Late 30s struggling with fat loss is it Hormones?

[itsagoodday]

I bet $5 that Donna never starts a thread on this web site ever again.

[OldFartTom]

Let's not overcomplicate it.
Sure there are a lot of factors to weight loss and gain, all kinds of medical what not.

If you have any complex system with loads of "stuff" going on you have to list the factors involved.

One factor in the weight loss mix is so much bigger than all the others

Cal in versus cal out

Get that under control (log and measure) first. Only after you have done that fully should you even consider any other factors

As said already cal in is easy (although first time I did it I was amazed how wrong my unmeasured guesses were about portion size and calories etc)
Cals out is more difficult to estimate

Work it out by trial error and experience.
Forget all the other stuff until you have mastered this first. Then we can talk about the other lesser factors

[OldFartTom]

She should just have asked her CrossFit buddies and kept away from here

[EjnarKolinkar]

at 46 years old, after I stopped eating dairy and sugar (including alcohol), finally, I have started to lose the weight I have been fighting with for the last 5 years.

I love dairy, and sugar. Weight is just fine. I think it must be due to moderation, remaing active, and a generally well balanced diet.

Calories in vs calories out is a nice principle, but as always, the devil is deep in the details.

True, how much they eat is the main thing most people who "Can't lose weight" need to focus on. Long term habit changes in terms of eating less really drive weight loss. Long term increases in activity do support maintenance of weight after a fat loss period. If the scale is stalled for months, and one is already active, and exercising regularly it's usually simple things like a bigger salad, and less of higher calories options to balance out the meals.

I bet $5 that Donna never starts a thread on this web site ever again.

Ha, well hopefully she does. So many people on this site who lost a great deal of weight in their late 30's and 40's. It's a shame so many people still buy into all the nonsense about how hard it is to lose weight in what still is really the prime of their lives.

[kimm4]

Eating what I wanted, as long as I stayed within my macros and TDEE calculated calories didn't work for me.

That's odd because losing fat and the basic calorie deficit works the same for all humans. 500 calories in dairy or 500 calories in steak is still 500 calories at the end of the day.

You might as well just say the law of thermodynamics doesn't apply to you...

[DuracellBunny]

Fify

[katya422]

I bet $5 that Donna never starts a thread on this web site ever again.

How much do you want to bet that BoB0 comes from California?

[ironwill2008]

Let's not overcomplicate it.

Too late; that ship sailed a long time ago ITT.






Opie, your problem is

YOU'RE EATING TOO MUCH.

[misterponytail]

Im nearly 38 and i started bodybuilding about 6 weeks ago now after doing Crossfit for a few years. Im also an army vet, so im disciplined with fitness. However the past year ive found it extremely difficult to lose any body fat. I dont go by scales but measurements and it will just not shift, i know us ladies once we hit near 40 have all sorts go on with hormones. n It is really now affecting my confidence and if any one has any advice on nutrition or supplements etc etc id really appreciate the input im only 5ft1 as well which doesnt help lol

My wife has also complained of the same thing. I know she trains her ass off in the gym, and we mostly watch our diets, but I can lose or gain ten pounds almost by just thinking about it, while she doesn't budge with a huge amount of effort. She's a scientist, so she jokes about getting a Y chromosome to solve the problem!

My suggestion is to set yourself up on a steady long-term program so that you can reach and maintain your goals for the rest of your life. You're just starting at six weeks, give it time; being too aggressive early in the process usually leads to failure.

I believe in quantifying things as much as possible, so I'd recommend that you weigh and log your food intake, along with keeping a record of your workouts. Probably a good idea to log your sleep patterns as well. Talk to an anti-aging medicine doctor and have your actual hormone levels checked. That will remove all doubt, one way or the other. My wife uses Sottopelle therapy as a result of her blood tests and that has helped her.

And, as long as your legs are long enough to reach the ground, it doesn't matter how tall you are...

[3maj]

I don't mean this for everybody...metabolism is a unique thing but the science is the same for all of us. you create the body that can handle carbohydrates differently. it all comes down to insulin sensitivity. if someone is having a hard time losing weight but ingesting carbs high on the glycemic index then it's not helping. bread is so tasty...i get it, I'm an ectomorph and i fu@#ng love my bread...except for the rashes it gives me so meh, i'm not perfect lol

Please stop giving "advice" as you're clearly very misinformed.

[Watsonm5]

No, it's food.

It absolutely stuns me when people hide around the obvious. OP needs to start TRACKING CALORIES and look in the mirror. Quit trying to out think everything and BS yourself. EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES = FAILURE.

[Watsonm5]

I bet $5 that Donna never starts a thread on this web site ever again.

LMAO. Only way people will wake up and learn but they must listen.

[Watsonm5]

This.^^

I'm well past 40 and the basic calorie deficit still works when I track properly and stay accountable.

It's an easy fix and good luck to you!

when I track properly and stay accountable... THANK YOU KIM! It's how people always seem to continually BS themselves. Result - FAIL!

[Gabbar99]

when I track properly and stay accountable... THANK YOU KIM! It's how people always seem to continually BS themselves. Result - FAIL!

It's CICO, but hormones have a huge effect on energy and appetite and can affect your weight. My wife has been active, lean, and fit her whole life, but hormonal changes in her 50s have given her some unprecedented challenges.

It's not as simple as "my hormones made me gain weight", but it's also not as simple as "you're making excuses and b.s.ing yourself".

[Watsonm5]

It's CICO, but hormones have a huge effect on energy and appetite and can affect your weight. My wife has been active, lean, and fit her whole life, but hormonal changes in her 50s have given her some unprecedented challenges.

It's not as simple as "my hormones made me gain weight", but it's also not as simple as "you're making excuses and b.s.ing yourself".

...sure that was a little brash. My wife is "hypo-thyroid". Absolute mind F for her. I do get it but my point is there is one way to combat that. Ironwill said it... EAT LESS.

[Trent2107]

Good Lord....Rabbitjb is spot on. There are several people on here with great advice, but she has summed it up as well as I think anyone could. Kudos to all of u who are trying to help, but she's a frikkn Jedi, man. Good luck to all.

[Scarrdbutsmartr]

I had the hardest time with weight maintenance and cutting after 30. The trick for me was eliminating all forms of sugar. Its easy to maintain weight now and the weight falls off during my cuts. I dont really watch my macros or count calories anymore.

I've always gained weight easily and wish I knew about sugar elimination many years ago...

[ElrondHubbard]

I bet $5 that Donna never starts a thread on this web site ever again.

I'm sure glad I never took you up on that bet.

[itsagoodday]

I'm sure glad I never took you up on that bet.

Oh, dear. Poor Donna. Wait, what am I saying? Poor me! I could have made a nice chunk of change if enough people had taken me up on that bet

[Sweetums6000]

Oh, dear. Poor Donna. Wait, what am I saying? Poor me! I could have made a nice chunk of change if enough people had taken me up on that bet

I wonder if that would be a good bet for all first time posters though. Seems like a lot of people ask one question and then never come back.

[billzkey]

def get a hormone panel drawn, low test can make losing fat almost impossible

While this is skirting on the medical side of things, and I apologize if this is out of line, I had a more issues than fat loss problems when I was diagnosed as hypothyroid. I had no energy or motivation, severe joint pain, and was generally a crabby person 90% of the time I was awake. Then, when I tried cutting calories, I didn't have the energy to power through a productive workout and I lost strength. Over the course of 3 months, I lost close to 20 pounds and 25% of my strength in the major lifts. Not one inch of fat was shed in that time frame as my waist remained the same, despite losing weight. That is what prompted me to have a full thyroid panel done!

Sadly, I spent 2 years bouncing from specialist to specialist with everything from sleep apnea, to sinus/allergy issues, to RA, then finally low Vitamin D being blamed for my problems. While the Vitamin D levels were low, the sleep study test did not show any signs of sleep apnea and a lot of expensive blood work ruled out RA and allergies. After everything was ruled out, two primary other care physicians suggested that I had depression and wanted to start me on SSRIs immediately without a psychological evaluation. With all that stated, there are six doctors who will NEVER see me again!

[ironwill2008]

Seems like a lot of people ask one question and then never come back.

That's very likely due to the fact that most beginners arrive on this site already burdened by a boatload of misconceptions they've picked up from all the many mass media sources trying to sell them something, and when what they think they already know gets no validation here in the face of the hard truth, they disappear.

This phenomenon is on display with much higher frequency in the 'losing fat' and 'nutrition' forums, but it shows up here occasionally as well.

[induced_drag]

While this is skirting on the medical side of things, and I apologize if this is out of line, I had a more issues than fat loss problems when I was diagnosed as hypothyroid. I had no energy or motivation, severe joint pain, and was generally a crabby person 90% of the time I was awake.

Hate to disagree....While it can make it harder, it is not impossible. At the end of the day, weight loss is an energy balance equation. I started getting back in shape after a very bad injury. I broke my neck and had a TBI. I was motivated and systematic about tracking my intake and working out.

Below was results in my first 11 weeks. What I did not know was my accident had left me with T-levels not just low, but below the bottom scale. I was also hypo-thyroid. It took me two more years to figure out that my accident left me with hormone issues. Once treated for these, my TDEE (totally required cals) went up by about 250/ day.

Anyway....hypo gonadal or hypo thyroid is no excuse. By all means if you are experiencing symptoms, seek a professional to help. For me, it was extreme fatigue and a personality change where I was much more 'on edge'. I had taken the time to get back in the best shape of my life, yet I still felt terrible. Yes, I was tired all the time....but I wanted it bad enough that I still pushed myself in the gym. I did not know anything was "wrong" with me......I was just determined to get in good shape again. Not saying it did not make it harder....but in the end, it came down to wanting it bad enough....

[billzkey]

Hate to disagree....While it can make it harder, it is not impossible. At the end of the day, weight loss is an energy balance equation. I started getting back in shape after a very bad injury. I broke my neck and had a TBI. I was motivated and systematic about tracking my intake and working out.

Below was results in my first 11 weeks. What I did not know was my accident had left me with T-levels not just low, but below the bottom scale. I was also hypo-thyroid. It took me two more years to figure out that my accident left me with hormone issues. Once treated for these, my TDEE (totally required cals) went up by about 250/ day.

Anyway....hypo gonadal or hypo thyroid is no excuse. By all means if you are experiencing symptoms, seek a professional to help. For me, it was extreme fatigue and a personality change where I was much more 'on edge'. I had taken the time to get back in the best shape of my life, yet I still felt terrible. Yes, I was tired all the time....but I wanted it bad enough that I still pushed myself in the gym. I did not know anything was "wrong" with me......I was just determined to get in good shape again. Not saying it did not make it harder....but in the end, it came down to wanting it bad enough....

I often wonder what would have happened if I had pushed harder despite the fact that I felt like total crap. I was, however, shocked at how fast the joint pain started to go away after receiving proper treatment. I felt like a brand new person in roughly a month.

I just wanted to offer a suggestion, like in my case, that there was more than just not being able to lose fat that pointed to an imbalance. I had a whole slew of other issues to go along with it, namely being tired all the time no matter how much I slept and weird joint pains. I used to look forward to the weekends just so I could sleep for 14 hours straight. My workouts used to take place after an evening nap. I had the rest part down.

[induced_drag]

namely being tired all the time no matter how much I slept I used to look forward to the weekends just so I could sleep for 14 hours straight. My workouts used to take place after an evening nap. I had the rest part down.

I can relate for sure. It got really bad for me. I could sleep for 12 hours and then I would be falling asleep in the car in the afternoon. The worst was on the weekends for me. I would hear my kids and wife down stairs having fun, enjoying breakfast. I would not get out of bed. I would not manage to get out of bed until 1:00 or later. I then would be napping on the couch after dinner. It was terrible. Working out is the ONLY thing that saved me during those times. I wanted it so bad that it was the only thing that could pull me out of my slump. After the third year of complaints to my Dr, and trying just about everything to feel good, we figured out what my issues were.

It is strange, how you forget what is 'normal'. I now will go on 6 or 7 hours sleep (not that I want to ). Before I needed 10 MIN and was still tired.

Fat loss and gym gains are NOT reasons to seek treatment in my opinion. Nothing prevented me from busting my butt and making progress in the gym. It is why I have come to believe what some research has shown....that testosterone is not necessarily the biggest player in muscle gains when speaking in natural ranges. Taken to super-physiological levels is another story that no one will deny. Probably why test-boosters (like ones sold here on bb.com), even ones that people have taken blood work to prove work, dont really have any impact on muscular gains.

When it comes to composition and fat loss, there is never anything that will replace or will be as effective as a well structured deficit. But that takes a lot of work and why most people fail. Sure, certain things will make things harder, but not impossible. Even most people with no health issues fail at losing fat......and they have nothing to blame!

[wwaldo]

At age 47, I find the easiest way to lose weight/body fat is intermittent fasting. No need to worry about the ins and outs of diets. I also had issues losing weight without it bouncing back. I fast for 16 hours a day, and then moderate what I eat during the 8 hours a day that I do consume. I currently go with 4 light carb days, 2 medium carb days and 1 heavy carb day.

[EjnarKolinkar]

I don't eat too much and try to stick to a we'll balanced and inclusive diet, stay active, and lift weights.

It works astonishingly well. I see my Dr to keep an eye on my health, which I think is wise as while medical problems seldom seriously impede weight loss, health is important.

[Gabbar99]

I fast for 16 hours a day, and then moderate what I eat during the 8 hours a day that I do consume.

I did that for two months. Gained 8 lbs.

[billzkey]

The only way I can lose weight now is to plan every meal and measure or weigh out every portion. I dropped 12 pounds in the last month and didn't lose any strength. I also learned the calories that I need to eat to maintain, lose 1 pound per week, and lose 2 pounds per week.

OTOH, it is easy to see why diets fail because this is a LOT of work to weigh and/or measure EVERYTHING. Sadly, it is the only way I know exactly what I am putting in my body.

Oh, and the other thing I learned is that I am less hungry eating whole foods versus processed foods. At the beginning of my diet, I tried a local meal prep place to get me to 2,500 calories per day. My only issue was their proteins being of the processed variety. I found I was super hungry eating their meals despite my calories hitting the mark. Three weeks into it, I switched to cooking myself at the same calorie level and I found I was not starving all the time. So either I was used to the diet by then OR there were hidden things in the processed meats, like high fructose corn syrup, triggering additional hunger responses in my body. I'm assuming it was HFCS because their BBQ chicken, meatloaf, meatballs, and other proteins had sweet overtones to them while they claimed to not use any artificial sweeteners.

[JayWinter]

change is gradual. Sudden change might be a result of something else. Has your lifestyle changed recently?