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Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change
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At the risk of being sent to the search button-I would appreciate tips/tricks to help me get back on track and modify my eating plan. I am a mess food wise the last 3 years and it shows. I am closer to 60 than 50, post meno, still very active and used to be long distance tris but that is out due to a hip replacement last year. Just finished walking an half marathon.No running-walking only but can ride/swim, weight training etc but the intensity level is so much less so the pounds have packed on.
I am a vegetarian-wanna go vegan but struggle with that.
I know portion control etc, watch gluten/dairy etc.I have been paleo but not anymore. I use "lose It" app, hated weight watchers, did Jenny Craig blah blah blah. Just still looking for the magic combo of thing that will make the pounds stay away/come off. I want to cont to do shorter tri-olys or less-but not with this fat ass.
Thanks all!
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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do you drink? don't drink :>

i've found high fat/protein - low carb is the most sustainable. Not ultra low or my heart rate shoots up. I need red meat but if you can make it work on veggie, fantastic.

i've always got a bowl of roasted nuts out. Mostly for the kids but I grab them too.

if the junk isn't in the house, you can't eat it . . .

good luck!
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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I just got this book and have heard good things about it. Written by an actual nutritionist. I'm very curious to see what she has say about inflammation.

http://www.jennifersacheck.com/the-book/

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [kiki] [ In reply to ]
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kiki wrote:
do you drink? don't drink :>

i've found high fat/protein - low carb is the most sustainable. Not ultra low or my heart rate shoots up. I need red meat but if you can make it work on veggie, fantastic.

i've always got a bowl of roasted nuts out. Mostly for the kids but I grab them too.

if the junk isn't in the house, you can't eat it . . .

good luck!


^^^^^THIS^^^^^

Having struggled for over 40 years with my weight, it has only gotten worse as I approach my 60's. Blood sugar control is at the base of weight loss. As you age, this gets more difficult, no matter what the scale says. It also explains why women over age 40 seem to struggle to avoid putting on pounds after having no problem until that time.

Staying away from starchy, processed carbs is key to not being hungry so often and making your life miserable. Replacing those calories with more healthy fat and protein, i.e.,I had uncured bacon, eggs, and coffee for breakfast, no cereal or juice. Heading off to indoor high-intensity Cycle class now and feel fine.

X2 for "you can't eat what isn't there" ;-)

DFL > DNF > DNS
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 50, menopausal, slim, and I haven't struggled with my weight up to now - I don't know if that makes me more or less qualified to give a view. There's nothing special about my metabolism, as I was a fat kid in the 70s when kids weren't fat.

I do train most days, but it's only for short-course, and the workout are hardly ever longer than an hour (often just 30 mins). I used to do more endurance stuff, long rides and bike races, but honestly I've found that I feel just as fit and strong, and thin, doing the short stuff. Some of it is quite intensive.

One thing I find helpful is not to eat too often. That is, when I do eat it's whatever I like, including a lot of carbs, full meals, dairy/gluten bring it on, alcohol when I fancy it - BUT the meals are quite spaced out. After dinner, it's nothing until after training the next morning at about 10am, so that's about 12 to 14 hours without food (ok, I'll have 2 or 3 cups of tea before training - how else to get out of bed?). Sometimes I'll just have a frothy coffee after training and not eat till lunch, so it might be 16 hours without much food.

If I'm not very hungry at dinner time I won't eat much, maybe a bit of toast and tea or soup or something simple. (I'm not a quinoa and kale kind of gal.)

So my tip is: forget the diets, and eat only when you're properly hungry (which might be only once or twice a day) - but when you are hungry, eat properly and love your food.

Something to think about, anyway.
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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Finding more ways to move your body may help give your metabolism a boost. Planned exercise is one way you burn a few extra calories. The Centers for Disease Control says older adults should aim to get 150 to 300 minutes weekly of moderate-intensity exercise such as a swim or a bike ride.

You can also increase the calorie-burning by finding ways to be more active during the day. Park your car at the far end of the parking lot, use the stairs instead of the elevator or stand while you are working or when you talk on the phone. You can also walk in place while watching TV or you can jump rope during commercials.
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [Darmanitan] [ In reply to ]
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I got a FitBit which really helps me know how many calories I am burning (not sure if it is accurate but it still helps).
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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wanted to throw another one in here --

i can't sustain massages or rolling or home stretching -- will do it for a bit, then forget/get bored.

so i've been doing yoga a couple days a week, and it's unbelievably helpful. Getting the ROM in in an enforced, structured setting. I like bikram -- love the heat -- but expect any discipline would do. There's a sneaky strength element in there too, also good.
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [Kat_Kong] [ In reply to ]
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Kat_Kong wrote:
I got a FitBit which really helps me know how many calories I am burning (not sure if it is accurate but it still helps).

I got an Apple Watch and it gives me calories, steps, exercise and reminds me once an hour to stand up, which is very helpful at work. And it was eye-opening to see how little calories/movement I had when I worked long days.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [ironclm] [ In reply to ]
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A solid ketogenic diet should comprise of about 75% fat, 20% protein, and just 5% or under 50 grams of carbs every day. Concentrate on high-fat, low-carb foods like eggs, meats, dairy, and low-carb vegetables, just as sans sugar refreshments.
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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What's the motivation for veganism? I ask because I think a lot of the things that are weight-loss friendly are high protein and you simply have more options if you will eat eggs and plain yogurt.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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One of the highest predictors of successful weight loss is keeping a food diary. I'm not sure if the lose it app does that or not. If you go to see a Registered Dietitian they can use the diary as a tool to help figure things out for you. I have found that my set point weight that my body likes when I'm eating and exercising a normal amount has gotten higher and higher as I aged. I am also having a harder time getting rid of weight around my abdomen since menopause.
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [ironclm] [ In reply to ]
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ironclm wrote:
Kat_Kong wrote:
I got a FitBit which really helps me know how many calories I am burning (not sure if it is accurate but it still helps).


I got an Apple Watch and it gives me calories, steps, exercise and reminds me once an hour to stand up, which is very helpful at work. And it was eye-opening to see how little calories/movement I had when I worked long days.

OP, if you're using Lose It!, it works VERY well with the Apple watch. I've been in menopause since 44 (I'm nearing 47), thanks to pelvic radiation. I've not found that weight management has been any tougher, fortunately. I've even managed to lose 25# since the first of this year. I come from a family of short, wide, big-boobed women. I really think using a food app with a HRM like Apple watch or Fitbit is huge! I used to have to use calorie burn charts, which notoriously overestimate calories burned for people who have longterm fitness. I think those estimates were sometimes nearly double what I actually burned. I'm pretty efficient, unfortunately (not at all fast, but my body is great at using the fewest calories possible, heh). Plus those charts don't know what sort of bike I'm on when I'd try to estimate calories burned on a ride. I suspect they're set up with the assumption that people are on 30# big box store bikes, not <20# road bikes or aero advantaged tri/TT bikes with quality wheels and hubs.

"Rectum, damn near killed 'em!"
Thriving, in spite of familial metastatic colorectal cancer since 2017 (diagnosed @ 44)
Minus most of rectum/sigmoid colon and 1 lung lobe
Early screening saves lives!
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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There are a lot of fad diets, myths, and bogus claims about what types of food to eat, when to eat, what really works. Paleo, keto, Jenny Craig, gluten-free if you're not a celiac, high fat, low suger, blah blah blah, all that is garbage diet advice. The *only* sound advice is to hire a dietician or nutritionist to assist you in sorting out the right foods based on your unique physiology, and your workout and race goals. No offense to everyone else who has provided advice in reply to your question, but anecdotal advice is only going to make you more frustrated. Hire a professional who has thoroughly reviewed all the scientific peer-reviewed studies and is trained and certified in this field.

BrokenSpoke
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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I'm menopausal also, mid-50s. Also hypothyroid. Being doing a lot of reading trying to also fight the meno-pooch belly and other side effects. The drop in estrogen affects many things including sense of thirst, mental acuity and most importantly for the pooch belly how you process carbohydrate. There's a tendency to become slightly insulin resistant with extra carb being stored as belly fat. So for me eliminating white/processed carbs worked well (pasta, white rice, most bread, potatoes (sob, my favourite!), white sugar and anything containing these). I changed my (lifetime toast and marmalade) breakfast to Shalane Flanagan's egg muffins or had yoghurt with a few blueberries. Just generally staying off the processed and white carbs and switching to more protein and fresh produce. It can certainly be challenging but that worked for me. I found when I did this that I realised I ate a few things every day through habit or boredom and these tended to be the high sugar things so it made me more mindful of what I did eat.
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Re: Best tricks/tips for over 50 metabolism change [cayenne] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 42. Although I did have some weight creep over the years, to be honest, my metabolism really hasn't changed. I work out often enough, and keep my calories within reason well enough, that I can tell where my TDEE is in comparison to how much I eat.


But the simple fact is that I eat a lot. Pizza for dinner? Half a frozen pizza, and a salad that fills a 2-quart bowl. Baking a batch of brownies? I'll bring half in to work and eat the other half. I'm about 12 lbs overweight right now (122 lbs at 5'2 right now), but by all rights I should be much heavier. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with my metabolism.


Now I go with meal planning and eat a pretty reasonable amount--about 1500 calories a day, which is about right considering I'm a small person, work a desk job and haven't gotten to the gym for the past few weeks. I've already lost 5 lbs in the past 8 weeks.
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