55-65 year old women's success?

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Replies

  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,697 Member
    I've been retired over two years now. I still have a ton of things on the what to do when I retire list. Here are some things on that list, feel free to steal ideas:
    Travel
    Reading all the books I missed out on while working
    Going through the basement and closets and tossing things me no longer need/want/or used in last few years.
    Walk more
    Go to the gym and do strength training
    Catch up with friends via internet or in person
    Improve my diet by learning to cook new foods
    Visit the federal, state, and regional parks in my state (lots of those in CO)
    Volunteering
    Learning to ride my bike using all the gears
    Learn to Zumba
    Make new friends like the neighbors I have barely waved at during my working years.
    Spend time with my husband doing just about anything
    Learning to use the digital camera I bought as my retirement gift to myself and hubby

    And that is just a sample. I'd like to see what others are doing in retirement too.
  • Allgaun
    Allgaun Posts: 222 Member
    I'm a semi-retired 63 year old, now working 2 days a week at the library. I've been gaining slowly for about 15 years, starting when I left my retail job for a sit down office job. Finally I capped out at 216 at the end of 2016 (ironic numbers?) . I'm only 5'3" so I started the year pretty round

    I've lost a little over 20 lbs so far. I haven't seen a change in clothing size, but I did notice more wrinkles and sags in my neck (gross) I log and weigh everything. BUT no real exercise yet, I tore my meniscus in Nov. and just had surgery last week. Limping and pain limit exercise! I do plan on walking and riding my bike as soon as I have the doctors clearance, and the stitches out.

    I did see a great sale at "Chicos" on line last week and I ordered 4 new tops, something like $14-$16 each. I was thrilled to get them and I did order in my lower size, but now I'm thinking I shouldn't buy anything more until I need to, hopefully I will be in a smaller size.
  • 1Nana2many
    1Nana2many Posts: 172 Member
    Welcome Allgaun! Just remember, even if you're not quite seeing the changes yet, they are still happening! I started 2016 at 244.7 pounds and mostly just staying within my calorie limit got me down to 161.5 in a little over a year. I understand your reluctance to buy new clothes when you know you want to keep going down in size! Since I am retired, I didn't have to worry about being too fashionable. I recently went down another size in jeans and took the advice of others on MFP and went to Goodwill and picked up a couple pairs of jeans for $7.00 a pair. I have made liberal use of an adjustable belt quite a lot during my weight-loss. I will also admit that the first really noticeable thing for me was when my shirts hung from my bust instead of draping over my belly! I don't look like I did when I was thirty or even forty, but I am thinner than and more importantly, healthier than I was at those ages! My blood pressure is normal for the first time in a couple decades without medication! Hang in there! You are worth the effort!
  • cory17
    cory17 Posts: 1,513 Member
    @allgaun - You deserve the best! Honesty, happiness& peace, NO excuses. (How did you catch him?) It's good to put yourself first (just like on the airlines).
  • Allgaun
    Allgaun Posts: 222 Member
    Receipts, he likes to hold on to receipts. Should have tossed the ones from the drug store.
  • 1Nana2many
    1Nana2many Posts: 172 Member
    trailgirl777 wrote: »
    I think weight loss & becoming healthier is about so much more than just diet & exercise. There is a huge emotional & mental aspect that throws up barriers & makes it more challenging. You overcome something to find another. You think your never going to win- then you look at where you started & you realize you have already won some of the battles. This journey is sometimes hard & sometimes easy. If I don't lose another ounce I'm healthier now than at the beginning. Being a part of what others overcome helps make mine easier too.

    Agree with you wholeheartedly! I personally think the mental health side of it is huge! Knowing that you are not alone as you go through this does help a lot.
  • mk2fit
    mk2fit Posts: 730 Member
    The mental health thing came hand in hand with the physical health thing, at least for me. As I was losing those nasty 70ish pounds, I felt better and better both physically and mentally! Exercise became a daily habit as did watching what I (and my husband) was eating. We have learned so much in this journey. Plan ahead for a weekly menu, spend a day doing food prep. Crawl, walk, run! (Having some good friends here helps a lot, too)
  • coolbluecris
    coolbluecris Posts: 228 Member
    1Nana2many wrote: »
    trailgirl777 wrote: »
    I think weight loss & becoming healthier is about so much more than just diet & exercise. There is a huge emotional & mental aspect that throws up barriers & makes it more challenging. You overcome something to find another. You think your never going to win- then you look at where you started & you realize you have already won some of the battles. This journey is sometimes hard & sometimes easy. If I don't lose another ounce I'm healthier now than at the beginning. Being a part of what others overcome helps make mine easier too.

    Agree with you wholeheartedly! I personally think the mental health side of it is huge! Knowing that you are not alone as you go through this does help a lot.

    This week I discovered OA. It's simply amazing. I wish I'd known about them years ago. They help the whole person. The podcasts are very freeing to me. No judgment please, I'm just sharing. I have 75 pounds to lose. I finally feel it is possible.

    If you're interested the podcasts here:
    https://oa.org/podcasts/
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
    Agree w/all the above. I didn't have much to lose (just a few lbs), but the main thing was getting control of what I was really eating and adding the consistent exercising to the mix. Now that the weather is nice adding a daily neighborhood walk to the three days I do at the gym.
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
    Nana; totally agree!!
  • AnnofB
    AnnofB Posts: 3,588 Member
    Nana, great quotes.
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
    How is everyone doing?? Haven't heard from ya'll in a while!!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,697 Member
    Welcome RaeBeeBaby, I like your "thriver" outlook.

    I too prefer hanging around MFP to most social media spots. I have FB because of my friends who live in other countries, easiest way to stay in touch with all the time zones involved. That is my only social media page. Oh I have a twitter page, I follow Anthony Bourdain and Yoko Ono so am seldom on it.

    I have finally started drifting slowly downwards again. I am within 10 lbs. of my goal weight. Hope others are seeing progress too. I have started working on shoulders and chest areas, I want to learn to kayak this summer, and I was told those are the key areas for that sport.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,246 Member
    I also would love to learn kayaking! I have an MFP friend in her 50's who does stand-up paddleboarding as one of her primary exercises. That would be SO FUN, but I must find a local avenue for rentals to try it out. Those SUP's are pretty spendy!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    RaeBeeBaby wrote: »
    I also would love to learn kayaking! I have an MFP friend in her 50's who does stand-up paddleboarding as one of her primary exercises. That would be SO FUN, but I must find a local avenue for rentals to try it out. Those SUP's are pretty spendy!

    Some of the local kayak shops around here have "demo days" where you can test-drive different kayaks they sell (can't speak for other places, but in the two different shops' events I've been to, there was no hard sell, and they were happy to have people trying the boats just to sample the sport). Some were free, some were like a $5 charge for the whole time they were there (2-4 hours). They gave basic instructions, and would point newbies to the 'easy' boats first. Might want to call some local shops to see if that's an option somewhere near you.

    There are also day-long classes hereabouts where they will supply the kayak, and I took an indoor winter 'pool class' over several weeks in winter that was instructive and fun (they supplied boats), then went to a weekend-long symposium (the symposium had a list of vendors from whom you could rent boats/equipment for the event).

    A good source for information is American Canoe Association (which also covers kayak and paddleboard). Check out americancanoe.org/?page=FindCourses, and other pages on their site. Human-powered boating is so fun!

    My plan for this summer is to try stand-up paddle boarding: There's an organization that offers a two hour or so intro class at a local sailing club.
  • birgitkwood
    birgitkwood Posts: 486 Member
    I've kayaked for probably about 12yrs, and LOVE it!!! I do not, however, see it as exercise. For me it's all about bobbing on the water and watching for critters and plants on the shore. Rarely do I ever need to put oomph into getting where I'm going - really only when the wind is against me. But that's just me! One certainly can go on long kayak treks, for which one definitely needs strong muscles. It's just that for me, that's not the draw. I like to relax and bob, chatting with whoever my companion is, looking for birds with my binoculars. And now that I'm thinner, my 60lb doggie fits in the cockpit with me - she sits right between my legs :-D
  • Pooshka2
    Pooshka2 Posts: 208 Member
    The first (and last) time I ever went kayaking the thing tipped over, throwing me and my son out. I was stuck under water, under the thing. It was an excursion off of a Hawaii cruise.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Pooshka2 wrote: »
    The first (and last) time I ever went kayaking the thing tipped over, throwing me and my son out. I was stuck under water, under the thing. It was an excursion off of a Hawaii cruise.

    For me, that was one of the really great things about the pool class I took: The first thing they taught us was what to do when the kayak flips over - how to help companion kayakers right you (or how you would right them), or how to do it yourself if no one's nearby. It would be really scary to flip without any idea what to do!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,697 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Pooshka2 wrote: »
    The first (and last) time I ever went kayaking the thing tipped over, throwing me and my son out. I was stuck under water, under the thing. It was an excursion off of a Hawaii cruise.

    For me, that was one of the really great things about the pool class I took: The first thing they taught us was what to do when the kayak flips over - how to help companion kayakers right you (or how you would right them), or how to do it yourself if no one's nearby. It would be really scary to flip without any idea what to do!

    Yes, I decided to do a pool class, found one not to far away and a decent price. My sisters have an open one, you are not down in a hole, as well as the more traditional one where you are in a surround. As I am a poor swimmer, the open kind is what I want to use. I also want to have on a life vest at all times. I want to have fun not be concerned with possibly drowning myself. There is a regional park lake near us that rents kayaks and SUPs, but they on only have SUP lessons planned. Not sure I want to stand for long periods on a glorified surfboard. If I get the hang of paddling with the kayak, I hope to convince DH to do canoeing.

    @birgitwood, If you kayak on lakes you can get an excellent workout. If on a river going downstream, not so much. Near us there are lots of lakes, the rivers are not generally deep enough for kayaking. Unless it is early spring run off time, then it is fast and furious, not my style. And the water is super cold even midsummer. I just like to be on water and don't like motorized boats, so this seems like a good way to get out there and get some exercise too.
  • 2012retiree
    2012retiree Posts: 36 Member
    Someone on FB once posted a quote saying you are not a failure in your weight loss journey unless you give up. After gaining back almost half my ninety pound loss, a talk with my doctor on strategy, and continue to try to achieve a balance of weight and health...this will be repeated in my head many more times.
  • FHImagined
    FHImagined Posts: 145 Member
    lwr731 wrote: »
    57 years old here. My weight gain began about 10 years ago when I quit smoking & entered menopause. I couldn't understand why hours on the treadmill and undereating (punctuated by periodic binges) did not result in weight loss. I lost weight when I found a calorie counting site (not MFP), and I learned about weightlifting. Unfortunately, I drifted away and resumed bad habits, so the weight returned. I resumed calorie counting last summer, and I lift weights. I've lost about 40 pounds. Post-menopausal weight loss is more challenging, but it is possible. For me, it means counting calories and getting exercise, both cardio & strength training. I feel better when I limit simple carbs, but I allow myself some "cheats." I've become convinced that strength training makes a huge difference. I see a little definition in my arms and legs, and my metabolism seems higher. I can do things I never imagined!
    I struggle with depression and anxiety, and I lost my job of 20 years last year. It has been hard. Very hard. But this is one area of my life where I have some control.

    I gained because of the same .. I worked hard and got in the best shape of my life at 50 .. now 20+ lbs. later I am now have my sights on being at the very best shape of my life at 60. I am fairly active .. but want to start incorporating weight training 2-3 days a week. Thanks for sharing and congrats.. your determination has given you much success!!!
  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
    Hi I am new to the thread as well. I am 56 years old. I want to lose about 15 more pounds. It just seems like the weight loss is sooo slow- I know I must be a turtle in another life- haha- anyway- ALL we can do is keep going- I am trying to stay within my calorie range and be active. I am semi-retired. i work with our school system 2 or 3 days each week. I also help my help my mom a lot. She will be 93 years old tomorrow- God willing!- but she lives alone and is very sharp. I enjoy mfp as well.

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