How many other 70+ year olds here?

rafikiphoto

I hit 70 years old in a couple of weeks. I was just wondering how many others here are that age or more and what your goals and motivations are.

I am working on weight loss and general fitness. The reasons are that I have, over the last year or so, gained about 7kg in weight and have not cycled for a year and a half resulting in a general feeling of sloth and sub-par wellness. I am susceptible to back problems and that always seems to get worse in relation to a gain in weight. I had a bad bout of sciatica which lasted for nearly 9 months and was very debilitating. I don't smoke but I do drink too much.

It's not all bad though. I have three rescue dogs (2 quite big ones) which need exercising and I have usually spent an hour in the park with them 5 days a week although during my sciatica event was only able to manage 2 days a week.

About a fortnight ago I had to renew my driving license in advance of my 70th birthday and here in Spain that requires a medical. My blood pressure was too high even though I am on beta blockers. By chance the next day I met some friends, two ladies, who mentioned I was looking fat and I should be careful of a stroke. I weighed just under 97kg then (I am 1.83m tall ~6 feet). That was a catalyst. The next day I decided I should do something so I joined this site and set out my plan. I cleaned and oiled my bicycle, pumped up the tyres and pulled the lycra from the cupboard. Except for one day I have cycled 7 miles every day since, watched my calories and lost nearly 3kg in weight. I continue to walk 2 miles a day with the dogs. I was very silly after a few days cycling - I increased the distance too much and too quickly and I became very tired and sore. I have stabilised that now and have found a good distance. Nowhere near what I was doing 2 or 3 years ago but I shall build that up slowly now.

Just this morning I read a thread on here about the effect alcohol has on weight and made the decision to stop drinking alcohol from today. I have done that very successfully before and it accelerated my weight loss greatly.

I am feeling much more positive, well in fact. The weight loss and extra exercise makes me feel much fitter already.

If you are 70+ or thereabouts I would be very interested to hear your experiences and motivations.

rafikiphoto

Wow! Am I really the oldest participant here?

amflautist

Someone, somewhere, must have asked me to get back to mfp because friends might be waiting. I am your height (1.83 m) and 73. Need to get back on my bicycle too. But it will have to wait until spring -- when the snow clears.

zosia141

So I'm 71, with a bmi on high end of normal (24.something). I eat Mediterranean most of the time, veggies, fruits, lean protein. In 2002 when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and low thyroid I weighed about 185 lbs and was put on meds. I now weigh 140 and feel good at this weight. I go to the gym At least 3x a week and walk Lucy the dog every day between 1.5 and 2.5 miles a day. MFP motivates me to monitor my weight and if I find that I'm putting on a few pounds I go back to monitoring food and exercise. Btw - doc cut my bp meds so I'm only taking thyroid and 25. Mg of a beta blocker.

There is a 60 + group on MFP that I enjoy but havn't seen any over 70 groups.

rafikiphoto

Good to hear from you both. I have maintained my calorie intake control usually coming in under my limit. My weigh continues to fall slowly and I have not drunk any alcohol. After my ride this afternoon on a cold, windy but sunny Sunday I feel great and I'm beginning to notice my weight loss.

NK1112

Just found this thread while burning the midnight oil cause I can't sleep.

I will be 70 in March and am .... bluntly speaking ... very fat. This year I trimmed out about 20 pounds and my goal is to gradually lose another 50- 70. I really need to lose more than that to be the correct weight for my height, but haven't set that low of a weight as my target goal.

I won't go into detail about all my health and weight management issues because they are not uncommon given someone in my age bracket and weight. The biggest challenge I'm facing about right this minute is being tired and not being able to relax into sleep ... it's a pattern I recognize that sets in about this time of year and finally lifes about mid-January. So the goal right now is to stay stable in the weight I have lost and not gain anything until the days start getting longer again.

sohmui

Hello there, Rafikiphoto, I am 73 and didn't even begin to care about nutrition and exercise until a couple of years ago, when I was your age A sedentary, but busy, job over the years led to too much reliance on convenience foods which, in turn, led to weight gain, high blood pressure and even difficulty with simple activities of daily living like boarding a bus or climbing stairs. I smoked a packet of cigarettes a day and drank too much alcohol. I weighed 67 kilos at 5 feet 3 inches.

My own catalyst came with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Alcohol doesn't mix with my medication so that had to be out, and having started, I began to look for other ways to improve my health. I didn't know about My Fitness Pal so I began without its help, but once I'd started to use it, the plan became heaps easier. Arithmetic was never my strong subject and MFP does all that for you!

I started on 1200 calories per day, ate only fresh food and began an exercise regime of a daily one-hour swim together with muscle resistance exercises. I don't own a car and walk everywhere. I've cut down the cigs to 4 or 5 a day. My blood pressure is as low as that of a youngster. My current weight is 51 kilos and despite the rheumatoid I've never felt better in my entire life. I still work, though only part-time now.

All this took 7 or 8 months to achieve. Please do persevere with your plan. The rewards are so worthwhile. My food diary is open to the public. Feel free to read it if you wish.

isandi

It has been a couple of years since I have checked in. I am 76 and really need to get it together! I lost 16 pounds in January and have gained 14 back.! I would love to see this group start an over 69 group and be able to motivate eachother!

NK1112

isandi wrote: »

It has been a couple of years since I have checked in. I am 76 and really need to get it together! I lost 16 pounds in January and have gained 14 back.! I would love to see this group start an over 69 group and be able to motivate eachother!

Yes, I do think the younger folks have different life styles and health concerns than those of us who raised them do. We perhaps have a bit harder time learning new ways of doing things and may have physical conditions that limit what we are willing or feel able to do.

But for us, just like for everyone else ... it's a slow process with set-backs along the way yet if we keep at it we will surely improve.

I like what Dr Denis Waitley has been quoted as saying, "There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." and the Chinese Proverb, "Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still."

isandi

There is a new thread in this section , it is called "Golden Years" Go to community and click on groups....there is a group called Senior Golden Sneakers, they are a great group of women!

rafikiphoto

Happy Christmas to you all.

After 33 days I have lost just over 5kg (11lbs) and I am feeling very well and very positive.

It is 9am here in Spain and I was up at 7.30 and have walked with the dogs for the dawn hour here. Nice and crisp and a bit misty. A lovely Christmas morning. At a Christmas eve party last night I did have a glass and a half of wine and, after 31 days without alcohol I felt it! I didn't stint on the food but didn't gorge as I would once have done. I admit to having 4, yes four, chocolates when we arrived home. I feel rather guilty about that.

This morning's walk gives me 326 calories to add to my daily 1500. In a few minutes I will go for my 18km (11.25 miles) bike ride. If I push hard that will add another 850 calories to my tally and should stand me in reasonable stead for the Christmas dinner we are invited to this afternoon. I don't expect to lose any weight over this period but I don't think I will gain any which is a result as far as I am concerned.

Happy holidays!

G8rRay

Merry Christmas!!!

Officially, I won't be in your demographic for one more week and a day! (02 Jan 2015)

Currently, I have no health issues other than a slight DOMS in my right hip muscles from running at an easy pace. I only started running in Oct 2010; so, I'm still learning what works for me. I just started posting my exercise sessions on my blog, G8rRay.com.

I've found that consistency in exercising and in watching my caloric intake (use a food scale measuring in grams) really makes a difference in dropping and in keeping my weight within reasonable bounds. In Sept 2006, I weighed 210 lb (95.45 kg); today, I weigh 145.8 lb (66.27 kg). I'm hoping to maintain at/near 145.0 lb (65.91 kg). Oh, I'm 5'8" (172.72 cm).

AglaeaC

I wish my parents, who are a few years your juniors, would be as active as you lot are. Keep up the great work and Merry Christmas to you all!

Corjogo

Thanks for the tip on senior groups. I will be 80 on my next birthday (July). Lost over 100 pounds about 3 years ago and joined MFP to maintain. Have gained back about 30 pounds mostly due to inactivity...still struggling to get rid of some unwanted pounds

GaleHawkins

Hey you have some honest friends it sounds like.

You have me beat by 6 years but I have a lot of physical limitations.

Thanks for your posting.

NK1112

I'm three months away from being in the 'correct' age bracket ... so I'll just shadow you all for now.
Hope everyone has had a pleasant and peaceful past couple of days ... what with the season and all.
Niki

Mumzy_44

Corjogo wrote: »

Thanks for the tip on senior groups. I will be 80 on my next birthday (July). Lost over 100 pounds about 3 years ago and joined MFP to maintain. Have gained back about 30 pounds mostly due to inactivity...still struggling to get rid of some unwanted pounds

you are an inspiration I have 100 pounds to lose just starting this week I just turned 70 in December. Hoping to post someday that I lost 100 lbs.

amisbest

I am 70 yrs old and have lost about 45 lbs over the last couple of years. I am an avid tennis player and play outdoors all winter long (Pennsylvania). I also play platform tennis 3 or 4 times a week outdoors....so I am pretty active for my age. I still need to lose about 30 more lbs, but it seems to take a long time now that I am a septuagenarian. I am trying to stay around 1800 cals/day. It is worth the effort to lose weight just for health issues such as CVD, Type II, High Blood pressure and Cholesterol. Those #'s are pretty good now that I have lost some weight. I am interested in getting to my goal weight and would like to support anyone in if they need some help...especially if you are getting a little older.

bellesouth18

If you are 70+ or thereabouts I would be very interested to hear your experiences and motivations.

Is age 61 "thereabouts" close enough?

mkbunny

sohmui wrote: »

Hello there, Rafikiphoto, I am 73 and didn't even begin to care about nutrition and exercise until a couple of years ago, when I was your age A sedentary, but busy, job over the years led to too much reliance on convenience foods which, in turn, led to weight gain, high blood pressure and even difficulty with simple activities of daily living like boarding a bus or climbing stairs. I smoked a packet of cigarettes a day and drank too much alcohol. I weighed 67 kilos at 5 feet 3 inches.

My own catalyst came with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Alcohol doesn't mix with my medication so that had to be out, and having started, I began to look for other ways to improve my health. I didn't know about My Fitness Pal so I began without its help, but once I'd started to use it, the plan became heaps easier. Arithmetic was never my strong subject and MFP does all that for you!

I started on 1200 calories per day, ate only fresh food and began an exercise regime of a daily one-hour swim together with muscle resistance exercises. I don't own a car and walk everywhere. I've cut down the cigs to 4 or 5 a day. My blood pressure is as low as that of a youngster. My current weight is 51 kilos and despite the rheumatoid I've never felt better in my entire life. I still work, though only part-time now.

All this took 7 or 8 months to achieve. Please do persevere with your plan. The rewards are so worthwhile. My food diary is open to the public. Feel free to read it if you wish.

amisbest wrote: »

I am 70 yrs old and have lost about 45 lbs over the last couple of years. I am an avid tennis player and play outdoors all winter long (Pennsylvania). I also play platform tennis 3 or 4 times a week outdoors....so I am pretty active for my age. I still need to lose about 30 more lbs, but it seems to take a long time now that I am a septuagenarian. I am trying to stay around 1800 cals/day. It is worth the effort to lose weight just for health issues such as CVD, Type II, High Blood pressure and Cholesterol. Those #'s are pretty good now that I have lost some weight. I am interested in getting to my goal weight and would like to support anyone in if they need some help...especially if you are getting a little older.

mkbunny

mkbunny wrote: »

sohmui wrote: »

Hello there, Rafikiphoto, I am 73 and didn't even begin to care about nutrition and exercise until a couple of years ago, when I was your age A sedentary, but busy, job over the years led to too much reliance on convenience foods which, in turn, led to weight gain, high blood pressure and even difficulty with simple activities of daily living like boarding a bus or climbing stairs. I smoked a packet of cigarettes a day and drank too much alcohol. I weighed 67 kilos at 5 feet 3 inches.

My own catalyst came with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Alcohol doesn't mix with my medication so that had to be out, and having started, I began to look for other ways to improve my health. I didn't know about My Fitness Pal so I began without its help, but once I'd started to use it, the plan became heaps easier. Arithmetic was never my strong subject and MFP does all that for you!

I started on 1200 calories per day, ate only fresh food and began an exercise regime of a daily one-hour swim together with muscle resistance exercises. I don't own a car and walk everywhere. I've cut down the cigs to 4 or 5 a day. My blood pressure is as low as that of a youngster. My current weight is 51 kilos and despite the rheumatoid I've never felt better in my entire life. I still work, though only part-time now.

All this took 7 or 8 months to achieve. Please do persevere with your plan. The rewards are so worthwhile. My food diary is open to the public. Feel free to read it if you wish.

amisbest wrote: »

I am 70 yrs old and have lost about 45 lbs over the last couple of years. I am an avid tennis player and play outdoors all winter long (Pennsylvania). I also play platform tennis 3 or 4 times a week outdoors....so I am pretty active for my age. I still need to lose about 30 more lbs, but it seems to take a long time now that I am a septuagenarian. I am trying to stay around 1800 cals/day. It is worth the effort to lose weight just for health issues such as CVD, Type II, High Blood pressure and Cholesterol. Those #'s are pretty good now that I have lost some weight. I am interested in getting to my goal weight and would like to support anyone in if they need some help...especially if you are getting a little older.

I'm so excited to find such a group of just like me folks.. I'm 72 or will be in July. Desperately need to loose weight I'm 5'7" and 230. Want to be friends and share with all of you cute lol ole folks.

cooksandy1

Three years ago I weighed 216 lbs ( I am 6'1" tall) and knew I had to lose weight. I made some good food choices, but mostly controlled my diet through portion size - small plates, small portions. I lost about 40 pounds, but was weak, having balance problems, and generally felt that I was just sort of timed out, waiting for the end (I am 79). When I started contemplating purchasing a cane, I realized that it all had gone too far. I decided I had to do something but really didn't know what, so I started research. I learned that because I had not exercised while dieting I had lost lean every bit as much as I had lost fat. That was it--I joined the YMCA and got an outstanding personal trainer. It has been 6 months now and I am in better shape than I was when I retired from the Army over 30 years ago. I use this site to track my diet--what a breeze! My incredible (and beautiful) trainer established a complete program for me and I see her for just 30 minutes twice a week. She monitors my progress and changes the exercises to keep the program fresh. My BMI has dropped significantly so, while I have gained 5 pounds back, the calculation is that I have lost 10 pounds of fat while gaining 15 pounds of muscle; I am now starting to lose weight again at @.5 lb/week. I feel great! Glad to see that there are others who haven't given up. I can't get younger, but I certainly can feel younger. All this costs me about $40 a week, including membership fees. I couldn't have spent it better. Good luck to all of you. [By the way - I did it without giving up my lovely glass of red wine each night with dinner.]

rafikiphoto

By the way - I did it without giving up my lovely glass of red wine each night with dinner.

I do allow myself just half a liqueur glass of anis before bed. It helps me sleep!

rafikiphoto

Some wonderful and inspiring posts from people 'of our age'. Thanks and keep them coming.

Update: Yesterday's weigh-in showed I have lost 9 kg (about 20 lbs) in just over 2 months. I'm happy with that. Just another 6 kg to go to my optimum BMI.

bjgrimjo

rafikiphoto! WOW you are STILL very active and seem to be in great shape! I will be 70 in October. LOL...Anyone at or over our age, is to be COMMENDED for doing the right things to be "here" in the FIRST place!

I hope you keep up the most EXCELLENT work as you are a great inspiration!

Kenda2427

I am not in your age bracket will be 50 in July but am so happy to read you all are taking control. No matter your age eat as healthy as possible and exercise. I highly recommend the book "Younger Next Year". It's about being as healthy and fit as possible in your older years. Excellent easy read with great information.
Very encouraging to see you all making the positive changes.

rafikiphoto

Thanks both. I just finished a bike ride of 45km (28 miles). My total distance for February is 473km (296 miles). At my weigh-in today I have lost 11.2 kg (25lbs) in under 3 months. I am just 9lbs off my target weight and I'm wondering how to put the brakes on when I do reach my goal. I won't stop cycling because I love doing it so I guess I'll just have to eat more! One thing I don't want to do is go back to my old drinking habits. I feel so much better without it.

rafikiphoto

Just a note to mention that I reached my target weight of 80kg this week. I am switching my goals to maintenance on a sedentary lifestyle to see how that goes first. I shall continue my cycling and dog walking regimes because I enjoy them so much so the 'sedentary' setting will probably not be sufficient but I'd rather work up to a correct level rather than start gaining quickly and getting disheartened by it and have to lose it again. I don't feel hungry anyway these days.

BEwinnin

I'm 71 living in Houston Texas "the fattest city in the US of A". Got 100 lbs to loose and looking for some sympathetic buddies to help make this fun along the way.

Claudiag19

Hi, I'm new to this. Turning 69 next week. Wondering if you ALL are still out there.