55-65 year old women's success?
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think I've been on this group twice, a while back but I'd like to be more active with ya'll. I've lost almost 40lbs & would like to lose 20 more. last month or so has been very slow because mfp gave me less calories per day on my last loss, so I've adjusted it to lose .5 lb a week instead. It's ok, I'm not in a hurry & am very happy with what I've lost already. I got laid off my 15yr job 3 yrs ago, but I was thrilled to be laid off, got part time job after EDD ran out & quit last summer when I started getting social security(I just turned 63) I go to the gym as well, it's only 3min from my house. added a stretch & flexibility class months ago & today I went to zumba! Even tho I don't have rhythm & i'm not very coordinated, I love it & plan to continue 2 days/wk. Me & hubby have 4 grown children & 8 grand children, 2 live out of town, so we have 2 grand kids in town & we live with our 6 dogs & 2 cats (husband is retired as well)5
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I'm 60 years old. I tried retirement at 50 and couldn't stand it. I'm also a survivor of breast cancer.
This last January I decided I was mad as hell, and I wasn't going to do it anymore, yo-yo dieting. Since January 15th, I have lost 30 pounds. I now have 30 more to lose to hit my goal. I'm not going to stop this time until I weigh what a 5'8" woman should weigh.
I've never posted, but I love to see what everyone is up to, their experiences and the kudos. We can do this!
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Welcome, ladies! You will find this a safe and fun place to hang out, learn some stuff and get encouragement.3
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Agree w/mk2fit; welcome all!!!1
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Hi all I have just started mfp I am from Victoria Australia 53 years old and would love to lose 10 kilos(22lb) for a start as I am 5'1" and the weight they say I should be for my height Is 53 kilos (116lb) which I think is way to light for me,I think I was a child the last time I weighed that.I have enjoyed reading this site it gives my hope.2
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I'm 58 and started my weight loss journey in 2014 and lost over 50 lbs. after leading a very sedentary lifestyle. I became a competitive powerlifter in June 2016. I started bulking due to loss of strength when I got down to 113 lbs. and put on 20 lbs. since November. I'm currently on a 2000 calorie diet. One of the most important things I learned while dieting/bulking is you need to EAT to lose weight! Don't go on a 1200 calorie diet! Your body will go into starvation mode. I was working with a diet coach and was on a 1200 calorie diet for 18 months and it wreaked havoc on my metabolism. I also learned that post menopause, your metabolism doesn't change. Most women gain weight because they become less active, not because their metabolism slows. Most importantly, age is just a number. I never use my age as an excuse as to why I "can't" do something.7
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I'm 67. Is it ok to post here?3
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Oldfatso2:: YES!!! Welcome to the group. We support each other and you will get great inspiration from this group of awesome women!2
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Thank you!1 -
Hello, I'm from Australia and I'm coming back to rejoin and this time to keep in touch with you all amazing people. I enjoy reading about everyone's progress and success. You should all be very proud of your achievements. I need to stop recycling the same few kilos and get real about losing weight. Hope everyone is having a great day.5
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Hi ladies, I am 54 and trying to stay positive about the changes my body has made and part of that is to get the weight off once and for all - no more yo-yo'ing- and maintain strength training to build muscle. Finding the last few pounds hard to get off after losing 25 so far, so I need all the support I can get. You all are so inspiring!1
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I'm a female who's almost 70 years old. I have lost 24lbs. and have gained 6 back. I WILL lose it! I belong to a weight group in our community.
Best way to lose it:
Remember: 80% of losing weight is what you put in your mouth. 20% is exercise.
Logging it on My Fitness Pal, understanding the need for proteins, carbs, and fats and the necessary proportion. I am blessed to not have physical limitations. Building strength and maintaining it are a very important part of this age. Due to personal reasons I have not been doing regular cardio. I have missed it and am getting back into getting my cardio workout with a goal of at least three times per week. My strength training is two days per week.
If you are doing strength training remember you are building muscle so losing weight may not be as fast as you may want. If you lose a half pound to two pounds a week that is truly the BEST way to lose.
Take your measurements in your waist and hips and after 12 weeks measure again. It is amazing how many inches can be lost over three months by following a healthy diet. Of course combining it with exercise is like adding the diamond to the gold ring!
I had never done strength training until six years ago. I believe I could have avoided many aches and pains had I done strength training starting earlier in my life. I have as much energy as I did in my mid 40's.
Good luck!11 -
Welcome all!!
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I'm 67, got so much weight to loose, can't get started, got 2 false hips, arthritis all over, broke ankle a couple years back, left with a weak ankle now, I sit around a lot, yet 3 years ago I was active, out & about I used to bike ride, go to the gym, swimming, all that's stopped now, I sit & eat all the he naughty food, I had a gastric band fitted about 8 years ago, it worked for awhile I done very well with it, but then suddenly I couldn't eat the smallest thing, or drink a little, I was ill, now waiting for its removal. I feel I gave up on myself a long time ago, feel very down, it's getting worse not better so I now need to really sort mysel out & get my head thinking I can make changes for the better, so this is why I've come back to MFP, I never knew all this was on here until my daughter showed me, hopefully now I can be inspired by you's. Thank you for putting up your stories & achievements.3
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woodenhut - keep coming here, take small steps, love yourself, There are youtube videos for exercise when you have health problems. I'm 72 and I started exercising in the house. Good luck on your journey keep logging in here and you'll get there2
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Thought for today....What you eat behind close doors is what we see on the outside.2
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Thank you spikeyhair it helps to get feed back I'm going to look for that on YouTube, I'm from the uk London I'm not 100% on the diet but I'm getting there, keep the response coming1
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My goodness, @woodenhut - that's a lot of health issues you're dealing with! But there's a whole online world of support here just waiting for you! Start small. As @spikeyhair said, maybe find indoor and chair exercises to do. Start with 10 mins at a time, and build on time and intensity. You'll be amazed how much stronger you'll grow! A question I always ask myself when some body part acts up: "who's in charge here? Me, or xx?" Invariably the answer comes back ME!! I decide how far I want to push the body part thru the hurt. I'm careful to assess the risk for any sort of permanent damage (I check in with the doctors) and then I go for it. If the pain is tolerable, I ignore it. Over time, there's less and less of it. I'm 62, and inn the last 12m i s I've lost 114lbs. A year ago I had hurting feet, knees, hips... etc. Not to mention depression. Now I'm planning on running my first 5k EVER with my kids next month. Life is good! Wishing you all the best, and remember - we are here too support you and cheer you on!6
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Aww birgitkwood, that was very nice of you to say that, thank you much appreciated & your so right in what you say, I say the same thing, I say I can push myself a bit further, but I've dislocated my hip twice, & what a pain that was, so I'm limited as not as strong as I once was. But I've learnt to adjust, wow you've done extremely well loosing all that weight & now running a marathon go girl, so happy for you & that your enjoying your life, I'll look into doing more walking, set myself goals to accomplish. It might spur me on, watch this space haha. Keep up the good work lady your doing great. I like the support I've had on here it's better than going to a class. Thank you all. Xx1
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I am 58 and was always healthy, very active and happy with my body, even when I packed on some 20 lbs slowly over the years. After age 40 I could no longer lose the extra 10 lbs by swimming daily in the summer, or doing a lot of Pilates. Then when I turned 50 we moved (again and again), so more dinner parties to make new friends, coffees and teas and then the menopause. I really hate the menopause. Over the past 3 years I tried 3 times to shed some weight, losing 5 pounds and gaining back 10. In February the scales hit 75 kg, I had no pants I fit into, and could not cycle up a hill without stopping, so I stopped trying. I would try a training program to get fit, and could not enjoy it. And then I started on MFP.
And that really changed everything. I had no idea I ate so much! My husband is a cycling fanatic, and I ate almost as much as him! I walk the dog and do hikes, but had no idea that a long bike ride uses up many more calories than a long hike. I also did not realize how much fat was in my diet (olive oil is healthy, right? and also, the French eat cheese with every meal and I love cheese) and that half a plate of pasta was enough for my level of activity. I had not realized that we had slowly replaced vegetables (very expensive here) with sugary fruit and starchy foods. So now I know, we eat better and I learned how to ignore the "hunger pangs" that my body sends out to trick me into eating more than I need. After a month of MFP I did a 2 week hike, and could not log on, and when I came back, having eaten more than usual, I had not gained any weight. That is how quickly you learn new habits that will allow you to be successful. In two months I took 11 cms off my waist (the biggest surprise really, I did not think I would regain a waist at this age), I met my belly button again and can cycle up the long hills here. Slowly, that is true, but I actually enjoy it again! So on I go, 8 lbs more to lose and hopeful that with the regained enjoyment and better fitness, this time, the weight will stay off.11 -
@Hogerda - that is absolutely fabulous! And yes, once I committed to the process, I too was surprised at how quickly the weight loss happens, at least for me. Congrats
@woodenhut - let's not go crazy here! I'm planning on running a "5k" next month (3.1 miles), NOT a "marathon" (26 miles). Geez... my legs hurt just reading that. Lol2 -
Hogerda, have you tried frozen veggies?? They can be cheaper than fresh (and they keep longer)--you only fix what you plan on eating for lunch/dinner. I usually steam cook mine in Pyrex in the microwave oven (takes less water & time).
To all the newbies, do what you can do for exercise (or whatever your doc allows); adding more as you become stronger; correct form is more important than the weight (if any) that you lift. I've heard of folks starting w/soup cans. Also, make an eating plan using foods you like to eat; you're more likely to stick to the plan. And nothing is off the plan; if you want a burger & fries, eat it, log it, forget it and move on. It is not about a "diet" with an end date it is about a lifestyle that you can stick to the rest of your life.
I'm 66, and hate to run; but I do like to lift weights, and a lot of walking. I belong to a locally-owned gym and workout w/weights three days a week w/a short cardio session when I'm done. I've found out that it isn't "all or nothing," it is small changes over time that work the best (and they usually stick).
One thing to remember that it was the turtle that won the race, not the rabbit!! Slow (or slower if you have to) and steady is what wins the race. 7 -
Hi, this s my first day, am 61, type 2 diabetic and have a lot of weight to lose, can I join your group please?
Bigsofty563 -
Brigidkwood, congratulations on your achievement of losing 114 lbs (around 50kgs) in the last 12 months. That's very impressive. Can you tell us how you did this please.1
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@resina - Thank you! Hmmm... how did I do it? Since you asked, I'll tell you the looong story:
I'm 62 yrs old, and like most of us have lost - and regained - probably about a thousand pounds over the years. I'd always lose a ton of weight and then some switch in my brain would turn off and I'd start eating like a madwoman once again. By Fall of 2015 I found myself at over 300 lbs and I was horrified. Feeling depressed, sluggish, every bone in my body hurting (not that I could FIND those bones, lol) - I was miserable. Last year in early Spring I found myself channel surfing and landed on an episodes of "My 600 lb Life," or something like that. That particular episode focused on a woman who weighed 787 lbs, and was entirely bedbound. It was a bit of a wake up for me! Really, the difference between that woman and myself was simply... well, time. I imagined myself heading toward 787 lbs, and not being able to get out of bed.
So, "there's an app for that," right? I looked thru my app store for "weight loss tools," and that's how I found MFP. That's really what made all the difference for me! In the beginning (I started 4/4/16) all I did was log my food faithfully. Started losing a few pounds. About a month in the weather was getting nice and I started to walk my dog. Someone had given me a Fitbit a while earlier that I had never used. I dug it out and started paying attention to my steps. At first just 5 mins, then 10. Before long I was walking 30 mins every day, then 45. I found myself walking faster, so in those 45 mins I was surprised at how FAR I was able to walk! Walking 10k steps a day became an "easy" day. Weight kept falling off. Various bones and joints stopped hurting, or - when they did hurt at least I knew exactly why - lol. Over the past couple of months I noticed that with a third of my body weight gone I had all this squiggly energy that I didn't know how to dispel - so I started running. So that's where I am now.
One of the things I did was that I put a "sticky note" in the center of the home screen on my smartphone. It shows my starting date and my starting weight. Underneath it says "787?" as a warning of where I never want to go. Every time I pick up my phone, I see that. It's a constant daily visual reminder to stay on track.
I'm 6ft tall and at my current 191lbs, I'm pretty close to goal (8lbs to go).
Not much magic here - just persistence. Logging conscientiously, but not obsessively. I "eyeball" a lot of my calories if I don't know exact numbers. I "eyeball" quantities, certainly. I never eat the exercise calories that Fitbit or MFP give me - that's what allows me to be somewhat imprecise about my calorie or portion counts.
I suppose I am lucky in that, due to my height, I have a higher daily calorie allowance than someone who is shorter. These days I stick to a daily calorie goal of roughly 1700, and I walk/run between 13k and 17k steps on my FB every day. Am considering maybe adding in some strength/weight training... but it seems unbearably dull and I'm not sure I can make myself stick with it. So I haven't bothered to begin...
Going forward I know I will probably continue to log my food for the rest of my life. I will also continue you do some sort of exercise every day. The combination of the two seems to be the winning formula for me. And I also realize that all "those people" who are thin and in shape actually do exactly that! Typically, they watch what they eat and exercise. I'm no different, and "they" don't have any magic that I don't also have. That realization was a bit of an aha moment for me!
So that's my journey, in a nut shell. Now aren't you sorry you asked?
Sending my best wishes to you on YOUR journey!15 -
Your story brigitkwood is so inspiring,my woke up call was looking back on family photos we had done a couple of months ago i had no idea I was so big, I new I put weight on over many years but I was kidding myself that I was alright and I would look at other people when out shopping and say to myself I,m not as big as them, but in reality I was probably bigger so I have been doing mfp for 3weeks now and have lost 3kg4
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Bump1
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Griffinca2, thank you for your advice about slowly but surely I think that's the way for me, a little goes a long way yer, I love reading these stories they give me the get up & move, & to get my head thinking about my food intake to see where I need to make changes.1
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