55-65 year old women's success?

daklock

I'm still here too. Down 18 lbs since Jan 7. Its been chilly outside so I've been walking around and around in the house. I get an average of 7000 to 10,000 steps just in daily activity and walking inside. Looking forward to going outside once the snow melts. There's no sidewalks in the neighbourhood where I live, so can be tricky walking outside. I have 13 more lbs. to lose to get to my first mini goal.

cory17

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone here! Kudos for your efforts

debtay123

WTG- daklock- looks like you have the hang of it- I am still maintaining but trying to lose.05 a week- sometimes I do - sometimes I don't but I will keep trying

skytuner

Hi, everyone! I am the OP: pianorun ->skyweigh-> now morphing anew. Unfortunately, I have morphed up the scale again, as well.

I've been rather sedentary for awhile. Yesterday, nearly by accident, I went for a twenty minute walk, and thought that I really should do at least that and then increase to about 40 minutes. I'd dearly love to run again, too. Goodness! I even have a gym membership I've been neglecting!

Today, I've been catching up with your posts and "thinking about things".

Now, at 64 (and a half!) I am relatively healthy, and have no significant physical (or even emotional) challenges.

Your posts are all inspirational and I am so grateful for every share. One thing that sunk in deeply when I was at WW in my 40s (lost 40 lbs! then too!) is that everyone wishes only success for each other when the goal is weight loss for a healthier life.

Maybe in time I may be able to share some success. Right now, if I can "release" five pounds in the next few weeks it would be a great start.

NewBetterBest18

After loosing 60 lbs then gaining back 12 lbs over the holidays, I met with a personal trainer who mentioned using free weights. So at 61 years old I tried it and found that I actually like doing strength training. I lost that 60lbs in about 13 months, then stalled for a while, because I got lazy and slacked off on my gym/zumba sessions. Now back into 4 times a week at the gym. It's been a few weeks now and I'm feeling a difference in the way my clothes fit. That makes me happy.

debtay123

Great to see we are starting up this thread again- we have to keep encouraging each other- for the last few weeks- I have not lost but it has been a maintain- I may lose.02 or.04 something like that but same number on the scale- but I will keep trying and trying to eat right- also need to keep up my movement too. Love walking and "trying" to dance with youtube videos-

brenn24179

shopping for jeans since mine are so baggy, lost 30 lbs since July. They make all the jeans for teens but I bought a pair anyway, loved my old Ryder Lee Jeans, guess I am showing my age of 65 but bought some of the more modern stretchy ones, not near as comfortable though but got a size 8,use to wear 14, yea me!

griffinca2

Welcome newbies! Been here abt three years and in maintenance. Older than most of you; do weights three days a week (unless life gets in the way). Anyway, my problem is finding clothes that fit (I'm short for starters) and really don't want to dress like Aunt Bee and don't want to dress like I'm 25 either. Just remember, it's a journey not a sprint, you will have ups and downs; just get back up and start over--never give up! Good luck to all!

making_tracks

Hello there. I’m 55 in August this year. Here’s an up date on my progress. I’ve lost 56.5lb over the last nine months and shifted my body fat from 44% to 28%. I have gone from a UK size 20 (US 18) to a UK dress size 12 (US 10). My waist has shrunk 16” ... from 46” to 30”.

My physical routine involves 2 x gym sessions with a 50/50 mix of aerobic work and body weight/light weight core and functional fitness training, 2 x heav(ier) weight training sessions of weighted squats, dead lifts, assisted pull ups and the like. Then 3 x bike spin type sessions on Zwift. I have steady increased my exercise over the 9 months, adding first the 2 gym sessions, then the bike spin sessions and finally in December the weight training. I had a Dexa Scan in October 2018 and found that my visiceral fat percentage was still too high. The consultant recommended I increased my up body strength but continued with my diet (more about this in a minute). In February this year I returned for a follow up scan and found that adding the weighted work into my training meant I lost a further 9.9kg of body fat with 5kg of this coming from my trunk - exactly where your visceral fat stores are! The scan also showed I have gained 1.6kg in muscle. This has helped explain why I am getting smaller but not lighter..... Weight training is key for me. I love it and it makes me feel incredible.

My diet is simple. I eat around 1,800 calories a day by consuming a minimum of 100g of protein each day and no more than 125g of carbohydrate. I don’t worry so much about fat. This looks like eggs and toast for breakfast, milky coffee as a morning snack, protein and vegetables for lunch, protein, veg and a small portion of carbohydrate for my evening meal. I have 150 calorie mid afternoon snack and a milky drink at bedtime. I usually cook once a day and then make the left overs from my evening meal into a lunch box midday meal for the following day.

The before picture was taken on 27 May 2018. The after picture on January 20 2019.

skytuner

You have done very well, and you look great, too! Particularly interesting is the visceral fat measurement --- so important. I'm not familiar with how this is done? I am just getting started back on track for a healthier lifestyle, and your account is inspirational.

cory17

@making_tracks Wow - big difference, what a great job you are doing!!

cupcakes8kr

I'd like to join this group please.

beachgal0626

@making_tracks awesome job keep it up! Looking great!

making_tracks

skytuner wrote: »

You have done very well, and you look great, too! Particularly interesting is the visceral fat measurement --- so important. I'm not familiar with how this is done? I am just getting started back on track for a healthier lifestyle, and your account is inspirational.

A Dexa scan will give you an accurate visceral fat reading, however a scan isn’t always affordable or practical. Visceral fat is the fat we hold around our organs. We need some to provide protection but too much can mean the organ struggles to work effectively and increases liver diseases and diabetes.

A good way to measure your visceral fat is to measure your hip and natural waist ratio. Pop a tape around your waist and your hips at the widest point and divide waist / hip. You’re looking for a ratio less than 0.8 to have a healthier visceral fat level.

Reducing visceral fat is harder post menopause but not impossible.

High alcohol consumption increases visceral fat.

Hope this helps

debtay123

cupcakes- you are a member of our group if you post on this thread- you are part of us- so glad to see so many newbies- I am focusing more on being healthy this year as well- have lost 30 pounds in all on mfp- but still have about 10 or so to go to a healthy bmi . I lose very slowly now- but I will still keep trying- main focus is more fruits and veggies to crowd out the junk- it's working slowly for me

debtay123

making tracks- great job- awesome!!!

striving4moretoday

PianoRun wrote: »

Looking for some inspiration. I lost my "chronic" 40 lbs of overweight with reasonable ease at age 45, and maintained for a couple of years. However, my motivation at this age is different, and is my ability to exercise with the same intensity has also decreased. Now, i don't want to hear all that stuff about how "age is just a number" -- There are many physical and emotional differences between women who have passed through menopause and those who are in their youth or who are pre-menopausal.... perhaps as many as between girls before menarche and teenagers who are growing into women. Anyway, I would be really interested in hearing from post-menopausal women who have lost significant weight and their experiences with that. Congratulations and high-fives to you all and your efforts!

im 59,.i have been training in gyms for most of my adult life. when I was younger the weight would fall off and muscle wAs easily built - not the case any longer - its a struggle. I had a job in 2017 that held us in a small space for 3 months 8 hours daily no movement, I put on so much weight - even though i was still working out - getting it off has been a struggle - but I keep at it because I know this lifestyle is healthier than the alternative even if I make no gains. hope that helps.

skytuner

@making_tracks Thanks! I am quite sure, even without measure, that my visceral fat is too much -- even without the hip measure, a waist measure of more than 35 usually means trouble.

Yet, I like the idea of a before and after accurate measurement, as you have, although I checked before your post and see that it is not $practical for me right now -- at the before stage! Also there are those who are not overweight, even "skinny" people who may have too much visceral fat.

I am very happy and encouraged that you have shared your success.

neeceelynn

So much inspiration here. I am 64 and returning to mfp after a lengthy self inflicted separation. Ready to get back to a healthy me..which will lead to weight loss. Logging foods has always been my key to success. Lost 45 pounds in my 50's. Looking forward to learning from you all.
Congrats and good luck.

RetiredAndLovingIt

@making_tracks...great job. Just wondering..how tall are you?

ndargy1977

@making_tracks WOW!!!!!! What an awesome story!!!! You look FANTABULOUS!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing, it's such a help to see others who have succeeded

springlering62

I am 56, and 5’ 7” tall. SW on September 10 was 221, joined MFP several weeks later. CW is 167. Current mini goal is completing loss of 1/4 of my starting body weight, next goal is to reach “normal” BMI at 159.

I started out following an elimination diet the doctor gave me, averaging roughly 2000 calories per day. I thought that elimination diet was the tool of the devil, and that I’d never be able to stick to it, but found out I enjoyed it so much, I’ve not varied very much from it, still eat a boatload of vegetables and still limit the wheat, dairy, and sugar. I now average about 1600. This includes a reasonably nice dinner with friends about once every two weeks. I don’t eat my excercise calories back, at the recommendation of my dietician. Per my Apple Watch, I earn at least 670 calories daily (no idea how it defaulted to that but am grateful it did because apparently I’m very Pavlovian when it comes to watching those colored wheels go round), often several hundred more. That seems ridiculously high, so I generally ignore it other than mentally high fiving myself when the wheels go around several times, lol.

I am very fortunate to live adjacent to a great walking/bike path, less than ten minute walk to both a yoga studio and a little neighborhood barbell gym, and my dog insists on at least two walks a day to our beautiful town square. There’s also a great health center at the hospital up the street, although I don’t go there often, I try to use all of these blessings. I’m retired, so outside of volunteer work (can walk to those commitments, too!), I have made “me” my new job.

I’ve been doing yoga for years, but now wear out my unlimited pass, especially after discovering how much I enjoy Pilates classes, and I just began working with a lovely trainer at the barbell gym twice a week. With walking, biking and the other exercise, I can easily exercise three or four hours a day, but it’s fun and I (me?!!!)enjoy keeping moving.

If anything, I’m starting to worry that I may be over exercising, so have scheduled a visit with the dietician, and am planning one with my Doctor, too.

I haven’t kept up with before and after photos. I never liked having my picture taken, so these are all I had, from a vacation exactly six months ago, a little more than a month before I started, and the new ones are from yesterday. My trainer insists I keep up with them now, and takes them herself. Even I was surprised when I dug these out a couple of days ago. I wish I’d been more conscious of taking photos along the way.

cory17

@springlering62 you are transforming, thank you for posting the great job!! Re the too much exercising - have a friend who is early 70s and she exercises probably 2 -3 hours most days, (very inspirational like you) and has the best health of anyone I know.

Wow, it shows what can be done by sticking with it.

ndargy1977

@springlering62 - what an amazing testimony!!! I'm close to your height, just a bit taller....5'8"....and I am shooting for 160. We seem to have the same small frame, and 167 looks great on you!!!!

I just turned the big 50 last September.....and am looking forward to being as fit and trim as you Thanks for the inspiration.............

Would you mind sharing what a typical day looks like for you food wise? I'm just wondering about the elimination foods actually.........I know we are all different, but I love ideas I've been struggling with getting 20# off for what seems forever You can private message if you'd rather

Nicole

making_tracks

RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »

@making_tracks...great job. Just wondering..how tall are you?

165 cm - 5 foot 5”

making_tracks

Perhaps I should say I was 96.5 kg (May 2018) and I’m now 70.6 kg. However, I’ve really changed my attitude towards scale weight. It’s just too misleading. Waist measurements, fat % measurements, blood pressure, or dress sizes are more helpful in my opinion.

springlering62

ndargy1977 wrote: »

@springlering62 - what an amazing testimony!!! I'm close to your height, just a bit taller....5'8"....and I am shooting for 160. We seem to have the same small frame, and 167 looks great on you!!!!

I just turned the big 50 last September.....and am looking forward to being as fit and trim as you Thanks for the inspiration.............

Would you mind sharing what a typical day looks like for you food wise? I'm just wondering about the elimination foods actually.........I know we are all different, but I love ideas I've been struggling with getting 20# off for what seems forever You can private message if you'd rather

Nicole

@cory17 and Nicole, thank you so much! You both just made my day. That means a lot coming from this community! It’s still hard for me accept and see a difference in the mirror, so thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

My doctor gave me the handout for the IFM.org elimination diet every time I’ve seen her for the past few years, but I threw it away as soon as I got home. This time she gave it to me along with a prescription for thyroid meds, which I didn’t want to take after reading the handout, so this time I paid attention.

The elimination diet is basically just common sense eating. You cut out foods that might trigger various issues (in my case, the GERD from hell and joint pain), and add one back at a time to discover what’s bothering you. I cut out dairy, sugars, gluten, red meats, rice, peanuts, and some other food types. It’s very heavy on fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and grains, and chicken / fish.

There’s actually two parts, one is the elimination part, and the other is the adding back part. The link for the elimination part of the diet is https://p.widencdn.net/he7a5v/Elimination-Diet---Comprehensive-Guide_v6. My GERD vanished forever (I hope) within a week. A good bit of the joint pain is gone now, too, but getting rid of the GERD and dumping the Prilosec and Pantoprazole was such a win, I will dry my darndest not to ever go back.

My normal breakfast is a smoothie of banana, a cup of almond milk, two tablespoons of raw cacao, a tablespoon of almond butter, and a quarter cup of dry rolled oats and a ton of ice. The ice makes me feel like I’m eating a lot and gets a lot of water in me. 335 calories, filling, and tastes like a creamy chocolate milkshake.

I alternate breakfast once in a while with a Dave’s Killer English Muffin, with a bare sweep of almond butter and honey, which comes in at about 200 calories.

Lunch is usually either avacado toast (two slices of Dave’s Killer thin bread with half an avacado), a gigantic garden salad (with a couple of slices of grilled halloumi if I have the extra calories), or a homemade chicken soup with barley (which is very filling). All three come in well under 250 calories.

Dinner has to be something that makes my husband happy, so it varies, but my share usually falls around 400-500 calories. I may eat a spinach and tomato salad while he has a rice, though. Last week I made some killer carnitas in the Instant Pot, and an ounce or two of heated shredded carnitas over lettuce with diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro and a couple tablespoons of roasted corn made a fantastic lunch for the next few days, (which I am still dreaming of, btw.)

Tonight’s dinner was Trader Joe’s chicken fried rice padded out with extra chicken, a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables, and a couple of eggs scrambled in.

Snacks are apples, oranges (who knew oranges would taste so FABULOUS once you got processed sugar out of your system?!), a banana smoothie, pickles (zero calories, have had to learn to love them), strawberries, grapes, hummus with carrots or radishes. Cedars brand lemon hummus is to die for.

My “go to” snack is beef jerky. It is low calorie, the protein is very filling, and it’s really suited for taking itty bitty teeny tiny mice sized nibbles of to streeeeeetch it out. But it costs an arm and a leg. I bought a food dehydrator and have been making my own, but had to put it out on the porch because it made the dog’s eyes cross in frustration!

Three things that are a huge help to me:
Dave’s Killer products are fantastic. I mean they really taste good, are multi whole grain, freeze well, and toast up deliciously.

I buy a brand (Oli and Ve) of gourmet balsamic vinegar that is only 10 calories per tablespoon, and comes in a zillion flavors. My favorites are the fig, strawberry, Cascadian raspberry, honey & ginger, and dark chocolate. Just a little goes a long way in lieu of a salad dressing, and I eat several salads a week. It also makes a great marinade. $10 a bottle, but worth every penny, and a bottle lasts as long as a two or three of my husbands salad dressing bottles, so I guess it all evens out.

I subscribe to Wild Soil Almonds for monthly delivery of high quality almonds for half the price Whole Foods charges, so I make my own almond milk. It’s really easy to make, tastes way better than store bought, extremely low calorie, and I thin it out anyway. I haven’t had dairy since September, other than a little bit of cheese once in a while. (Lovely, salty, wonderful halloumi cheese being my new passion.) I used to knock back a couple of gallons of milk a week to wash down all the chocolate candy and cookies I used to eat. Ack!!!!

Sorry about the “wall of text”. Hope this helps!

Trina2040

Wow, there's a whole lot of awesomeness going on around here. So nice to hear from you, @skytuner !

griffinca2

Totally awesome; great job and keep it up. Be mindful that you will fall off the wagon occasionally; just get back up and keep going!!

lovesretirement

@springlering62 Congrats to you! Your way of eating is mostly whole food plant based with exception of the chicken/fish. I find WFPB is the most satisfying and healthiest way to eat as it eliminates almost all health issues and keeps you full!