55-65 year old women's success?

candicer

jules92761 wrote: »

candicer wrote: »

jules92761 wrote: »

Canndicer I am also on 50,000 iu prescription vitamin d. My endocrinologist said I'd probably be on it forever.

Oh my goodness! Forever!? Any explanation as to why your body needs it so much more than usual?

Sorry for the late reply, Canndicer, I just saw this. I am hypothyroid and I think that contributes to low vitamin D. Living in Michigan's climate doesn't help either. LOL My parathyroid was enlarged because it was compensating for the low vitamin D and went back to normal after going on the prescription level - so he doesn't see me coming off of it. I am lucky to have found a great and very thorough endocrinologist. I was having terrible joint pain, migraines, all sorts of problems and he got me straighted out quickly. But I had spent nearly a year before that with various doctors being checked for every ailment under the sun. The rhumatologist finally is the one that referred me to the endo.

Jules - I wondered, too, if I might have a thyroid issue, but the tests came back negative. I have discoid lupus; which I don't know if it has anything to do with the VitD issue or not, but it can be a pain. I also have Raynaud's, and the cold affects my hands and feet. Fortunately I think I have been mostly in remission for the last couple years. No serious flare ups. But with the lupus I'm not supposed to go in the sun, but now I am VitD deficient because I don't get enough sun! And I really really miss the sun! I've not always been very good about staying out of it. I've found that the tanning bed will cause flare ups much faster/easier than the real thing.

candicer

helma62 wrote: »

this post is fantastic. I'm 52 post menopausal. Plus a thyroid issue for over 15 years. I gained 25lb the last 3 years. I have been working out including weights and cardio 5-6 days a week. Nothing is coming off. My biggest problem is consistency. I need to see some results fast. I have been back and forth between ww and mfp. I eat 80-90 % healthy. I don't really know how much calories I should be around. I can burn between 300 -500 calories a workout, eating 1200-1300 cal. Now I hear about marco's. Any advise is welcome. I need to read this post everyday. It is giving me the strength to not give up. I know I am not alone.

Helma, you and I are cut from the same cloth! Except for me being a couple years older, our story is pretty much identical! I started out at 1500 cal pr day, and gradually worked down to 900-1000 before I saw a weight loss. If I eat more than about 1100, I will gain. I work out 5 - 6 days a week, about 5 hours of cardio a week, and probably 4 hours with weights pr week. I've lost 3 pounds in about 10 weeks. It's very discouraging. I have my bad days but I keep coming back here for encouragement!

lovesretirement

Candicer.. with that much exercise, you need to eat way more than what you are eating. You need adequate amounts of protein, especially with the weight training you are doing. Have you used an online calculator to determine how many calories you actually need for your age, weight, and activity level?

Helma.. Macros are macronutrients... Carb, protein, fat. MFP sets them for you when you set up your goals or you can customize them. They make up your daily nutrition. I'm not sure what MFP makes them, but I have mine set at 40% carb, 30% protein, and 30% fat. You can adjust to fit your needs.

trina1049

lovesretirement wrote: »

Candicer.. with that much exercise, you need to eat way more than what you are eating. You need adequate amounts of protein, especially with the weight training you are doing. Have you used an online calculator to determine how many calories you actually need for your age, weight, and activity level?

Helma.. Macros are macronutrients... Carb, protein, fat. MFP sets them for you when you set up your goals or you can customize them. They make up your daily nutrition. I'm not sure what MFP makes them, but I have mine set at 40% carb, 30% protein, and 30% fat. You can adjust to fit your needs.

I agree; you're not eating enough. You'd probably lose weight faster if you ate more to fuel your exercise. Just a thought.

helma62

what is a good pre and post workout snack? I workout after work. I have to eat something before. I'll never make it through a workout. I eat dinner after. I usually eat a protein and veggie.

Jewels211

Snooozie wrote: »

lmao Jewels... absolutely!! I also think its only fair we get to claim a few cals burned for every hot flash LOL!!

Oh, amen! Generating that level of heat HAS to burn serious calories! The stupid things are coming more often for me suddenly & exercise is one of the triggers for me. I guess that might mean I burn even more calories afterward, right?

Jewels211

helma62 wrote: »

I have been working out including weights and cardio 5-6 days a week. Nothing is coming off. My biggest problem is consistency. I need to see some results fast. I have been back and forth between ww and mfp. I eat 80-90 % healthy. I don't really know how much calories I should be around. I can burn between 300 -500 calories a workout, eating 1200-1300 cal. Now I hear about marco's. Any advise is welcome. I need to read this post everyday. It is giving me the strength to not give up. I know I am not alone.

Helma, this site & its 2 calculators might help give you an idea of what you need calorie wise:
http://dailyburn.com/life/health/how-to-calculate-bmr/

Jewels211

jules92761 wrote: »

homesweeths wrote: »

Inspiring thread. Got a question for those of you who have battled arthritis... How did you get started exercising again? I have my joint pain mostly under control through diet (mostly by eliminating nightshades -- my body reacts severely to them -- and keeping my carbs low because I've found carbs inflammatory) and supplements (glucosamine, vitamin C, magnesium citrate, and collagen). My joints are still somewhat stiff, and my ability to catch my balance when pulled off balance is not where I'd like it to be. I can walk up to two miles in an hour without pain.

Anyhow, how does someone with stiff knees start exercising and regaining flexibility? Is it even possible?

I struggle with arthritis too - mostly in my spine and hips. For me yoga has been a tremendous help. If you can, what worked well for me was a private one-on-one session with a yoga instructor (from a yoga studio, not a fitness center) who can customize a program for you based on your needs. I also found the elliptical is good for me because there is no impact.

How about water aerobics? Do you have that available in your area? It's supposed to really help ease joint pain while exercising.

Sandyloveschampagne

I like this thread, I need the accountability MFP gives us, even though we are all strangers.....heck, I won't even tell my husband how much I weigh!!

sodakat

Hah, hah Sandy, I am excited that pretty soon I'll weigh LESS than my husband!

cathy120861

Oh Sodakat -- i just a couple of months ago finally weighed less than my husband, so i am totally with you on how good that feels.

my favorite on the go snack is nuts -- almonds and macademia nuts were recommended to me as the healthiest. I have to measure out an ounce or two, though, cause it is easy to eat too many and they do have a lot of calories. i eat them anyway because they seem to be the best for getting some energy that lasts a long time.

i have been struggling to stay with my healthy eating for the last week. i have been anxious, and having trouble sleeping. Those midnight emotional binges are my downfall.

sodakat

I'm so grateful I don't wake up overnight, Cathy.

I know if I fall asleep watching TV in the living room, then wake up to go to bed, I feel like I need to eat. If I go to bed when I'm tired instead of nodding off in a chair or on the couch, I don't have the urge to grab a snack and I'm never hungry after waking in the morning. I wonder what it is about waking up after a short time of sleeping, that increases my urge to eat?

urloved33

I love this thread...good for us! I am 55 and have been in the gym since i was 20 but very seriously since i was 35. In my 50;s things changed and I need to warm up for a much longer time to perform like I did when I was younger. I added a stretched and balanced class to my weekly schedule and a yoga class. I still life weights twice weekly and do one hour of uphill cardio five days a week!

urloved33

grandmothercharlie wrote: »

I am 5'1" and was always fit and within a healthy weight range. My weight gain started in 2001 at age 50 (5 years after menopause) due to heart problems and RA. I hurt and felt like my heart would explode at very little exertion. I gained 100 pounds in 8 months and it became even harder to move. My RA was usually controlled, but my heart continued to get worse and by 2007, I was pretty much told I shouldn't do stairs, exercise, etc. as it was feared I would suffer sudden death. Medications helped, but would not get my heart functioning well enough. I continued to gain. In 2010, I was given a pacemaker/CRT/defibrillator implant and I could tell a difference almost immediately. The CRT (cardiac resychronization therapy) portion has that effect on some people. My RA was flaring up again though, so I was still pretty limited in what I could do.

But by January 2014, my heart function was near normal and my RA was in remission. I could finally move without problems. I was looking into bariatric surgery as I had reached 238 (BMI 45). I started doing all the things I needed to do to prepare for surgery like seeing that I could stick to a 1200-calorie a day diet and walk every day. I was determined that if I went through the surgery, I would do what it took to be successful. Instead, I started to lose weight! I joined MFP a couple weeks later. By the time I would have jumped through all the hoops to have the surgery, I no longer qualified for surgery!

I am now at 148.5. (I've dropped 89.5 pounds total, 81.5 since joining MFP). I have gone from a size 22 WP pants to a 10P (just this week). I have gone from XXL tops to MP. I am walking everyday. Doing a cardio workout usually at least 60 minutes and 6 days a week (mostly 7 because I love it). I try to do strength training twice a week (but I must admit I hate it). I have started Tai Chi this year and go twice a week to that!

I'm still not sure where to stop. My ticker goal says 115 as that is where I was most of my life. The science says after 60 we should weigh a little into the "overweight BMI range" and my doctor agrees with that thinking and says 135-140. I would like to get at least to 130 (which would get me into the high end of "healthy" BMI, but lower than my dr. advises) I'll be 64 in April. My question is: How did you decide where to maintain? Science or vanity? I seem to be aiming at vanity.

The progress photo below was taken last month about 6 pounds more than now and one size larger.

This is an absolutely incredible experience that you shared with us. It speaks to the ability of our body and spirit to heal. You are an amazing and strong woman. Congratulations to you.

Jewels211

sodakat wrote: »

Hah, hah Sandy, I am excited that pretty soon I'll weigh LESS than my husband!

I'd have to truly get all the way down to my goal to weigh less than my husband does most of the time. 6' tall 160-165 lb string bean. The dream of him carrying me will never happen again. :-/

ythannah

Jewels211 wrote: »

Snooozie wrote: »

lmao Jewels... absolutely!! I also think its only fair we get to claim a few cals burned for every hot flash LOL!!

Oh, amen! Generating that level of heat HAS to burn serious calories! The stupid things are coming more often for me suddenly & exercise is one of the triggers for me. I guess that might mean I burn even more calories afterward, right?

Exercise triggers hot flashes for me too. I feel like I'm being punished for doing something good.

I came across an article not long ago about a study finding that exercise diminished the frequency of hot flashes... for the women in the study, apparently... lucky them. My experience has been the opposite.

Notreadytoquit

@SbetaK I've been a member 10 months and only rerecently did I discover member blogs. I had no idea over 1,000 members contribute a WORLD of advice. On the website version of MFP go to the Community tab. On second bar is Blogs option. I've been exploring for a month (snowed in) and while a newbie to the world of blogs I find we have fascinating, experienced members willing to motivate and support. You can have your own blog if you like to write and have insight to share. That option is on your home page.

I find website is better experience than apps which don't allow access to all features of site. Perhaps someone who uses apps can offer access advice for blogs.

Snooozie

I love the app for logging my food; it's way easier than the website for me, BUT i prefer the website for everything else - I've learned so much from all the wunnerful peeps at MFP who are willing to lend a hand and share their knowledge (altho like everything else, I've had to do my own research and weed out what works for me and what i think is a crock of poop LOL.. when i first came to MFP, i was jumping from one "do this" to another "do this" every week; it was a little overwhelming to be honest and i was desperate to see something happen NOW... but of course flipping every few days to something else just had the opposite effect! It took me a couple of months if i recall til my head stopped spinning!
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I honestly believe one of the biggest contributors to my success at losing the weight this time came from the support of my group on MFP.. being around other women my age who were all at various levels of loss (so i had peeps at the same stage i was, and most importantly, others who had succeeded and were already well on their way) helped me begin to really believe it really was possible for me to do it too.. and it was a "safe" place for me to be honest... no judgements, no criticisms, just support and encouragement. And after a lifetime of stupid diets and the years of yo-yoing we are all familiar with, i think that was actually the biggest achievement for me.. learning to believing in myself and my ability to lose the weight once and for all. And being talked off the ledge a few times by my peeps here helped too LOL..

sodakat

@Snooozie your points about your Group are what I like about this thread -- because it's in the Success sub-forum, we are talking about successful weight loss and changes. Too bad the OP left us, but I appreciate her starting the thread, looking for women 55-65 who are successful!

I particularly appreciate the members on maintenance who have commented in this thread, showing us that the results can be long-lasting!!

I am positive, in my personal situation, that logging everything I eat, and in particular accurate logging which includes using a food scale and finding the RIGHT entry in the database, is the biggest contributor to my weight loss. This would be closely followed by the hours of reading I've done in the forums and articles members link to, which has educated me about the science of weight loss.

nandern

Hope I can join in here. I'm 54 and need to lose about 70 pounds. I'm 5' 8" (or at least I used to be) I've started logging my food and weight daily. I know it's easy to pretend I don't weigh as much or eat as much as I do when I'm not logging.

I've been successful in the past, but gradually the weight creeps back. Has anyone lost by just going down to their maintenance calories of the weight that they would like to be and then maintain from that? Apparently, I'll never be able to maintain without very close attention to details. I just hope I can get to that point again.

I probably should mention I'm post-menopause, thyroid issues, and insulin dependent for the last 25 years. Yes, some strikes against weight loss but I know others have done it. It's just a bit tougher I suppose.

Happy Saturday!

Nancy
Muskegon, MI