Have you given up on loosing weight? Ugh, midlife fat doesn’t go away.

[Anonymous]

Mid-forties, and I'm focusing on getting stronger. I follow the HardCore on the Floor peleton workout calendar on the facebook group, and try to do 20-30 minutes each day. My legs and arms are looking great, and my abs are starting show through. I've lost no weight at all, but look and feel different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could you measure success with how well you can move your body, and how your body is keeping up with whatever your physical desires are - instead of the number on the scale? That's what my husband and I are moving towards - can we keep up with the kids? Can we hike like we want to? Can we pick them up like we want to, or take the bike ride they want to do, or do whatever physical activity they want to do? If so, we are doing OK.

Thank you for this. I don't think most people on this thread can, and it's a way of thinking that is probably antithetical to the way most of us were raised ("job 1 is to look conventionally attractive no matter the cost"), but I'm glad some of us escaped.

Most people on this thread can certainly realize that excess weight is hazardous to one’s health, regardless of how it looks. But thanks for the attempt at mind reading.

[Anonymous]

Try counting macros. Try it for 90 days and see what happens. Then, if nothing happens, feel free to give up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try counting macros. Try it for 90 days and see what happens. Then, if nothing happens, feel free to give up.

Also, add the Hard Core on the Floor program as suggested by a PP. It works. 10,000 steps is not really exercise. That should be the bare minimum you move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that past a certain age, if you don't want to have the common midlife fat, you have to get serious about exercise. Even if we're not eating more, we are naturally losing bone and muscle past a certain age. Even maintaining a stable weight, our bodies look different, not as good as they used to. If you want to fight back against that, you need to do more than walk 10000 steps. Weight training and efficient HIIT make a big difference. Build muscle.

This. I started getting thicker and decided it was time to be more active since dieting alone wasn't working. I run, take HIIT classes, lift weights and have lost the 5 lbs I recently gained and look more toned and muscular. It takes more effort the older you get. I'd rather work out more and harder than give up the things I like to eat and drink, so strict dieting wasn't going to be a solution.

[Anonymous]

I dunno. I’m pretty thin—you can see my ribs and abs but since hitting my late 40s I have this intractable roll of fat over my uterus. It’s like someone took the mother’s apron from my c sections and just inflated it with jelly.
I’m doing HIIT but not super optimistic about it going away. You can’t tell me that it’s not hormonal and related to age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dunno. I’m pretty thin—you can see my ribs and abs but since hitting my late 40s I have this intractable roll of fat over my uterus. It’s like someone took the mother’s apron from my c sections and just inflated it with jelly.
I’m doing HIIT but not super optimistic about it going away. You can’t tell me that it’s not hormonal and related to age.

Nobody is saying it's not age related or hormonal. But that it takes a lot of effort to keep it off. HIIT alone isn't enough for me, I do 30-40 mins of cardio before a class on most days. It's a lot of work, but I don't have the gut or thickness I did 6 months ago. I didn't have to work as hard a decade ago, so clearly it's age related. But I'm not resigned to my fate yet and the extra work pays off. It's not impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I eat moderately, always good food. I do 10,000 steps a day but the older I get, I just gain.

You lose muscle and burn fewer calories at rest as you get older. Let me suggest you're outeating your exercise program. I have wrestled with weight management for decades. I'm basically under control now. It has to start with food. Count calories. When I want to lose I shift to 1400 calories per day, aiming at a soft target of 100 grams of protein per day so I burn fat instead of muscle. Exercise is about 8,000 steps. At that calorie input I lose 1-2 pounds per week. When I hit my target I'll let up not counting calories and eating more fun foods, and when my weight creeps up I go back to 1400 calories. The 1400 can be adjusted up or down as needed. Don't do anything unhealthy to lose weight and let your doctor know what you're doing.

[Anonymous]

Yep given up focusing on my weight, OP. I eat healthy and exercise every day. Is your blood pressure ok? Are you generally healthy? If so, just maintain healthy habits, buy flattering clothes and live your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Midlife fat isn’t magical. I’ve heard that excuse from so many of my clients. It’s fat. It will go away if you change the way you eat and the way you move. I’m 55. I’m the same weight I was at 16. The only time I gained was during pregnancy. I have had to change the way I eat as I’ve aged. People who stay fit and healthy through middle age and beyond are typically health conscious and not fooled by ridiculous fad dieting.

How do you eat now in comparison to when you were younger?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dunno. I’m pretty thin—you can see my ribs and abs but since hitting my late 40s I have this intractable roll of fat over my uterus. It’s like someone took the mother’s apron from my c sections and just inflated it with jelly.
I’m doing HIIT but not super optimistic about it going away. You can’t tell me that it’s not hormonal and related to age.

I’ve read that it’s easier to get rid of the fat once you’ve been through menopause. During peri the body is adjusting to lower estrogen levels and so holds on to belly fat. Not sure if this is true, but I put on about 8 lbs when I was 48, and now I’m 53 and back to 132.

[Anonymous]

Try Noom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno. I’m pretty thin—you can see my ribs and abs but since hitting my late 40s I have this intractable roll of fat over my uterus. It’s like someone took the mother’s apron from my c sections and just inflated it with jelly.
I’m doing HIIT but not super optimistic about it going away. You can’t tell me that it’s not hormonal and related to age.

I’ve read that it’s easier to get rid of the fat once you’ve been through menopause. During peri the body is adjusting to lower estrogen levels and so holds on to belly fat. Not sure if this is true, but I put on about 8 lbs when I was 48, and now I’m 53 and back to 132.

Yes. I’m 61, and have lost almost 100 pounds in the last 5 years - some muscle loss, but also some brutally honest, militant eating.

[Anonymous]

I lose, just much more slowly. I used to drop ten pounds in a month or less. Now it takes me a couple of months to lose five pounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno. I’m pretty thin—you can see my ribs and abs but since hitting my late 40s I have this intractable roll of fat over my uterus. It’s like someone took the mother’s apron from my c sections and just inflated it with jelly.
I’m doing HIIT but not super optimistic about it going away. You can’t tell me that it’s not hormonal and related to age.

I’ve read that it’s easier to get rid of the fat once you’ve been through menopause. During peri the body is adjusting to lower estrogen levels and so holds on to belly fat. Not sure if this is true, but I put on about 8 lbs when I was 48, and now I’m 53 and back to 132.

Yes. I’m 61, and have lost almost 100 pounds in the last 5 years - some muscle loss, but also some brutally honest, militant eating.

How many calories a day?