workouts and lifting at least 3 times/week, and I have been running 30 mins twice over the weekends. I am on the muscular side.

[Anonymous]

It all comes down to consistency. It’s better to start slow and stay consistent than aim for rigorous perfection.

[Anonymous]

I have found intermittent fasting a helpful tool to layer in.

[Anonymous]

Losing weight and getting a smaller waist are not quite the same goal. You may lose the 15 lbs but your waist may not get much smaller, proportionally. Blame menopause. The hormone change causes your body to store more fat in your midsection.

Keep up weight lifting, add some cardio that is higher intensity than walking. Drop calories down to 1400.

[Anonymous]

For me the biggest help was a lot of exercise - cardio every day and weight lifting 5 times a week. I do 45 minutes- an hour or more every day (usually split up and not all at the same time). I find it’s easy to do 10 minutes of weights here, 20 minutes cardio, 10 more minutes of weights later, etc. I also just try to eat less during the day and make my main meal dinner. I don’t eat out much, etc.

[Anonymous]

Basically, it's a marathon and not a sprint. You have to make sustainable changes.

[Anonymous]

Drink 1-2 protein shakes a day.

[Anonymous]

Ironically I cut down my workouts when I’m watching calories. Because my vigorous workouts increase my hunger. Easier to watch cals when I’m not ravenous from exercise.

But others swear by intense exercise.

Bottom line is that it’s a balance and you have to know what your strengths and weaknesses are and go from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the same height and age, hitting 146 this year. I am trying to get to 130 and have made it to 136 so far. Here are a few ideas:

Like PP I used LoseIt but focus on getting enough protein at each meal. I'm mostly vegetarian, so that means adding beans/cottage cheese/tofu/etc at each meal. I thought protein was a fad but it really does fill me up, so I'm less likely to overeat through mindless snacking. Finding high protein meals I really like and eating them on repeat has helped me stay consistent. If you can meal prep breakfast or lunch, that's another way to set your calories and stick to it.

Check your water intake - I used to eat 300+ calories of snacks while cooking dinner just because I was thirsty. Now I fill 3 big water bottles in the morning and make sure to finish one before lunch, one before dinner, one after.

Like PPs, I aim to get 10-12,000 steps a day and include a brisk walk and/or incline. I upped my Apple Watch to target 55 min of exercise a day. I also do 20 min of strength/pilates/yoga 5 days a week and have been really pleased how much stronger and more flexible I feel.

It's so hard to do all of this every day but my mother and MIL gained a lot at 50+ and now face a variety of health problems. Hoping to avoid similar outcomes but the struggle is real.

How do you get 10-12K steps in every day? Is 8 -10K of that your daily brisk walk?
I'm looking for ideas to increase daily steps without having to take a 5 mile walk every day. Any suggestions? I already take stairs instead of elevator and park farther away from store entrances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
How do you get 10-12K steps in every day? Is 8 -10K of that your daily brisk walk?
I'm looking for ideas to increase daily steps without having to take a 5 mile walk every day. Any suggestions? I already take stairs instead of elevator and park farther away from store entrances.

I get about half from my daily walk but that usually gets me only 5-7,000. The rest I get from looking for ways to walk around more. In addition to stairs and parking further away, I try to walk when I'm on phone calls with family, friends, work - especially good if you have long conference calls. At a kids' activity? Walk around instead of sitting. Consciously try not to save time or trips when you can walk. Going to the car, I take multiple trips instead of loading up everything up for one trip. Forgot something on aisle two of the grocery when I am on aisle 10 - go back mid-shop instead of waiting to walk back for check out. Trash cans out - go move them instead of waiting until I am going out of the house. When it's warm, I try to do an after dinner walk with kids and/or DH - even just 15-20 min. Some of these things take longer than others, but overall I feel like these little bits are what gets me over 10K.