55-65 year old women's success?

evaulrich

Hi, I'm in my mid-50's, and so far I have lost 47 pounds since joining MFP. I had lost some weight off my highest weight before MFP, but it has definitely helped me to have the accountability of the food journal, check-ins, and exercise log on here. I joined because a childhood friend was on here. She and I both struggled with our weight as kids, and we still do. Having her for support on here has been great. I was able to tell my husband last week on our 25th anniversary that I weighed less that day than on the day we met 29 years ago! I still have another 40 to 50 pounds to go to get to what I expect to be my goal weight, and for the first time in my adult life, I feel like I will actually make it!

By the way, I have done this so far mostly with just portion control and some walking about a half to a full mile (some days my knees really bother me; so, I do slightly shorter walks on those days), but I am really interested now in finding ways to firm up and boost my metabolism. So, I am enjoying reading the successes on this thread for inspiration!

GottaBurnEmAll

evaulrich wrote: »

Hi, I'm in my mid-50's, and so far I have lost 47 pounds since joining MFP. I had lost some weight off my highest weight before MFP, but it has definitely helped me to have the accountability of the food journal, check-ins, and exercise log on here. I joined because a childhood friend was on here. She and I both struggled with our weight as kids, and we still do. Having her for support on here has been great. I was able to tell my husband last week on our 25th anniversary that I weighed less that day than on the day we met 29 years ago! I still have another 40 to 50 pounds to go to get to what I expect to be my goal weight, and for the first time in my adult life, I feel like I will actually make it!

By the way, I have done this so far mostly with just portion control and some walking about a half to a full mile (some days my knees really bother me; so, I do slightly shorter walks on those days), but I am really interested now in finding ways to firm up and boost my metabolism. So, I am enjoying reading the successes on this thread for inspiration!

Have you been fitted for good shoes? I found one of the most important things for my joints, besides very gradually increasing my walking distances, was to get fitted at a running store for good shoes. You can go and tell them you'll mainly be walking, they should be able to help you find the right kind of shoes for your needs.

Superlucia

Hi! I'm 64 and lost 23 pounds in these last 5 months. This IS doable. I "Walk with Leslie" 3-4 times a week and lift weight approx. 3 times per week. I am only using 1 - 2 pound weights for multiple repetitions, which looks better on an older lady. Good luck and I KNOW you can do it!

lovesretirement

Hi there...ditto for all that has been said. I suffered from knees issues and was told my meniscus was torn. I cut out starchy carbs that helped with the inflammation, went to full body workouts with my trainer with minimal strain on knees. With a 50+ pound weight loss, continued low impact activity (pool, Zumba Gold, strength training, walking) I am virtually pain free.

I recently found HASfit on YouTube who has a plethora of FREE video sessions/programs/workouts (with a coach and his wife) for ALL fitness levels to include seniors, very obese, beginners, and those who need a chair routine. I will not be renewing my personal trainer when my sessions expire but will be using this.

My losses over the past few years with MFP have been excruciatingly slow, but giving up is just NOT an option. I have to constantly upgrade and/or change to get things moving in the right direction as I still need to drop 35-40 pounds. I am glad I stuck with it...my new grandson is 6 months old, weighs in at 20 pounds/36 inches long, and has just begun to crawl. I love being able to join him on his playmat on the floor AND be able to get up from the floor with him in my arms!

lorrpb

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

Hi everyone! I've been on MFP for a while, but I'm turning 55 tomorrow, so I thought I'd post in this thread. Here's a picture of my before and during. I consider myself an ongoing work in progress:

I'm currently up about 4 pounds from that picture but look pretty much the same thanks to body recomposition from ongoing exercise.

I just changed my strength training to a modified version of Stronglifts recommended by @lorrpb, and having completed the first week I have to say that I wish I had known about this a year ago!

My main love is running, though. I'm a slow but dedicated runner. I'll never be great shakes at it because I have pretty bad arthritis, but I love how I feel when I'm outside doing it.

I still have a teenager who I'll be homeschooling once we're back from our vacation, so that keeps me pretty busy as well.

When I started on here, I was sedentary and walked with a cane. Now I get about 20-25K steps a day! I'm still trying to lose a few more vanity pounds, because why not?

@GottaBurnEmAll Glad that my modifications of 5x5 were helpful to you! What great progress you've made!!!

GottaBurnEmAll

lorrpb wrote: »

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

Hi everyone! I've been on MFP for a while, but I'm turning 55 tomorrow, so I thought I'd post in this thread. Here's a picture of my before and during. I consider myself an ongoing work in progress:

I'm currently up about 4 pounds from that picture but look pretty much the same thanks to body recomposition from ongoing exercise.

I just changed my strength training to a modified version of Stronglifts recommended by @lorrpb, and having completed the first week I have to say that I wish I had known about this a year ago!

My main love is running, though. I'm a slow but dedicated runner. I'll never be great shakes at it because I have pretty bad arthritis, but I love how I feel when I'm outside doing it.

I still have a teenager who I'll be homeschooling once we're back from our vacation, so that keeps me pretty busy as well.

When I started on here, I was sedentary and walked with a cane. Now I get about 20-25K steps a day! I'm still trying to lose a few more vanity pounds, because why not?

@GottaBurnEmAll Glad that my modifications of 5x5 were helpful to you! What great progress you've made!!!

Thank you! Thanks to you recommending CAP barbells, I was able to find a nice light short barbell that works with the weights I have for my adjustable dumbbells. Doing deadlifts with that was so much nicer than doing them with the dumbbells thanks to some grip issues I have.

I used my couch as a rack and loaded up the bar and did Romanian deadlifts. I had to laugh at using the couch as a squat rack. Not quite what Stronglifts calls for, but this will save my back and work well enough.

I'm actually excited about lifting again, and I haven't felt that way in a long time.

Thanks again!

griffinca2

Dear stillnot, I say it all the time (age is just a number) and P.S. I'll be 67 next month!

AnnPT77

stillnot2late wrote: »

Its usually the young ripped adult kids who say age is just a number.

Perhaps not 'just a number'; but not in itself a diagnosis or a steel cage, either.

At age 47, obese for many years, very inactive, recently widowed, high-stress job, newly out of surgery/six months chemotherapy/radiation for stage III (advanced) breast cancer, just diagnosed as hypothyroid, high blood pressure, high cholesterol/triglycerides . . . I was not a young, ripped, adult kid.

Now, at 61? Probably still not. But as Bob Dylan put it, ". . . I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now." For sure, I'm fitter, healthier, thinner. Happier, too.

I won't argue that anything is possible, but for most of us, I think some improvement is within reach.

GottaBurnEmAll

AnnPT77 wrote: »

stillnot2late wrote: »

Its usually the young ripped adult kids who say age is just a number.

Perhaps not 'just a number'; but not in itself a diagnosis or a steel cage, either.

At age 47, obese for many years, very inactive, recently widowed, high-stress job, newly out of surgery/six months chemotherapy/radiation for stage III (advanced) breast cancer, just diagnosed as hypothyroid, high blood pressure, high cholesterol/triglycerides . . . I was not a young, ripped, adult kid.

Now, at 61? Probably still not. But as Bob Dylan put it, ". . . I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now." For sure, I'm fitter, healthier, thinner. Happier, too.

I won't argue that anything is possible, but for most of us, I think some improvement is within reach.

Because clicking awesome wasn't enough, I needed to quote this.

While not going through quite the rigors you did, I too had my own end of 40's slump.

I was suffering from undiagnosed medical problems, depressed, obese, sedentary and felt unbearably old. Definitely not a young, ripped adult kid.

After reaching rock bottom in my early 50's, I started advocating for myself, pushed my way through the medical system and got my health issues diagnosed, and one diagnosis was the impetus I needed to take control of my life.

At the time, as I mentioned, I was walking with a cane, and I started out that day just hobbling to the end of my block. That day was about two weeks before my 52nd birthday. Today, on my 55th birthday, I starting the morning with a training run to run 10K.

Yes, as you said, improvement is within reach.

ggeise14

I'm almost 54 so just outside of the age range for this group but have been really inspired reading your stories. I do three days of cardio (mostly walking DVD's) and three days strength workouts at home. I would be very interested in the 5x5 modified information.

griffinca2

ggeise, Look up 5X5 StrongLifts on line; you can modify the weight they recommend you lift, but keep the workouts. I've been tempted to try it; just haven't done so yet.

Loser_53

I am 54. I had a heart attack 10 weeks ago and nine weeks ago today I went through open heart surgery. I had three blockages. It was a huge wake up call for me. I am now walking an hour a day and making healthy food choices. I am changing my lifestyle. It hasn't been easy but I am blessed to have been given this second change at life. So far I have lost 37 lbs. and still have a ways to go but I will get there. I feel better then I have in a long time. I went to see my cardiologist yesterday and got a great report. My blood pressure is better then it has ever been, my cholesterol is good, my cardiogram showed no problems, my blood work all came back good. He was very pleased with my progress and recovery.

Shron123

Congratulations on your positive steps.

1Nana2many

Wow! This place has blown up lately with great inspiration! And some very good advice as well! I will chime in with my own $.02: My mama always said "Age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter." I will add that in the last couple years my mindset has changed on many fronts. To continue using cliches, when it comes to muscle, "Use it or lose it" definitely applies. We don't have to sit around and watch the calendar days tick by because we have reached a certain number of years of age! I used to get really frustrated when I went with my mom to a doctor's appointment and there would occasionally be that person who treated her as if she was a half-wit because she had gray hair. We need to be our own best advocates! I am not a natural extrovert and I lean more towards putting other's needs above my own so putting my own health at the forefront of my activities has been challenging for me, but I finally decided it was either that or sit around and hold the door open for the heart attack I was teetering on the edge of.

If you are reading this, you are in a good place. There are people here who want you to succeed! I have lost over 85 pounds thanks to just a hand full of those people who gave me just enough help and encouragement to believe I could make progress if I just kept starting each day as if it were a brand new start. Whatever happened yesterday with food, is over. Today is a new beginning and a new chance to get it right. Tomorrow will be the same. Throw out the old mindset of "I am too old and it's too late!" Babies learn to walk one step at a time while holding onto someone else's hand. That's what we're about here. EVERYONE here is or has been where you're at if you are just starting out. We have all wondered if there was any way we could actually lose weight and or get to a better place, health-wise. I am one of those people who will tell you if I can do this, anybody can. I will be 61 in November. My mantra has been quite simple. Log every bite and sip every day. Be honest about it. Stay within my calorie goal. Move a little more today than I did yesterday. Tomorrow is a new day. Do it again. If you screw up and you will, forgive yourself and move on. Don't dwell on failure. Value yourself! It matters! You are worth this effort!

mk2fit

@AnnPT77, @griffinca2, @1Nana2many all know what they are talking about, ladies. We are all on our own personal journeys. At age 55, weighing in at 190# was the pits. At almost 59 and weighing in at 115#, life is great. Crawl, walk, run. Find who works best for you on youtube, whether it is HASfit, Leslie Sansone, Jessica Smith, PopSugar...Go to the gym or invest in your own home equipment that you will actually use. Walk.

Learn how to cook and/or modify recipes. Substitute nonfat plain Greek yogurt for sour cream, ground turkey or sirloin for ground beef or chuck. Eat vegetables!!! Sign up for Hello Healthy, the MFP blog/newsletter for recipe and other fitness tips. There is much to learn regarding food. My personal favorite revelation is roasted veggies - yum!

This is a great thread. Best wishes to all the new ladies here.

Shron123

This is a little long but wanted to share:

I have been overweight since high school w my top weight at the time being 220. My first diet at 17, I lost 60 lbs w the original Weight Watchers. It was very strict and very limited and very low in carbs. I kept that weight off until 33 when I had the first of our 3 boys. My went weight back to 220 after the first baby and pretty much stayed there through my other 2 pregnancies. At 40 I quit smoking (2 packs/day) and started to ride and got my weight down under 200 but at 43 I had a horrible accident and almost lost a leg. I had three years + of surgeries, was confined to a bed or wheelchair. The surgeries affected my vision so watching tv or reading made me nauseous - this left eating. My weight ballooned over those years to 330. At 50 I joined a Dr Bernstein clinic. I had gotten my weight down to 300 but was frustrated. With the clinic my weight decreased to 170. It was very strict and very limited and very low carb. About a year after my weight loss, 2 family incidents happened - our middle son at 18 got into a drunken brawl and was arrested for assault. The same son and our oldest, 22, were living together while in school when 5 men broke into the house and assaulted the four boys living there. Our oldest was beaten badly and spent the next week in hospital so they could save his eye and rebuild his skull. No permanent damage and he now says his scars are a great lead into a "good story". The judge dropped the assault charges against our middle boy and our lives went back to normal but my weight had climbed back to 270. I joined a local obesity clinic and lost 50 lbs. It was under a doctors supervision with weekly monitoring (weight, blood, etc). It was very strict and very limited and very low carb. Afterwards, my weight started to creep back and before I knew it I was 255 lbs again. Can you spell depressed ☹️.

I looked back over my weight loss successes and the low carb thing seemed to stick out. I started to research and discovered a whole new world. July 3rd I started this journey and pray it is for the last time. At 59 I am sick to death of obsessing about food, my weight, tight clothes, etc. etc. Thankfully my weight has had, of yet, no adverse affect on my health (no diabetes, heart or blood pressure issues) but I assume it would only be a matter of time. Therefore, I plan on this to be my WOE for the duration. My thin hubby is very supportive and eating moderate carbs. I am keeping mine at 20g per day for now. Once the weight is off I will start to reintroduce carbs until I hit the amount my body needs to maintain a healthy weight and WILL stick with it. I eat high fat and moderate protein with the low carbs. I am enjoying the skin on my chicken, butter in my food, olive oil, coconut oil and loads of veggies and keeping my calories around 1600-1700. It is a revelation to me that the way my parents and grandparents ate and stayed slim and healthy is better than the Canada Food Guide, low fat, high carb version that was sold to us all in the 70's.

Is this everybody's path? Probably not. But at 59 I am trying hard to listen to my body and for me it is working. I have lost 22 lbs and 3 inches off my waist. I am not hungry. I do not have cravings. I have more energy. I am sleeping better. The hardest part is that we love to dine out and it is hard to select and be sure of low carb options but so far so good.

FYI, re exercise, for the last several years I train with weights once or twice a week, do yoga once or twice a week and ride my horse 2 - 3 times a week. My horse appreciates every pound I lose. Exercise keeps us healthy but our diet is of course what determines our weight.

I would like to end this by saying that I no longer believe that good fat is our enemy as we were all led to believe but that carbs and sugar are. I believe I am carb sensitive as many overweight people are. I was pleasantly surprised when my family doctor supported this program and has asked me to come in for regular blood work and after Christmas he has asked I return for a check in and to have a lipids test. He too believes sugar/carbs are the main culprit and encourages me to stick with this plan.

To each his own path. I wish you all a successful journey and look forward to hearing about your wins and (weight) losses.

Thanks for listening!!

mk2fit

@SharonAnderegg sounds like you've got this! Keep it up!

griffinca2

@SharonAnderegg agree w/mk2; congrats on your progress! We're here for you; good luck on your journey.

Eleted

What a great group here! I really look forward to the support and wisdom! I hope everyone has a happy and successful day today! Tell me how you succeed in putting yourself first and keeping the focus on your goals??

Tolamarie

I retired last year and celebrated my 65th birthday this summer. I have always been overweight and yoyoed up and down the scales all my life. For some reason, I feel differently about losing weight now. I've lost almost 50 pounds in the last 8 months and for the first time after weight loss, I feel confident it will stay off. I have another 75 to lose, but I know it will happen slowly. I don't know what is so different this time, but I can easily say no to sweets and pizza most of the time. I wish I could have felt this way at 20. And oh yes, thank god for Halo Top ice cream.

Shron123

@tolamarie - congrats on your weight loss, state of mind and inspiring all of us. I have lost about 22 lbs since July 3rd (LCHF) and agree that at 59 this feels like I have found the rite road for me. I don't think I ever thought about what happens after the weight loss before except to say I was never gaining it back! But I never had a plan or a vision for "after". This time I do. I can see LCHF right now as a weight loss tool and after as just my WOE and I feel great about it. Good luck to all on your journey!!

lovesretirement

@Eleted...I am coming up on 65 so "if not now, when?" My biggest fear is losing my mobility and/or taking a ton of meds because I don't take care of myself as I age, so yes, I am selfish and put my needs, wants, and desires above others. This means devoting part of my day to exercise, preparing and stocking only real, healthy foods, and saying no to excessive eating out. If my husband wants something different, he has to go buy it...no more preparing separate meals like I used to do when I had children in the house. When I look at the consequences of not focusing on my goals of living a healthy, active life, it makes it easier for me to walk the line...plus I feel SO good!

Eleted

Lovesretirement: Well said!!! My 63 rd bday is soon and seeing my 91 yr old mom and others that are falling and struggling with mobity does reinforce the need to keep strong and healthy! And I am working on putting my needs first!

I thought my retirement would allow for more self care but it is amazing how quickly other people and things fill up the day! NO MORE! I lost 35 lbs 2 yrs ago and kept focus , so I know I can do that again. Thank you for the pep talk.

Polo265

I'll be 68 this month and trying to lose the 30+ lbs I gained following a rotator cuff tear and subsequent surgery. My right arm was in an immobilizer sling for 7 weeks and it was 3 months before I was allowed to even drive. I was basically helpless for many weeks. I couldn't do much walking because the sling threw my gait off. I spent much time feeling sorry for myself, eating and drinking to excess. After I came to my senses, and thinking about that experience, I knew for certain I didn't want to have any infirmity or disability, if I could prevent it. So, I've lost 13.6 lbs since I've begun my weightloss journey and 10.6 lbs since starting MFP. Roughly 20 lbs to go. Good luck to everyone on your journeys.

lovesretirement

@Eleted...taking care of a parent makes is hard because it takes an enormous amount of emotional energy, and it's easy for us to reach for food to soothe ourselves and it also leaves little time for exercise. Be patient with yourself as you strive to establish your routine.

AnnPT77

Eleted wrote: »

What a great group here! I really look forward to the support and wisdom! I hope everyone has a happy and successful day today! Tell me how you succeed in putting yourself first and keeping the focus on your goals??

I'm solo now (childless, widowed, orphaned, only child), but back in the day, my best motivation was what I think of as the "airline safety lecture rule": You put on your oxygen mask first, then help with the mask of dependents traveling with you.

How will we take care of those around us if we are obese, mobility impaired, cognitively compromised, weakened, ill . . . ?

Later, how much harder will it be for others to take care of us if we are all of those things, and how much earlier and for how much longer will we need them to do so because of not giving our own health some priority earlier in life?

The latter is still particularly important to me now, as a solo.

Polo265

"Later, how much harder will it be for others to take care of us if we are all of those things, and how much earlier and for how much longer will we need them to do so because of not giving our own health some priority earlier in life?"

For sure.....during my 7 weeks of being in the immobilizer sling, my husband hfelad to do everything for me - even wash my hair. Though he tried to curl it, it was pitiful and I ended up getting it cut extremely short to where all he had to was wash it in the sink. Though as I gained some strength, he was still caring for me, doing all the shopping, 99% of the cleaning, etc. I felt so bad - hence my period of feeling sorry for myself (eating and drinking). I don't want to be in that position ever again.

Eleted

AnnPT: AS always, wise and eloquently stated. You are a role model for me! THANK YOU!

mk2fit

@AnnPT77 I am reminded of my mom's roommate in the nursing home. She was extremely overweight. They had to use a cherry picker to get her out of her bed and into a wheelchair. This was before I gained my weight, but I vowed right there and then that I would never be that woman.

griffinca2

Agree w/Ann!! For Polo, been there myself when I broke my wrist (the right one of course) in Dec 15 and was out of commission for over eight weeks. It takes a while, but you can make it!!