OVERWHELMED

shaughno

Tomorrow I turn 59 (OMG). My daughter is getting married in 5 months.
I need help losing these 40 pounds that have been there for 20 years.
Anyone out there with some good sound positive advice?
Accountability is a problem for me. I always promise myself I'll go to the gym, starting tomorrow.
Chronic lower back pain is an issue. Which I'm sure would be alleviated without this weight.
Thank you in advance.

esorcel

These are some suggestions I've seen/read/heard:

Bodymedia helps you reach your fitness goal: bodymedia.com/. I haven't purchased this yet, but I plan to.

Drink 8 cups of water, or more, every day

Eat natural foods, and search for lower calorie versions of foods/snacks.

When cooking, use cooking sprays instead of oil to cut calories and fat.

Too much sodium can cause you to retain water weight, so limit it to what MFP recommends.

If you are intolerant to foods, such as dairy, avoid it because irritable bowel syndrome can disrupt your weight loss plans.

Add green tea, lemon juice, and hot spices to your diet. They supposedly boost metabolism.

There are physical challenges in the discussions page. They can be fun to join and provide accountability.

There are supplements that can help boost weight loss, and energy beverages you drink before you exercise, if that interests you (pay attention to how your body feels if you try any of these).

You got to put in the work!! Some people think they can try different things for weight loss without exercising. It won't happen. You have to exercise!!! If you do it with your favorite music, it helps. Many people having given enormous credit to Zumba (just an example). I plan to add this to my workout routine.

Good luck!!!

ThatMouse

Hi, @shaughno!

I suggest starting with these awesome posts here on MFP:

• http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
• http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

MFP's set up can be a bit confusing and those posts give you some awesome information that'll help you really understand calorie counting and such.

As for the gym, it's going to be a long process of building a habit - but it can be done! Try to make it easy on yourself to follow it. For me, that means the following:

• A gym with towel service, so I can't use the "forgot a towel" excuse
• Packing my gym bag the night before with the work clothes I'll wear after my workout
• Laying out my gym clothes and changing into them directly after waking up

It took me about three weeks to build into a solid routine - now, I find I'm more restless if I don't get to the gym!

But to be honest, motivation is going to come from within. Ask yourself why you're doing this - and what you want. Don't let age or inexperience hinder you.

Note on your 40lbs goal: It is unrealistic to expect to lose 40lbs in 5 months. You may reach the halfway point by your daughter's wedding, or a little more, but don't give yourself the unrealistic expectation to lose all 40lbs by then.

Define your goals clearly, realistically and remember that the path to success is a clusterf*ck of curveballs and wrong turns. Commitment and consistency will be your friends.

Also, this video helped my mom realize it's not too late for her to start picking up actual weights - Ernestine Shepherd is 77 years old and started working out along with her sister at 56. She is now the oldest competing bodybuilder - and a really amazing woman!

I also saw a "ladies 50+" thread in here somewhere - making friends on here could be a great tool, especially if your physical support network is lacking a little.

Best of luck, and feel free to add me if you like! I'm not nearly as experienced in life as you are, but I'd be glad to offer help and support where I can.

EDITS: my links aren't working...

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Ohwhynot

KisforKrista wrote: »

I've lost 30 without excersize, you just need to want to do this and you need to be willing to log and weigh your food accurately and honestly.

Agreed.

jgnatca

I'd start with a four week goal, and write it down. I think a five pound loss in four weeks is manageable. I strongly suggest your first goal be to record everything you eat for a week, every day, for seven days. Don't try and change too much; just get used to weighing, measuring, and recording. Send me a note when you've done that.

lkw1239

KisforKrista wrote: »

Also to the person above who linked you to a site where you have to purchase a program, please ignore them. You can lose weight here without paying for a program. Please feel free to message me i will give advice and support if you need it.

Agreed.