Anonymous wrote:OP here. Well, the number on the scale has not budged, but I tried on a pair of suit pants that previously didn't fit - they are still slightly snugger than I prefer, but they do now fit. So clearly some sort of progress is being made towards my goal, even without weight loss.

Anonymous wrote:

You’re 50 and it’s 2024. How often do you need to be wearing suits?

This is a strange comment. I am a lawyer who appears in Federal district and appellate courts several times a month. So not every day, but fairly regularly. Some district court judges would be ok with a patterned dress and blazer, but I would not do that in appellate, and not with a district judge I don't have a feel for.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 50 years old, 5'4" and 132 lbs. I would really like to get back down to around 126. I exercise daily, avoid processed carbs and sugar (except for a small square of dark chocolate per day), and am not intaking more than 1300-1400 calories a day. After four months of doing this, my weight has stayed exactly the same. I really despise HITT workouts, and cannot see myself sticking to them on a regular basis, but I do weight training in addition to cardio. Is it possible that my weight is never going to get to where I want it? What is wrong with me?

1) Switch to a form of exercise you actually enjoy… doing a form of exercise you hate is not a long-term solution
2) Your calories are way too low and are slowing your metabolism
3) You need to eat more and change up what you’re eating. Avoiding sugar and processed carbs is good, but you need to be eating lots of fruits, veggies, and lean protein, and non-grain carb sources (yep, you might need to cut grains for a time) or try intermittent fasting
4) Whatever (not low-cal) plan you choose, stick with it- weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I turned 40 a few years ago, and it was like a switch was flipped. I could lose weight previously, and can't anymore.

I'm a former athlete, who in his teens couldn't eat enough, and in my 20s didn't worry about anything, and in my 30s had gotten out of hand.

At that point, on doctor's advice, and through moderate exercise and an overhaul of my diet, I very successfully lost about 35 pounds, and could've stood to lose another 20, but I got complacent. Hovered in the range of about 25-30 down for several years. During the pandemic, it crept up, I turned 40 and it allllll came back. That said, before the big weight loss I was a largely sedentary person, a former athlete who was happy to have retired from doing anything at all. Since the big weight loss, I have remained a regular gym goer, I bicycle or peloton several times a week—in no way fanatical, but 30-45 minutes, 5-8 miles—and do a moderate amount of planks, pushups, situps, etc. I am 100 percent a more active and healthy person—but my weight won't go away. And that's keeping me from being a much healthier person that I want to be.

For the last two years, I've been battling it, and I can spend weeks and weeks very carefully monitoring my diet and getting excercise—lots or a little, doesn't matter—and I will very, very slowly see tiny signs of improvement, dropping a pound or two, or if I'm really diligent, 3-3.5lbs in a month of hard work. I know that a pound a week is a good number, and that it's a long-term project. So I'll feel okay. Then I'll have a long weekend with the in-laws, where I have no control over where I'm going to eat, and even doing my best to turn down beers and opt for the fish instead of the steak, etc., I'll come back... 4lbs up.

It's just water weight, bloating, etc etc I'll tell myself, but nope... if I get right back to the hard work, it'll hold steady at the 3-4 pounds up range, and then begin slowly ticking back down. If I don't immediately go back to the careful diet and moderate excercise it will start climbing.

I feel like it's one enormous grueling step forward, followed by two steps back and it's so exhausting.

Is it an overall weight issue or certain areas like your stomach?

It's mostly in my midriff... I have quite muscular legs, normal arms, very broad shoulders.

I'm NEVER going to fit comfortably on the BMI scale. My senior year of high school I was 5'10, a three-sport varsity athlete, could run a 7 minute mile and I weighed 205. I'm now over 260. Given my level of exercise and my physical capabilities, I think I'm a naturally stocky man who is also on the muscular side... and from the waist to my shoulders, I'm pear-shaped. In terms of looks, it's fine. In the winter, if I wear a heavy coat you would probably think I'm in quite good shape.

If I could get to 225, I could probably be in quite good shape, but the extra weight kills my knees, I have bad heartburn, sleep apnea, and as I get older it's going to start affecting my heart. I have no sign of diabetes and slightly high (within normal range) blood pressure, but it's only going to get harder to maintain all that, so I really would like to lose the weight.

Do you have any kind of support system where encouragement could help? I mean it always helps when you're not doing it alone.

You’re 50 and it’s 2024. How often do you need to be wearing suits?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I turned 40 a few years ago, and it was like a switch was flipped. I could lose weight previously, and can't anymore.

I'm a former athlete, who in his teens couldn't eat enough, and in my 20s didn't worry about anything, and in my 30s had gotten out of hand.

At that point, on doctor's advice, and through moderate exercise and an overhaul of my diet, I very successfully lost about 35 pounds, and could've stood to lose another 20, but I got complacent. Hovered in the range of about 25-30 down for several years. During the pandemic, it crept up, I turned 40 and it allllll came back. That said, before the big weight loss I was a largely sedentary person, a former athlete who was happy to have retired from doing anything at all. Since the big weight loss, I have remained a regular gym goer, I bicycle or peloton several times a week—in no way fanatical, but 30-45 minutes, 5-8 miles—and do a moderate amount of planks, pushups, situps, etc. I am 100 percent a more active and healthy person—but my weight won't go away. And that's keeping me from being a much healthier person that I want to be.

For the last two years, I've been battling it, and I can spend weeks and weeks very carefully monitoring my diet and getting excercise—lots or a little, doesn't matter—and I will very, very slowly see tiny signs of improvement, dropping a pound or two, or if I'm really diligent, 3-3.5lbs in a month of hard work. I know that a pound a week is a good number, and that it's a long-term project. So I'll feel okay. Then I'll have a long weekend with the in-laws, where I have no control over where I'm going to eat, and even doing my best to turn down beers and opt for the fish instead of the steak, etc., I'll come back... 4lbs up.

It's just water weight, bloating, etc etc I'll tell myself, but nope... if I get right back to the hard work, it'll hold steady at the 3-4 pounds up range, and then begin slowly ticking back down. If I don't immediately go back to the careful diet and moderate excercise it will start climbing.

I feel like it's one enormous grueling step forward, followed by two steps back and it's so exhausting.

Is it an overall weight issue or certain areas like your stomach?

It's mostly in my midriff... I have quite muscular legs, normal arms, very broad shoulders.

I'm NEVER going to fit comfortably on the BMI scale. My senior year of high school I was 5'10, a three-sport varsity athlete, could run a 7 minute mile and I weighed 205. I'm now over 260. Given my level of exercise and my physical capabilities, I think I'm a naturally stocky man who is also on the muscular side... and from the waist to my shoulders, I'm pear-shaped. In terms of looks, it's fine. In the winter, if I wear a heavy coat you would probably think I'm in quite good shape.

If I could get to 225, I could probably be in quite good shape, but the extra weight kills my knees, I have bad heartburn, sleep apnea, and as I get older it's going to start affecting my heart. I have no sign of diabetes and slightly high (within normal range) blood pressure, but it's only going to get harder to maintain all that, so I really would like to lose the weight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I turned 40 a few years ago, and it was like a switch was flipped. I could lose weight previously, and can't anymore.

I'm a former athlete, who in his teens couldn't eat enough, and in my 20s didn't worry about anything, and in my 30s had gotten out of hand.

At that point, on doctor's advice, and through moderate exercise and an overhaul of my diet, I very successfully lost about 35 pounds, and could've stood to lose another 20, but I got complacent. Hovered in the range of about 25-30 down for several years. During the pandemic, it crept up, I turned 40 and it allllll came back. That said, before the big weight loss I was a largely sedentary person, a former athlete who was happy to have retired from doing anything at all. Since the big weight loss, I have remained a regular gym goer, I bicycle or peloton several times a week—in no way fanatical, but 30-45 minutes, 5-8 miles—and do a moderate amount of planks, pushups, situps, etc. I am 100 percent a more active and healthy person—but my weight won't go away. And that's keeping me from being a much healthier person that I want to be.

For the last two years, I've been battling it, and I can spend weeks and weeks very carefully monitoring my diet and getting excercise—lots or a little, doesn't matter—and I will very, very slowly see tiny signs of improvement, dropping a pound or two, or if I'm really diligent, 3-3.5lbs in a month of hard work. I know that a pound a week is a good number, and that it's a long-term project. So I'll feel okay. Then I'll have a long weekend with the in-laws, where I have no control over where I'm going to eat, and even doing my best to turn down beers and opt for the fish instead of the steak, etc., I'll come back... 4lbs up.

It's just water weight, bloating, etc etc I'll tell myself, but nope... if I get right back to the hard work, it'll hold steady at the 3-4 pounds up range, and then begin slowly ticking back down. If I don't immediately go back to the careful diet and moderate excercise it will start climbing.

I feel like it's one enormous grueling step forward, followed by two steps back and it's so exhausting.

Is it an overall weight issue or certain areas like your stomach?

Anonymous wrote:I turned 40 a few years ago, and it was like a switch was flipped. I could lose weight previously, and can't anymore.

I'm a former athlete, who in his teens couldn't eat enough, and in my 20s didn't worry about anything, and in my 30s had gotten out of hand.

At that point, on doctor's advice, and through moderate exercise and an overhaul of my diet, I very successfully lost about 35 pounds, and could've stood to lose another 20, but I got complacent. Hovered in the range of about 25-30 down for several years. During the pandemic, it crept up, I turned 40 and it allllll came back. That said, before the big weight loss I was a largely sedentary person, a former athlete who was happy to have retired from doing anything at all. Since the big weight loss, I have remained a regular gym goer, I bicycle or peloton several times a week—in no way fanatical, but 30-45 minutes, 5-8 miles—and do a moderate amount of planks, pushups, situps, etc. I am 100 percent a more active and healthy person—but my weight won't go away. And that's keeping me from being a much healthier person that I want to be.

For the last two years, I've been battling it, and I can spend weeks and weeks very carefully monitoring my diet and getting excercise—lots or a little, doesn't matter—and I will very, very slowly see tiny signs of improvement, dropping a pound or two, or if I'm really diligent, 3-3.5lbs in a month of hard work. I know that a pound a week is a good number, and that it's a long-term project. So I'll feel okay. Then I'll have a long weekend with the in-laws, where I have no control over where I'm going to eat, and even doing my best to turn down beers and opt for the fish instead of the steak, etc., I'll come back... 4lbs up.

It's just water weight, bloating, etc etc I'll tell myself, but nope... if I get right back to the hard work, it'll hold steady at the 3-4 pounds up range, and then begin slowly ticking back down. If I don't immediately go back to the careful diet and moderate excercise it will start climbing.

I feel like it's one enormous grueling step forward, followed by two steps back and it's so exhausting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I turned 40 a few years ago, and it was like a switch was flipped. I could lose weight previously, and can't anymore.

I'm a former athlete, who in his teens couldn't eat enough, and in my 20s didn't worry about anything, and in my 30s had gotten out of hand.

At that point, on doctor's advice, and through moderate exercise and an overhaul of my diet, I very successfully lost about 35 pounds, and could've stood to lose another 20, but I got complacent. Hovered in the range of about 25-30 down for several years. During the pandemic, it crept up, I turned 40 and it allllll came back. That said, before the big weight loss I was a largely sedentary person, a former athlete who was happy to have retired from doing anything at all. Since the big weight loss, I have remained a regular gym goer, I bicycle or peloton several times a week—in no way fanatical, but 30-45 minutes, 5-8 miles—and do a moderate amount of planks, pushups, situps, etc. I am 100 percent a more active and healthy person—but my weight won't go away. And that's keeping me from being a much healthier person that I want to be.

For the last two years, I've been battling it, and I can spend weeks and weeks very carefully monitoring my diet and getting excercise—lots or a little, doesn't matter—and I will very, very slowly see tiny signs of improvement, dropping a pound or two, or if I'm really diligent, 3-3.5lbs in a month of hard work. I know that a pound a week is a good number, and that it's a long-term project. So I'll feel okay. Then I'll have a long weekend with the in-laws, where I have no control over where I'm going to eat, and even doing my best to turn down beers and opt for the fish instead of the steak, etc., I'll come back... 4lbs up.

It's just water weight, bloating, etc etc I'll tell myself, but nope... if I get right back to the hard work, it'll hold steady at the 3-4 pounds up range, and then begin slowly ticking back down. If I don't immediately go back to the careful diet and moderate excercise it will start climbing.

I feel like it's one enormous grueling step forward, followed by two steps back and it's so exhausting.

Why can't you turn down alcohol? I assume the people around you will understand that you're focused on getting healthier.

LOL, have you ever met humans? No, nobody understands anything. But you're also missing the point. A weekend where this person has a couple of beers should not be holding their weight loss back. Way to be unhelpful.

Yeah, I've met one or two humans, including extended family where it's an insult if you don't eat tons of food at gatherings, so I just take it to keep them quiet, but it's not like they watch to make sure you actually eat everything. You can take the drink and just barely sip on it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I turned 40 a few years ago, and it was like a switch was flipped. I could lose weight previously, and can't anymore.

I'm a former athlete, who in his teens couldn't eat enough, and in my 20s didn't worry about anything, and in my 30s had gotten out of hand.

At that point, on doctor's advice, and through moderate exercise and an overhaul of my diet, I very successfully lost about 35 pounds, and could've stood to lose another 20, but I got complacent. Hovered in the range of about 25-30 down for several years. During the pandemic, it crept up, I turned 40 and it allllll came back. That said, before the big weight loss I was a largely sedentary person, a former athlete who was happy to have retired from doing anything at all. Since the big weight loss, I have remained a regular gym goer, I bicycle or peloton several times a week—in no way fanatical, but 30-45 minutes, 5-8 miles—and do a moderate amount of planks, pushups, situps, etc. I am 100 percent a more active and healthy person—but my weight won't go away. And that's keeping me from being a much healthier person that I want to be.

For the last two years, I've been battling it, and I can spend weeks and weeks very carefully monitoring my diet and getting excercise—lots or a little, doesn't matter—and I will very, very slowly see tiny signs of improvement, dropping a pound or two, or if I'm really diligent, 3-3.5lbs in a month of hard work. I know that a pound a week is a good number, and that it's a long-term project. So I'll feel okay. Then I'll have a long weekend with the in-laws, where I have no control over where I'm going to eat, and even doing my best to turn down beers and opt for the fish instead of the steak, etc., I'll come back... 4lbs up.

It's just water weight, bloating, etc etc I'll tell myself, but nope... if I get right back to the hard work, it'll hold steady at the 3-4 pounds up range, and then begin slowly ticking back down. If I don't immediately go back to the careful diet and moderate excercise it will start climbing.

I feel like it's one enormous grueling step forward, followed by two steps back and it's so exhausting.

Why can't you turn down alcohol? I assume the people around you will understand that you're focused on getting healthier.

LOL, have you ever met humans? No, nobody understands anything. But you're also missing the point. A weekend where this person has a couple of beers should not be holding their weight loss back. Way to be unhelpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I turned 40 a few years ago, and it was like a switch was flipped. I could lose weight previously, and can't anymore.

I'm a former athlete, who in his teens couldn't eat enough, and in my 20s didn't worry about anything, and in my 30s had gotten out of hand.

At that point, on doctor's advice, and through moderate exercise and an overhaul of my diet, I very successfully lost about 35 pounds, and could've stood to lose another 20, but I got complacent. Hovered in the range of about 25-30 down for several years. During the pandemic, it crept up, I turned 40 and it allllll came back. That said, before the big weight loss I was a largely sedentary person, a former athlete who was happy to have retired from doing anything at all. Since the big weight loss, I have remained a regular gym goer, I bicycle or peloton several times a week—in no way fanatical, but 30-45 minutes, 5-8 miles—and do a moderate amount of planks, pushups, situps, etc. I am 100 percent a more active and healthy person—but my weight won't go away. And that's keeping me from being a much healthier person that I want to be.

For the last two years, I've been battling it, and I can spend weeks and weeks very carefully monitoring my diet and getting excercise—lots or a little, doesn't matter—and I will very, very slowly see tiny signs of improvement, dropping a pound or two, or if I'm really diligent, 3-3.5lbs in a month of hard work. I know that a pound a week is a good number, and that it's a long-term project. So I'll feel okay. Then I'll have a long weekend with the in-laws, where I have no control over where I'm going to eat, and even doing my best to turn down beers and opt for the fish instead of the steak, etc., I'll come back... 4lbs up.

It's just water weight, bloating, etc etc I'll tell myself, but nope... if I get right back to the hard work, it'll hold steady at the 3-4 pounds up range, and then begin slowly ticking back down. If I don't immediately go back to the careful diet and moderate excercise it will start climbing.

I feel like it's one enormous grueling step forward, followed by two steps back and it's so exhausting.

Why can't you turn down alcohol? I assume the people around you will understand that you're focused on getting healthier.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try an anti inflammatory diet

This 100%! Cut out sugar, diet soda, caffeine, dairy, gluten, alcohol, pasta, beans and all processed foods. Eat vegetables and lean protein but include healthy fats in your diet like avocados, eggs, nuts ( not peanuts), nut butters and seeds. After ten days you will lose weight.

And put it right back on. The only way to maintain a healthy weight you’re happy with is to make SUSTAINABLE changes that aren’t difficult to maintain on a daily basis as part of your lifestyle. This is not that. A person could do this for 4-6 weeks then inevitably pile the weight back on when they start adding back in.

People who can manage their weight well eat lots of protein and fiber, a wide variety of fruits and veggies and legumes (focusing on whole foods), move consistently (daily movement / walking to increase NEAT as well as strength and mobility training), rarely indulge in alcohol, and eat treats in moderation. That’s really about it.