Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, I'm a fan of this forum. Most folks are kind and helpful to those of seeking to make changes with our diet and exercise. I've been lurking for a bit, but now could use some guidance.

I'm in my early 60s and my weight has shot up to the low 140s over the last 3-5 years. I'm 5' 4" and am clearly carrying the weight around my middle (my thighs have always been chunky.

Two months ago, I started working with a trainer 3x/week on strength and flexibility. Some weeks it is 4/x. On the off days as well as some of the on days I put in 8-10K steps, probably hitting 12-15K steps 10-12 days/month.

My new diet: I'm consuming a zero sugar yogurt drink most mornings - usually late. Maybe some berries/nuts for lunch, sometimes avocado and a smoked fish on a Wasa slice. I don't eat lunch every day. Popcorn (no butter) for a snack, then protein for dinner - usually chicken or fish, rice or roasted potatoes, and a large green salad. Dessert might be some pieces of dark chocolate, sometimes chocolate Cheerios and milk. I've cut out all week day drinking, now maybe 1-2 drinks total over weekend.

And my weight has not budged a pound, even after dropping weekday alcohol.

We are empty nesters and DH gets home late for dinner - sometimes we eat as early as 7, sometimes not till 8. We go to bed 10ish and sleep till 6-7ish. Sleep is pretty good for this age.

Should I eat earlier than him, maybe just join for salad? I cannot stay up much later to increase the window.

I'm trying to consume ~1300 calories/day to lose, not maintain.

I've only done this one other time in my life and I was able to lose fairly easily then maintain, but the triple whammy of COVID, an injury, and menopause seems to be an insurmountable barrier in shedding what I've gained.

TIA.

You are making a common mistake, by creating "menus" rather than learning proper nutrition and focusing on consuming quality macro-nutrients instead.

Thx for this insight. Do you have suggestions on where to learn more about quality macro-nutrients?

Bodybuilding sources. They are always at the forefront of nutrition, usually several decades ahead of the medical complex industry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, I'm a fan of this forum. Most folks are kind and helpful to those of seeking to make changes with our diet and exercise. I've been lurking for a bit, but now could use some guidance.

I'm in my early 60s and my weight has shot up to the low 140s over the last 3-5 years. I'm 5' 4" and am clearly carrying the weight around my middle (my thighs have always been chunky.

Two months ago, I started working with a trainer 3x/week on strength and flexibility. Some weeks it is 4/x. On the off days as well as some of the on days I put in 8-10K steps, probably hitting 12-15K steps 10-12 days/month.

My new diet: I'm consuming a zero sugar yogurt drink most mornings - usually late. Maybe some berries/nuts for lunch, sometimes avocado and a smoked fish on a Wasa slice. I don't eat lunch every day. Popcorn (no butter) for a snack, then protein for dinner - usually chicken or fish, rice or roasted potatoes, and a large green salad. Dessert might be some pieces of dark chocolate, sometimes chocolate Cheerios and milk. I've cut out all week day drinking, now maybe 1-2 drinks total over weekend.

And my weight has not budged a pound, even after dropping weekday alcohol.

We are empty nesters and DH gets home late for dinner - sometimes we eat as early as 7, sometimes not till 8. We go to bed 10ish and sleep till 6-7ish. Sleep is pretty good for this age.

Should I eat earlier than him, maybe just join for salad? I cannot stay up much later to increase the window.

I'm trying to consume ~1300 calories/day to lose, not maintain.

I've only done this one other time in my life and I was able to lose fairly easily then maintain, but the triple whammy of COVID, an injury, and menopause seems to be an insurmountable barrier in shedding what I've gained.

TIA.

You are making a common mistake, by creating "menus" rather than learning proper nutrition and focusing on consuming quality macro-nutrients instead.

Thx for this insight. Do you have suggestions on where to learn more about quality macro-nutrients?

Anonymous wrote:Skip the yogurt drink. Eat some eggs, make a big veggie omelet if you want. Use a little cheese. Skip the nuts and bread. Eat fish or other protein and cooked veggies. If you’re lazy make a huge pot of soup and eat that for lunch all week. If you want a snack choose an apple or ripe banana and a piece of cheese or hard boiled egg. Skip the potatoes and rice for dinner. Double your protein. Eat your veggies cooked instead of a salad. Berries again or other fruit for dessert.

TY for feedback. Why cooked veggies?

Anonymous wrote:First, I'm a fan of this forum. Most folks are kind and helpful to those of seeking to make changes with our diet and exercise. I've been lurking for a bit, but now could use some guidance.

I'm in my early 60s and my weight has shot up to the low 140s over the last 3-5 years. I'm 5' 4" and am clearly carrying the weight around my middle (my thighs have always been chunky.

Two months ago, I started working with a trainer 3x/week on strength and flexibility. Some weeks it is 4/x. On the off days as well as some of the on days I put in 8-10K steps, probably hitting 12-15K steps 10-12 days/month.

My new diet: I'm consuming a zero sugar yogurt drink most mornings - usually late. Maybe some berries/nuts for lunch, sometimes avocado and a smoked fish on a Wasa slice. I don't eat lunch every day. Popcorn (no butter) for a snack, then protein for dinner - usually chicken or fish, rice or roasted potatoes, and a large green salad. Dessert might be some pieces of dark chocolate, sometimes chocolate Cheerios and milk. I've cut out all week day drinking, now maybe 1-2 drinks total over weekend.

And my weight has not budged a pound, even after dropping weekday alcohol.

We are empty nesters and DH gets home late for dinner - sometimes we eat as early as 7, sometimes not till 8. We go to bed 10ish and sleep till 6-7ish. Sleep is pretty good for this age.

Should I eat earlier than him, maybe just join for salad? I cannot stay up much later to increase the window.

I'm trying to consume ~1300 calories/day to lose, not maintain.

I've only done this one other time in my life and I was able to lose fairly easily then maintain, but the triple whammy of COVID, an injury, and menopause seems to be an insurmountable barrier in shedding what I've gained.

TIA.

You are making a common mistake, by creating "menus" rather than learning proper nutrition and focusing on consuming quality macro-nutrients instead.

I'd consult with a nutritionist as you want to ensure you are getting the proper nutrients, protein, and fiber at our age, and a nutritionist can help with the added complexity of menopause.

Also as a PP noted, I wouldn't rely on a scale to track your progress because your increase in muscle will lead to increase weight on the scale, but I would use clothing or measuring to track.

Anonymous wrote:Skip the yogurt drink. Eat some eggs, make a big veggie omelet if you want. Use a little cheese. Skip the nuts and bread. Eat fish or other protein and cooked veggies. If you’re lazy make a huge pot of soup and eat that for lunch all week. If you want a snack choose an apple or ripe banana and a piece of cheese or hard boiled egg. Skip the potatoes and rice for dinner. Double your protein. Eat your veggies cooked instead of a salad. Berries again or other fruit for dessert.

+1

When OP called it sugar-free, the stevia yogurt drink junk came right to mind.

Anonymous wrote:Are you noticing that your body is changing with the addition of weight training? (clothes fitting better, more muscles, etc.) Are you seeing gains in terms of what you can lift?

I think you are under-eating for your level of activity and should focus your energy on getting stronger/building muscle vs. eating less to lose weight.

I'm also 5'4" and 140 and I feel strong and great in my body. So mine might not be the advice you're looking for.

No. Op is not under eating.

You are going to need to track, and in order to track successfully you will need to measure/weigh everything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you noticing that your body is changing with the addition of weight training? (clothes fitting better, more muscles, etc.) Are you seeing gains in terms of what you can lift?

I think you are under-eating for your level of activity and should focus your energy on getting stronger/building muscle vs. eating less to lose weight.

I'm also 5'4" and 140 and I feel strong and great in my body. So mine might not be the advice you're looking for.

Well, with this innertube around my middle, I am not feeling "strong and great in my body."

Some clothes are fitting better and my mobility has improved to some extent. I'm not necessarily feeling more muscles but the weights are getting a bit easier and the trainer has increased the pounds over the last few weeks.

But again, this innertube really weighs me down - no pun intended.

That's good and useful information. It's great that your clothes are fitting better and you are seeing improved mobility!

I'd suggest that you focus your goal on losing inches on your waist vs. losing weight. Strength training is a great way to do it - but you have to recognize that strength training will build muscle, which weighs more than fat. So if you are replacing fat with muscle, your weight won't change quickly (and might even go up a bit!). But you should, over time, also see your measurements decrease. As you are experiencing.

The other thing is that you have to eat to gain muscle. I don't think the way you are eating right now is serving that goal. I agree with the folks who say you really need to increase protein, and you should also focus on fiber. I am not a fan of intermittent fasting, which seems sort of like what you're doing. I used to skip breakfast and found it put me in a cycle where I was hungry and craving things and never really fueled properly. So now I eat something with protein first thing in the morning, and eat two small snacks (small! a hard-boiled egg or a couple tablespoons of nuts and a clementine or a handful of berries) in addition to a reasonable lunch and dinner. I focus on protein, vegetables, and fiber and generally limit carbs. I try not to eat anything after dinner.

You are not eating enough

Keep doing most of what you are doing. Use an app and ensure you are getting enough protein and not too much other stuff. As suggested above don’t go by the scale, measure your body and be cognizant of “non-scale victories”.

You’re doing great, you’re taking steps. Congrats.

Skip the yogurt drink. Eat some eggs, make a big veggie omelet if you want. Use a little cheese. Skip the nuts and bread. Eat fish or other protein and cooked veggies. If you’re lazy make a huge pot of soup and eat that for lunch all week. If you want a snack choose an apple or ripe banana and a piece of cheese or hard boiled egg. Skip the potatoes and rice for dinner. Double your protein. Eat your veggies cooked instead of a salad. Berries again or other fruit for dessert.

Anonymous wrote:Are you noticing that your body is changing with the addition of weight training? (clothes fitting better, more muscles, etc.) Are you seeing gains in terms of what you can lift?

I think you are under-eating for your level of activity and should focus your energy on getting stronger/building muscle vs. eating less to lose weight.

I'm also 5'4" and 140 and I feel strong and great in my body. So mine might not be the advice you're looking for.

Well, with this innertube around my middle, I am not feeling "strong and great in my body."

Some clothes are fitting better and my mobility has improved to some extent. I'm not necessarily feeling more muscles but the weights are getting a bit easier and the trainer has increased the pounds over the last few weeks.

But again, this innertube really weighs me down - no pun intended.

Are you noticing that your body is changing with the addition of weight training? (clothes fitting better, more muscles, etc.) Are you seeing gains in terms of what you can lift?

I think you are under-eating for your level of activity and should focus your energy on getting stronger/building muscle vs. eating less to lose weight.

I'm also 5'4" and 140 and I feel strong and great in my body. So mine might not be the advice you're looking for.

First, I'm a fan of this forum. Most folks are kind and helpful to those of seeking to make changes with our diet and exercise. I've been lurking for a bit, but now could use some guidance.

I'm in my early 60s and my weight has shot up to the low 140s over the last 3-5 years. I'm 5' 4" and am clearly carrying the weight around my middle (my thighs have always been chunky.

Two months ago, I started working with a trainer 3x/week on strength and flexibility. Some weeks it is 4/x. On the off days as well as some of the on days I put in 8-10K steps, probably hitting 12-15K steps 10-12 days/month.

My new diet: I'm consuming a zero sugar yogurt drink most mornings - usually late. Maybe some berries/nuts for lunch, sometimes avocado and a smoked fish on a Wasa slice. I don't eat lunch every day. Popcorn (no butter) for a snack, then protein for dinner - usually chicken or fish, rice or roasted potatoes, and a large green salad. Dessert might be some pieces of dark chocolate, sometimes chocolate Cheerios and milk. I've cut out all week day drinking, now maybe 1-2 drinks total over weekend.

And my weight has not budged a pound, even after dropping weekday alcohol.

We are empty nesters and DH gets home late for dinner - sometimes we eat as early as 7, sometimes not till 8. We go to bed 10ish and sleep till 6-7ish. Sleep is pretty good for this age.

Should I eat earlier than him, maybe just join for salad? I cannot stay up much later to increase the window.

I'm trying to consume ~1300 calories/day to lose, not maintain.

I've only done this one other time in my life and I was able to lose fairly easily then maintain, but the triple whammy of COVID, an injury, and menopause seems to be an insurmountable barrier in shedding what I've gained.

TIA.