55-65 year old women's success?

retirehappy

JoyceMoul wrote: »

Is age 70.5 too old to comment?? I started my journey to get healthy on March 4, 2016 when I came home from a cruise sick and went to my doctor. I weighed 212 pounds! Heaviest ever for me. Labs revealed increasing glucose so I started right then to eat mindfully. I have had ups and downs but mostly I have consistently lost weight. I was 146.4 yesterday and my goal is 145. I had a surgical hysterectomy at age 43 so have been post menopausal since then. I have very severe osteoarthritis in my knees and cannot exercise to any degree. Even a stair stepper is too much, so I am not a "gym queen". Walking to a small degree is ok but I don't do it very much. For me, the success has been in eating mindfully, checking in to MFP almost daily and learning as much as I can about nutrition. For the first 6 mos I checked in with my doctor once a month to keep me honest. Now, my good eating has become a habit and I am going to 3 mos checkups for now. After April, I will check in at 6 mos then yearly. I weigh myself every day sometimes but refuse to allow the show of a gain get me down if my food diary has proved that I am doing what I should be doing. It sure isn't as easy as it was in my 30's and 40's. I have had a weight challenge since age 30 something. I now have the mindset that I ate what I wanted to eat for so many years and now it's time to eat to live instead live to eat. I refuse to be one of those fat old people who have to be pushed in a wheel chair solely because I am too heavy to walk.

Awesome weight loss. You might want to do a google search for Sit to be Fit or wheelchair fitness. Strength training is so important for the over 60s folks. A chair and some kind of hand weights, can be cans or dumbbells and your good to go.

GRITSandSLUTSandWINOS

Joyce - Thanks! I like to 'rock' and 'roll' - just don't want any 'rolls' ... especially not what they call 'love handles'. LOL! I was thinking "Griffin, GA ... not California.

I was ordered by my GYN into a MD-ordered/MD-run Center For Weight Loss Program and have been in it about 16 months. Starting weight on a 5'4" frame ... heaviest 200lb. That's what I weighed with my youngest son got married, 2 years ago this May. Seeing pictures of me in a 'size 18' dress, made me 'burst into tears' when I saw wedding pictures. My mother was overweight after she had a really bad auto collision back in 1953. I certainly did not what to do the yo-yoing she did and fight my weight; so I knew I had to make a 'life-style' change and I have been tracking what I eat and drink and my exercise since about June (2 years ago). I do eat pretty much what I want; but, I am on a very restrictive caloric intake (for me to be able to lose). I take a lot of medication; have a few health issues - one I cannot take any of the cholesterol-lowering medications because I have an allergic or inter-action to them. So to try to get it down, diet was the only way. I have Bipolar Disorder; but, my 'mantra' is "I don't suffer from mental illness; I enjoy every minutes of it!" With the proper dosage of medication ... I'm as sane and stable as anybody ... 'if that is really possible'. I do think that people misunderstand this disorder; but, like 'cancer' ... until people feel comfortable about 'coming out of the 'M' closest' ... it will remain a complete mystery. I hate that - on TV - any time someone does something to hurt others ... it is ALWAYS blamed on being bipolar and not taking medication for it. I also have epilepsy with seizures that are sort of 'here and there'. I've just gotten off a 6-month driving restriction.

I'm married, to the same man, for 44+ years, have two grown sons (40 and 38); two DsnL (both 38); 3 biological granddaughters 20, 16, and 10. When youngest son got married we got a 'package deal' with another GD who is 11; but, both of them are in the 5th grade. Oldest DGD is a Senior at the University of West Georgia, 16-year-old is a sophomore in HS. She doesn't seem to have any desire to 'drive' although her parents DID make her get her Learner's License, in the event of an emergency ... she could drive IF she had to.

I track everything that passes my lips, I do not 'eat back my exercise points'. I like to swim and walk in the pool in warm weather, and since I live in SW GA ... the weather here can range from being really nice and sunny to a few days here and there of being cold; to being "Hotter than Hades".

I'm an art major; but, now I just draw and paint for my pleasure at my leisure. How about you?

Lenora

griffinca2

Grits, Welcome to our group (and I do live in the Middle GA area) Moved here in 1994 because of the 1st BRAC Dept of Def did; hubby & I met while on active duty w/the Navy. No snow, but the weather has gravitated from warm to cold to warm again.

Sally, Welcome to our group as well. We're here to motivate and encourage one another. Thing to remember is that to create an eating plan you can stick to and modify as you go along. It's not a "diet" or "project" w/an end date; it needs to be a lifestyle that you can maintain for the rest of your life. Don't keep "goodies" off your list, just include them as part of your eating plan; and if you mess up (and you will) just start over. You only fail if you quite. Good luck on your journey, and we're here if you need to vent.

1Nana2many

It is so great to see lots of new messages here! One of the things I most love about this thread is that it is not about a particular diet plan but truly about giving and receiving support along the journey that we are all on. We each have our own way of going about losing weight and we each have to figure out what truly works for us. The first of this month I reached my one year anniversary here on MFP. There are so many things I have learned and I still feel like such a novice! The support I have received here has made a tremendous difference for me. Just knowing that we are all in the same boat here and we actually want our fellow shipmates to succeed is a good feeling.

My stats:
Age: 60 as of November
Height: 5'4" optimistically
Starting weight: 244.7 pounds
Current weight: 165 pounds as of last week which was my original goal.
I am a retired postal worker. No disgruntled jokes, please.

Last year, the week before Christmas, I was vacuuming the carpet and got a little dizzy and had to sit down. This happened twice and I will be honest and say it scared me. I'm pretty sure I was one very short step away from either a heart attack or a stroke. The idea of living with the results of a stroke is what spurred my conviction to join MFP. The old joke about "you gotta die of something" just wasn't all that funny when I was more concerned about living with something that might greatly limit my lifestyle and activities and my ability to communicate. I set a date to start MFP and was determined to stick with the plan. I am happy to say I am still determined.

For me, living in the "real world" is how I look at my diet. I am a sugaraholic. I will probably always be one. I knew from the beginning that in order to succeed I would have to incorporate the things I love to eat into my diet so I wouldn't feel totally deprived and just chuck to whole plan. I still snack too much, but I keep controlled calorie snacks in my house, my purse and my car so I don't impulsively buy that candy bar that looks so good in the checkout line. When I first started, the first couple weeks were the hardest. Yes, I did think I was starving a little bit, but I decided if it wasn't meal time, I would drink some water and wait thirty minutes before I ate anything. Usually it was within fifteen minutes of a meal before I was actually feeling really hungry. A lot of the time it was mostly boredom or stress that sent me to the kitchen. I was newly retired and still figuring out what to do with myself every day. After that first couple weeks, it got physically better and after about three weeks, if I ate more than I should at a meal I got that overfull feeling which I no longer enjoy at all.

Some hard truths I had to accept:
I am the only person who can change what I put into my mouth. I am responsible for that change and for every pound I carry that I shouldn't. When I first started watching what I ate, it was somewhat difficult to get people to understand that when I said no thank you to food I meant it because in the past I would have eaten whatever they were offering and probably had seconds. I have seen people on MFP complain that others are trying to sabotage them by having or offering them food they shouldn't eat when they know that they are trying to lose weight. We need to remember that we are changing how we do things and it is difficult for us, but it is also difficult for our family and friends to know what their role is. Bottom line is this, it is still up to me to determine what I will and will not put in my mouth every day all day long. If I really want to try whatever they are offering, I do, but I have learned that it is ok to have just one little taste and THROW THE REST AWAY.

For me, I was determined to stay within my calorie goal everyday or as close as I could get. I do not trust myself not to eat every single exercise calorie I get, so I really don't input a lot of my exercise. My goal every day from day one has been just to move more today than I did yesterday. If I know I have been very very active in a given day, I will eat over my original calorie goal and I will input some of my exercise mostly because I hate seeing it say I was over. It's a mind game I am playing with myself but it works for me.

I have a food scale sitting on my kitchen counter all the time. When I first started on MFP, I weighed every single bite I ate. Nowadays I don't do as much of that as I started out doing but I do recommend doing so to learn what a serving size REALLY is. You can get one for less than $15.00 at Walmart. It made tremendous difference for my daughter and for me. Log every bite every day. Show up for yourself every day.

I had to learn to value myself enough to think I am worth the effort! For me, this was major!! It is very easy to get upset, stressed out, time-crunched and throw out the plan. Easy is just shoving food in my mouth without thinking about the consequences. My consequences were scaring me with a simple task with a vacuum cleaner. I have nine grandchildren that I want to see grow up and want to take camping every year and I am not prepared to do so from a wheelchair so everyday I show up now and for me I know that I will have to show up everyday for the rest of my life. But I now believe almost all the time that I am worth the effort! Sometimes I still have to talk myself out of raiding the kitchen and eating everything in sight. I now try to maintain a happy balance in my daily meals meaning if I eat one heavy meal I try to balance it with a light one so I stay in my calorie goal. I am not perfect. I will never be, but I am working on me and it feels good.

If you did the math above, I have lost just under 80 pounds in the last year. My goal is not to be model thin, but to be healthy and mobile. My knees don't hurt like they used to. I don't get short of breath like I used to. My blood pressure is down. I'm starting to recognize the thinner person in the mirror as me without the shock factor. Most of all, I believe that if I keep logging I can stay at this weight, but I also know it's completely up to me. No one else. And I do believe if I can do his, so can anyone else who makes the changes in their head to really commit to doing so every day. Yes, there will be bad days, but remember this: every day is a brand new day! Put yesterday behind you and start again today and tomorrow and the next day. Don't beat yourself up if you have a bad day or even a bad week. Start every single day fresh.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

Trina2040

I second @1Nana2many's post. MFPing for 3 years now and I still weigh my food, log, and weigh myself every day. We have the power to change our lives. We control the food; the food doesn't control us. Keep the faith!

I've lost 47-50 lbs. over 15 months. 67 years old, 5'2.5" and started at 179; now 128 - 131 lbs. Eat in moderation along with moderate exercise. It works.

Ming1951

Everyone is doing great. I didn't go back to page 1 and I probably posted before but I'm 65 , 5.6 was up to 224 and today I am at 174.5 so I am getting there. My first goal is 150, I may like to go to 140--145. My knees are bad and I will need total knee replacement for one knee. I've been waking anywhere from 6700=12,000 steps per day.

1Nana2many

Great progress Ming1951!

goodreadsgal

Hi there I am 61 years young. So glad I found this group. I am a returning member here. I have

griffinca2

Welcome Jamie and great job Ming!!

mk2fit

I second and third @1Nana2many and @Trina2040 although I never had a food scale ( ). I lost over 70 pounds in maybe 10 or 11 months and have been on maintenance for over a year. It DOES get easier as you go along. It is also easier to be more active as you lose the weight. I have found it hard to sit for any length of time.

2012retiree

How quickly the pounds come back compared to how slowly the pounds come off. ☹️ I see it and working to get in right frame of mind again, but oh so hard.

GaleHawkins

2012retiree wrote: »

How quickly the pounds come back compared to how slowly the pounds come off. ☹️ I see it and working to get in right frame of mind again, but oh so hard.

@2012retiree I hear you. Finally in 2014 I finally realized maintaining a weight loss in my case was not related to the right frame of mind as much as just finding and eating the correct 'macro' in my case at this point in life.

griffinca2

2012retiree, Gale is right; it's about the right macro (carbs, protein, fat) ratio that works for you (and not someone else;s diet). Also remember that it is not a "diet" with an end date; it is a lifestyle, so that after you have lost the weight it doesn't come back. You will fall off the wagon and have set backs (life will get in the way); just forget about it and pick up where you left off. Good luck on your journey, you will make it! :

Evamutt

I'm 62 & have lost 34lbs since last June. I never thought i could lose weight because I was eating healthy & active . I do go to the gym but don't feel able do as much as I did 10yrs ago. I go to strength/flexibility class twice a week & will return to water aerobics twice a week when the weather gets milder, besides that I go to gym on my own a few other days a week. I found that working out helps my wt loss. I used to place racquetball 6 days a week but all I can do now is practice for about 10-15 min due to my tendonitis in my wrists & just not having the stamina but I can do other things so I'm happy

WallyAmadeus

For me, a big realization at this age is this: I have to accept that I'm going to have to manage my weight consciously the rest of my life..and just accept that. I also have to focus on a simple approach, cause I can sustain simple. I've maintained since menopause doing 6x a week of weight training and cardio (one hour a day total), calories at about 1700 per day. I've noticed that I can no longer eat past 7 p.m. or I sleep poorly.

My motivation: Seeing what happened to my mother, who had been vigilant about her health until she was about 80. At the age, she just decided to eat what she wanted/stay in bed as much as she felt like it...even though her health was great. Within 4 years, she had a stroke/heart attack/another stroke and ended up in a nursing home. That's not what I want for myself, and certainly not what I want our son to see.

Love this thread! Such wonderful, experienced, positive voices here!

krmsotherhalf68

I'll be 56 in April and have been an MFP'er for over two years. I've lost over 100 lbs. (took about 18 -24 mos.) and have maintained most of my weight loss. The holidays were my downfall this year. BUT I'm getting back on track slowly but surely. In the past (when I was much younger), weight would come off faster, but it didn't stay off for more than a few months. This time around, I've made it my goal to not so much "diet", but eat healthier and move more. After losing the 100+ lbs., I'm able to move better and have more energy. For the first time in my life, I began taking exercise classes last summer at our local senior center. I just love the variety and mix it up with Chair Yoga, Silver Sneakers (aerobics), strength training, and Tai Chi. I feel so much better (physically and mentally) since joining these classes and they've allowed me to socialize more - which is something I thrive on!

retirehappy

WallyAmadeus wrote: »

For me, a big realization at this age is this: I have to accept that I'm going to have to manage my weight consciously the rest of my life..and just accept that. I also have to focus on a simple approach, cause I can sustain simple. I've maintained since menopause doing 6x a week of weight training and cardio (one hour a day total), calories at about 1700 per day. I've noticed that I can no longer eat past 7 p.m. or I sleep poorly.

My motivation: Seeing what happened to my mother, who had been vigilant about her health until she was about 80. At the age, she just decided to eat what she wanted/stay in bed as much as she felt like it...even though her health was great. Within 4 years, she had a stroke/heart attack/another stroke and ended up in a nursing home. That's not what I want for myself, and certainly not what I want our son to see.

Love this thread! Such wonderful, experienced, positive voices here!

Good point about your mom and the realization that weight management is part of our lives PERIOD. Glad you have figured out what works for you. I still have about 15 lbs. to go and I don't want to find any of their friends ever again.

jeanniebeanie59

Here I am loosing the same 10-15 lbs but exercising more this time and I do think that is the key to my weight loss journey . I feel much better when I am exercising also . 20 min on the total gym every day unless helping out with my 93 yr old mother in law. My mom-in-law is an inspiration ...she is living in the same house my hubby grew up in since the 1950s and he stays with her 4 days a week while he is stll running his business and I go down and help a bit . She may get a bit ornery at times. She never gets sick...hardly ever a cold ..its amazing and she is a bit of a surgar hollic - but at her age we dont try and change it !! lol

cory17

Working on losing the same 20 lbs (make that 40) but need to make this the last time. It is about giving more value to me to not take the easy just eat whatever is there and take time. Got a cortisone injection for the hip last week and know losing weight would be much more effective. Trying to stop being a food addict.

cesckelson67

Agree it seems harder at our age... seems like I push do great .... then I look in the minor and go uuuggg... then get down.... so I get the need soporrt ... keep pushing.... if u ever need a punch I can try to push u as well as u push me..... I also do quotes one is and fits me "stop wishing start doing"