Trying to lose 10-15 pounds

[Anonymous]

I'm a male, 54 years old and weigh ~185 lbs. I'd like to be closer to 170 lbs, but it's been hard. The last time I was close to that was 14 years ago when I ran my last marathon (3 hrs 34 min). Since then, my running has waxed and waned. Recently, I've made an effort to be more consistent. I've been between 400-500 miles per year (8-10 miles/week) for the past 4 years. I run the Army Ten Miler every year (usually ~1 hr 30 min) and two years ago I ran a half marathon (2 hrs). So I can run well and get decent times, but I can't seem to lose any weight.

My diet virtues:

Oatmeal with milk & fruit most mornings (cold cereal with milk the rest of the time
2-4 cups of coffee per day (no sugar)
I snack on fruit (2 bananas, an apple, 2-3 clementines) throughout the work day
Bag lunch (either a ham sandwich or some yogurt with granola) w/pretzels or popcorn
We make our own dinner at home w/meat, vegetable and starch (average to small portions)

My diet vices:

2-3 times a week, I get a bag of M&Ms from the snack machine at work
Sometimes I get potato chips )instead of pretzels/popcorn) with lunch
When I get home from work, I snack on chips (I know, this sucks but I feel hungry)
I have some type of dessert in the evening (bowl of ice cream, cookies, a bowl of cold cereal)
We eat out once a week as a family

So, any advice? I know I need to work on those vices but is there something that really worked for you, if you're in my demographic?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a male, 54 years old and weigh ~185 lbs. I'd like to be closer to 170 lbs, but it's been hard. The last time I was close to that was 14 years ago when I ran my last marathon (3 hrs 34 min). Since then, my running has waxed and waned. Recently, I've made an effort to be more consistent. I've been between 400-500 miles per year (8-10 miles/week) for the past 4 years. I run the Army Ten Miler every year (usually ~1 hr 30 min) and two years ago I ran a half marathon (2 hrs). So I can run well and get decent times, but I can't seem to lose any weight.

My diet virtues:

Oatmeal with milk & fruit most mornings (cold cereal with milk the rest of the time
2-4 cups of coffee per day (no sugar)
I snack on fruit (2 bananas, an apple, 2-3 clementines) throughout the work day
Bag lunch (either a ham sandwich or some yogurt with granola) w/pretzels or popcorn
We make our own dinner at home w/meat, vegetable and starch (average to small portions)

My diet vices:

2-3 times a week, I get a bag of M&Ms from the snack machine at work
Sometimes I get potato chips )instead of pretzels/popcorn) with lunch
When I get home from work, I snack on chips (I know, this sucks but I feel hungry)
I have some type of dessert in the evening (bowl of ice cream, cookies, a bowl of cold cereal)
We eat out once a week as a family

So, any advice? I know I need to work on those vices but is there something that really worked for you, if you're in my demographic?

Thanks.

OMG if I did these things I would weigh 400 pounds.

[Anonymous]

OP - at your age you should have your hormone levels checked. Us gals aren't the only ones who go through "menopause" in our 50's. Male testosterone levels also decrease.

Your diet virtues are not that virtuous - sorry
- No more breakfast cereals.
- Cut out the granola in your yogurt. And if you're going to eat yogurt, it needs to be plain and then you can add in your own fresh fruit or nuts.
-No more pretzels
-You didn't mention water intake. you should be drinking water throughout the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a male, 54 years old and weigh ~185 lbs. I'd like to be closer to 170 lbs, but it's been hard. The last time I was close to that was 14 years ago when I ran my last marathon (3 hrs 34 min). Since then, my running has waxed and waned. Recently, I've made an effort to be more consistent. I've been between 400-500 miles per year (8-10 miles/week) for the past 4 years. I run the Army Ten Miler every year (usually ~1 hr 30 min) and two years ago I ran a half marathon (2 hrs). So I can run well and get decent times, but I can't seem to lose any weight.

My diet virtues:

Oatmeal with milk & fruit most mornings (cold cereal with milk the rest of the time
2-4 cups of coffee per day (no sugar)
I snack on fruit (2 bananas, an apple, 2-3 clementines) throughout the work day
Bag lunch (either a ham sandwich or some yogurt with granola) w/pretzels or popcorn
We make our own dinner at home w/meat, vegetable and starch (average to small portions)

My diet vices:

2-3 times a week, I get a bag of M&Ms from the snack machine at work
Sometimes I get potato chips )instead of pretzels/popcorn) with lunch
When I get home from work, I snack on chips (I know, this sucks but I feel hungry)
I have some type of dessert in the evening (bowl of ice cream, cookies, a bowl of cold cereal)
We eat out once a week as a family

So, any advice? I know I need to work on those vices but is there something that really worked for you, if you're in my demographic?

Thanks.

OMG if I did these things I would weigh 400 pounds.

Your metabolism must be slow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a male, 54 years old and weigh ~185 lbs. I'd like to be closer to 170 lbs, but it's been hard. The last time I was close to that was 14 years ago when I ran my last marathon (3 hrs 34 min). Since then, my running has waxed and waned. Recently, I've made an effort to be more consistent. I've been between 400-500 miles per year (8-10 miles/week) for the past 4 years. I run the Army Ten Miler every year (usually ~1 hr 30 min) and two years ago I ran a half marathon (2 hrs). So I can run well and get decent times, but I can't seem to lose any weight.

My diet virtues:

Oatmeal with milk & fruit most mornings (cold cereal with milk the rest of the time
2-4 cups of coffee per day (no sugar)
I snack on fruit (2 bananas, an apple, 2-3 clementines) throughout the work day
Bag lunch (either a ham sandwich or some yogurt with granola) w/pretzels or popcorn
We make our own dinner at home w/meat, vegetable and starch (average to small portions)

My diet vices:

2-3 times a week, I get a bag of M&Ms from the snack machine at work
Sometimes I get potato chips )instead of pretzels/popcorn) with lunch
When I get home from work, I snack on chips (I know, this sucks but I feel hungry)
I have some type of dessert in the evening (bowl of ice cream, cookies, a bowl of cold cereal)
We eat out once a week as a family

So, any advice? I know I need to work on those vices but is there something that really worked for you, if you're in my demographic?

Thanks.

OMG if I did these things I would weigh 400 pounds.

Huh? Not trying to be snarky, but yeah, just eliminate or decrease these things. This must be something like 500 calories right there.

By the way, why eat chips when you are hungry? There is nothing filling about them. Have protein-filled meals with some good fats and you'll be less likely to reach for these things.

[Anonymous]

You really are NOT eating enough protein early in the day esp if you are eating yogurt for lunch instead of a sandwich. Oatmeal or cereal with fruit, coffee, more fruit at work, yogurt with granola, pretzels, popcorn, and snacks at work is really sugar and carb heavy. Can you add eggs to breakfast to stay fuller longer? Or have some protein with your snacks instead of fruit and vending machine stuff?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - at your age you should have your hormone levels checked. Us gals aren't the only ones who go through "menopause" in our 50's. Male testosterone levels also decrease.

Your diet virtues are not that virtuous - sorry
- No more breakfast cereals.
- Cut out the granola in your yogurt. And if you're going to eat yogurt, it needs to be plain and then you can add in your own fresh fruit or nuts.
-No more pretzels
-You didn't mention water intake. you should be drinking water throughout the day.

I pressed SUBMIT too quickly.

- Start doing intermittent fasting. It works really well for fat-burning
- Center your diet around whole, fresh foods that are higher in fat and lower in carbs. Eat a lot more vegetables, lower sugar fruits. In my opinion, bananas are the devil. They're very starchy and extremely high in sugar. That goes for all tropical fruits. I would stick with citrus.

[Anonymous]

Choose one of your bolded items everyday for a treat rather than all/many of them. If you have chips afterwork..no dessert etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You really are NOT eating enough protein early in the day esp if you are eating yogurt for lunch instead of a sandwich. Oatmeal or cereal with fruit, coffee, more fruit at work, yogurt with granola, pretzels, popcorn, and snacks at work is really sugar and carb heavy. Can you add eggs to breakfast to stay fuller longer? Or have some protein with your snacks instead of fruit and vending machine stuff?

You also should be eating more healthy fats. Can you swap some of your fruit or snacks for nuts? Have a sandwich or salad with avocado and meat for lunch?

[Anonymous]

Like a lot of runners or former runners, you probably grew up and spent your 20s and 30s eating a lot of carbs (and not enough healthy fat or protein) and were able to maintain your weight when younger through youth and exercise.

You're going to have to be more careful about the balance of what you eat now (not just for weight, but also blood sugar, heart health etc.) and add in more heart-healthy fats and lean protein sources.

[Anonymous]

I think you're eating a lot of carbs overall. They make you hungry and snack more. I'm trying to lose weight as well and am having no added sugar, only limited fruit (bananas especially have a lot of sugar - berries are much better), and no flour (no pasta or bread). I do eat whole grains like quinoa, bulgur wheat, barley, brown rice, etc in limited quantities. Breakfast is scrambled eggs with zucchini. Lunch is a salad with chicken or some other protein. Dinner is when I have a small amount of some grain. I even had a small amount of steak (5 oz) and half a baked potato last night, with a bowl of pepper/tomato soup, and still met calorie goals. I use an app to track my calories, protein, fat and carbs. I try to keep my carbs under 100g/day and calories under 1700 (ideally under 1500).

[Anonymous]

OP here,

Thanks for the feedback. I already sort of knew what I needed to work on, but seeing it in writing really helped as a sort of kick in the butt. And yeas, as someone mentioned, I was able to maintain a lower weight when I was younger essentially eating the same way I do now, but age has a way of changing things.

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

I used to eat oatmeal as my breakfast too, until a personal trainer pointed out that oatmeal is carbs, and having that for breakfast would make me hungrier sooner than I should. Recommended I add more protein. I now start my day with plain cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt.
That, plus exercise, I've lost 8 lbs in 2 months

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Choose one of your bolded items everyday for a treat rather than all/many of them. If you have chips afterwork..no dessert etc.

Agree with this. Make small changes one at a time. Depriving yourself of all your treats at once is unsustainable.

I would ban myself from the snack machine at first and go from there. and I agree, you need more protein. I don't agree that you need to be drastic with cutting carbs, adding protein, you may find yourself eating less carbs naturally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

Thanks for the feedback. I already sort of knew what I needed to work on, but seeing it in writing really helped as a sort of kick in the butt. And yeas, as someone mentioned, I was able to maintain a lower weight when I was younger essentially eating the same way I do now, but age has a way of changing things.

Thanks again.

I'm the pp who posted about lowering carbs overall. I was the same way - in high school I was underweight and wouldn't gain weight no matter how much I ate. It's a huge adjustment for me since I never had to watch my weight in my teens or 20s. I'm now in my 40s and looking to lose 35lbs.

One other thing I didnt' add is that I was basically a diet soda addict until I read more about how diet soda can spike your insulin levels despite being sugar free. This causes your body to release less leptin, which tells your body when you feel full. Thinking back over the last couple years I do think my diet soda consumption contributed to my continuous hunger. I've cut diet soda out completely and so far (a whole week, haha) I've been able to stop snacking between meals completely. I just have black coffee or green tea if I feel the need for something between meals.