I started counting calories and watching what I ate 2 weeks ago tomorrow. The first week I lost 2 lbs. but I weighed myself today and I was back up a pound. I only ate less than 900 calories Saturday and Sunday. Not really on purpose, but I was busy (cleaning my house from top to bottom) and when I did eat I tried to watch my intake.

I don't exercise regurlarly, and I know that a lot of you swear by it, but I will be 50 years old next week and I hate exercise. I exercied most of my life until about 5 years ago and I just don't want to.

I always knew that you had to burn off more calories than you consume to lose weight, but I have been faithfully puting in my foods on fitday and I average about 1400 - 1500 cal. per day. I am 5'2 and weigh 152 today. I started at 153.. To be honest for the last 2 years I fluctuate between 150 and 153, and that's when I eat anything I want.

My question is... When you reach a certain age, do you not settle int a weight that you feel healthy at and is comfortable for you...a weight that you shoud be? Am I at that weight?

I stopped haveing the TOM's about 1-1/2 years ago. I know that seems early (it did for me) but it is what it is. I gained weight around my stomach and that is really what I want to get rid of, but I hear older women get that.

Am I just making excuses, or am I just waisting my time. I'll be 50 next week, maybe I'm just depressed over that. My weekly weigh in is tomorrow and I'm sure I am within my 150 - 153 range still and I feel like I'm torchering myself.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

okay ... some people will probably say you have to excercise... but i'm with you! i dont love the structured excercise. but i think it is important to be active... and you sound like you are cleaning your house from top to bottom! thats work!


sorry you are having a tough time with the scale.... 50 is too young to give up and get comfortable with your weight if you are not truly happy with it imo. my mom is 52 and she looks fab! my friends call her a milf (gross not what i want to hear but you get the picture). does she weigh a couple more lbs than she did when she was 30, yep. is the weight harder to take off now, yep. but its still totally doable! she likes (shes weird) to run and go to the gym and bike and play tennis etc so she is really active... but she also watches what she eats.

if i were you this is what i would do (its totally a personal decision... take it or leave it)

go out and get some of the 1 a day vitimins with EKCG (or something) that are supposed maintain a healthy metabolism.

work on building muscle.. part of the reason its harder when you get older is because you start loosing muscle mass that burns off cals while you just sit. (dont worry- you are still young!! this is just preventative for when you are in your 70s and beyond!)

focus on more lean protien and less carbs (dont know if you already do this... but you may lose some water weight and get below your stuck numbers)

dont "excercise" but try to be as active as possible. cleaning house, ice skating, taking the dog on a walk, dance lessons, belly dance lessons, skiing etc are all (imo) fun ways to be active. do whatever you like... but make sure you are doing it!

dont go below 1000 cals... dont want to make your body think you are starving and that it needs to conserve fat!

dont be too hard on yourself! you are doing great!


good luck!

just think... next week youll be 50 years young!

As someone who is 48 with that middle aged gut, I think you should try to get rid of it. That is the most dangerous place to carry weight - increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes,etc. I also think that staying active with exercise can only make your life better. Remember weight bearing exercise will help prevent bone loss and exercise, I think, will just keep you more energetic.

But you can take what I preach with a grain of salt, since if I followed my own advice, I wouldn't be my weight with a big stomach (and I would have gone to the gym tonight).

Just remember, just because we are middle aged - we aren't dead yet! ...and we don't need to rush the process along, imho.

How tall are you? What's your BMI? Your only 11 pounds overweight, according to your ticker. If you're following a healthy diet low in saturated fats, if the blood work done at your doctors says your healthy, I wonder how many health benefits will be gained by losing 11 pounds? I'd get some professional advice on that one.

No good being 140 lbs if your torturing yourself and losing your mind over it!!!

I am a structured exerciser because I am lazy. I need to have planned times to go to the gym etc otherwise I would do nothing. But non formal exercise (like cleaning house) is just as valid, depending on what results you want. For me things are different, as I am a really fat chick and need to totally overhaul my body.

Thanks guys for your support. I guess I'm just feeling a little down about turning the big 50 .

Now for a little good news, I did weigh in this morning and I'm down to 150. I have lost 3 lbs in two weeks. I guess that's a start. And I'm going to the mall on my lunch hour to walk, so I will get a little excersize .

Sorry about the rant last night . I will keep working at this!

If you look at things kinda backward and upside down, you've still lost 1/2 pound a week, right? That's nothing to sniff at! It's good work.

As for our bodies 'settling in' nope can't go for that. What I think is more likely is that 'we' settle in. If I eat like this and do my usual activities like always ... I'll stay right here. Habit? Complacency (sp)? In a rut?

There's a huge element of 'what you are willing to do' associated with weightloss. I think there are four choices ...
1. eat less
2. move more
3. both of the above
4. nothing and stay the same

Don't torture yourself over having made any of them. You simply have to accept that the consequences are yours and that you can change your mind at any time.

And don't forget that any time you need a little help ... we're here.

Abbyin - I was close to your start weight and through this whole thing I have tended to average 1 lb a week of loss with exercise. I'm not saying you have to exercise, but just that around this weight it is natural for it to slow down (and in my case has nothing to do with age). You've only been doing this for 2 weeks and I think you're pinning too much on that scale. You want to see your body tone up a little? You won't wipe away your midsection without some serious loss (I know personally it is my problem area and it is always last to go and I will probably never be 100% satisfied). However, you can start to look a little better by adding in some weights. I'll admit that cardio isn't easy, but what about getting some adjustable hand weights and doing that a couple times a week? Exercise will help to speed your loss and make you feel physically better, but it's not a miracle any more than good eating.

I think you are still stuck in diet mentality. If you eat well, the scale will eventually follow at its own slow pace. The better you eat and the more you move the faster it will move down, the more bad foods, sodium, and lack of water in your diet the slower the scale will move. Yes you are turning 50, but you have so much life left to live! Imagine how awesome it would be to be the fittest and most healthy of your life at 55! Don't let numbers (age OR the scale) slow you down. You are eating healthy because you know it will make you feel better inside and out. Try setting some goals that aren't scale based and learn to reward yourself with things that aren't food-based. Good luck with it, stick around here, and ask us anything you need some support or advice.