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The things that older people find joy in include mobility, even simple excursions. Mobility is a challenge for many older folks. Obesity even mild further complicates the daily struggles.
700 calories/day isn't nearly enough to fuel your body. When you don't get enough food, your body thinks it's starving and holds on even harder to what you do eat.
I think you misread the OP, she takes in 1200 calories when reducing. The 700 refers to the number of dinner calories, not the total day. That's an acceptable range for someone of her height/weight:
Quote:
Originally Posted by whocares811
when I am at the point I am now (almost a size 10), I have a 300-calorie breakfast, a 200-calorie lunch, and a normal dinner (about 700 calories) -- and eliminate all seconds, snacks, and desserts -- until I lose the weight, which usually takes about three months.
OP, at this point to me it is more commitment than motivation. Do you commit to the behavior change required and can you substitute bad habits with good ones (e.g. instead of eating a donut go for a walk)?
Motivation is often short term. Commitment can be for a lifetime.
I think you're trying to get your weight down too low. One reason you keep yo-yoing between low weights and some that are pretty high . I am not a doctor - but I think most would tell you it's better to carry 5-10 more pounds consistently than to gain and lose 25 or more pounds again and again and again. So I think the first thing you should do is find a weight you can sustain without starving yourself (or pigging out either except very occasionally). At 5'4" - you can weigh 130-135 and still have a well within normal BMI (body mass index).
I lost about 15 pounds a couple of years ago through changing my diet permanently - and have been able to keep all but the last 2-3 off because my new diet is sustainable. It was basically everything I like to eat - just less of it. And I cut out bread almost 100% (except when dining at a great restaurant with truly great bread - which isn't that often. Your ideal sustainable diet might be different. Note that I think it's important to weigh yourself every day. So those 2 extra pounds we all put on during Thanksgiving don't turn into 10 by the New Year.
You say you have a "normal" metabolism. Have you had a thyroid test lately? I am 68 - and I was surprised to learn my thyroid is starting to slow down. Which makes it harder to keep the pounds off. I don't need medication at this point. And my doctor told me that this is a very normal thing to happen as we get older (especially when it comes to us women). FWIW - I have never been thin (never really fat either) - but weigh about 5 pounds more now than I weighed when I got married 40+ years ago. I am ok with that. Although it is not great health-wise to be fat - it isn't great for older women to be super thin either. Really thin women are at higher risk for things like osteoporosis.
BTW - I want to know where you buy your clothes . Because fitting into a size 12 when you weigh 162 pounds doesn't sound right to me (I don't weigh anywhere close to 162 pounds - more like 130 - and am a size 12-14). One advantage of keeping your weight relatively stable is you don't have to keep 2-3 separate sets of clothes in your closet.
When it comes to your husband - that is a tough one. Because it could be a lot of things. I doubt it has anything to do with your weight. And I'll assume it is something that's not specific to your personal relationship (which you probably don't want to tell us about - and which we're not competent to analyze - we're not psychiatrists). Guys tend to "slow down" as they get older. They get aroused more slowly - sometimes less completely - and some have issues getting to the "finish line". Sometimes it's a result of specific physical problems. Sometimes it's a side effect of certain medications - especially things like blood pressure medications. Sometimes it's simply getting old. Or it could be a combination of all of the above.
Talk with your husband - and perhaps both of you should talk with his doctor too. To figure out what the problem is - and try to solve it. It may be something as simple as not taking BP medications until "post sex" (which is what my husband and I did - those BP meds are a real performance killer) - or perhaps taking ED drugs. Note that guys can - understandably - get touchy/embarrassed about this stuff. And - if they fail once or twice - well "once burnt - twice shy". Especially if their partners are less than sympathetic - understanding - perhaps willing to try things that might be new/things most men especially seem to like as well (will leave that one to your imagination so I don't get censored). Us women have it easy. We can always "fake it" (for whatever reason):
Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Walmart, Kmart and I wear those sizes. 162lbs would put me in the 10-12 range (I know because I was there about a year ago).
Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Walmart, Kmart and I wear those sizes. 162lbs would put me in the 10-12 range (I know because I was there about a year ago).
Ditto ... I'm 5'6" and weigh 160 lbs. Wear 10-12 for pants; size 14 or L or XL for tops. Sometimes a size 8 pants depending on make. A few years ago I went down to 143 lbs and the doctor told me not to go lower, although in my 20s-30s I was in the 125-135 range. Right now I'd love to get down to about 150-155 but just don't have the discipline at this point.
Vanity sizing refers to the size in proportion to the cost of the clothing.
The more expensive the bigger the cut, so you can take a smaller size.
Back to the concept of vanity sizing for a minute--it is the idea of changing the sizes so that, for example, what used to be a 10 might become a 6 and then maybe a 4. It's supposed to work psychologically to make a woman feel smaller.
"In Sears's 1937 catalog, a size 14 dress had a bust size of 32 inches (81 cm). In 1967, the same bust size was a size 8. In 2011, it was a size 0."
Back to the concept of vanity sizing for a minute--it is the idea of changing the sizes so that, for example, what used to be a 10 might become a 6 and then maybe a 4. It's supposed to work psychologically to make a woman feel smaller.
"In Sears's 1937 catalog, a size 14 dress had a bust size of 32 inches (81 cm). In 1967, the same bust size was a size 8. In 2011, it was a size 0."
I think that is pretty much what is going on. When I have been the weight I've usually been at for many decades (absent the occasional highs - as high as 145 - and the occasional lows - as low as 120) - well at 5'0" and 130 pounds I was always an XL - a size 14 or even a plus size. Today I am a size 12 and a Large (if that). Good thing I don't rely on clothing sizing to tell me how I should feel about myself (I rely on my scale ).
FWIW - it is sometimes hard for women who are big here (up top) or there (down bottom) to fit into these sizing categories. Just like it's sometimes hard for guys who have big stuff here and there (like shoulders or necks) to fit into particular sizing categories too. Robyn
I have some encouragement for dieters. I did some studying this year and found out that many doctors and now blaming sugar as one of the biggest causes of heart disease. It seems that cholesterol in the blood is not the problem. What happens is that sugar causes inflammation of the arteries. The body then uses the cholesterol to heal the inflammation damage to the arteries. So cutting the sugar is a key to reducing coronary artery disease.
But that's a problem in our current food system. Many packaged/processed foods have had extra sugar added, to make people like them more and boost sales. So I had to change my diet to reduce these foods. So cutting all that sugar has helped me loose 20 lbs this year. I now try to eat mostly cooked meat, vegetables, fruit and that's about it. Loosing the 20 lbs has been easy, and I plan on more next year, once Christmas is over. (too many good sweets around)
So the incentive is that you can not only do your body good by cutting weight, but by lessen coronary artery disease.
Are you a guy? I suspect so. Because it is so much easier for men - including senior men - to lose weight than women. My husband gives up a few beers - or a few anything - for a week or two. And - voila - he is down 5 pounds. Those 5 pounds take me a couple of months or more. No matter what I do.
When it comes to women - I think G-d and nature honestly intended us to have a reasonable layer of fat. Not to be porkers mind you. But just to have a little extra so we could have children and raise them through often harsh conditions. Which is why - IMO - when younger women get too thin - sometimes as a result of extreme sports activities - they stop menstruating and aren't capable of bearing children.
Also - a little in terms of sugar and carbs will never hurt any healthy person IMO. Robyn
Being married almost 40 years, I am in total agreement. Men do have an easier time losing weight. When I was young, I could just cut out donuts and lose weight. I've been able to keep up even snacking in the evening a little, and still lost weight. No so easy for my wife.
I'd agree with your statement that a little sugar is Ok, but take a look at the amount of sugar in the processed foods you buy, and the serving sizes. Its crazy how much sugar they add. OJ is incredible how much they add. Even things like peanut butter have a lot of extra sugar. So there have been a lot of those kinds of things that I have just completely cut from my diet. But I still eat the foods I mostly like, bacon, eggs, hamburgers. But I have also cut down on eating out, and certain things I just will not eat anymore. Fazoli's has a chicken Parmesan that I really like but just that alone is 1700 calories. I don't eat that anymore. Even just your typical bread from the grocery store you have to watch. Some of it has a surprising amount of sugar.
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. Because fitting into a size 12 when you weigh 162 pounds doesn't sound right to me (I don't weigh anywhere close to 162 pounds - more like 130 - and am a size 12-14). One advantage of keeping your weight relatively stable is you don't have to keep 2-3 separate sets of clothes in your closet.
