40 year old women and older who has lost 40 or more lbs - HOW THE HECK DID YOU DO IT???
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STLBADGIRL: Did I miss your vision board? Great Idea, btw. I have been wanting to do that for some time I will get on that today! There is great power in keeping your goals/ dreams constantly in your sight!
@Eleted Here is my vision board. I have inspiration messages and quotes around it. I see it everyday to keep my goal in front of me. I have a blank copy of it message me you email address and I will be happy to send it to you.
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I calorie count ..no fads, no demon foods, no demon food groups, no fads or gimmicks, an eye on protein aiming for 100g minimum daily. Watching my trend on trendweight.com
Like the Karate Kid's "wipe on, wipe off" training, I do calories in, calories out training
Lost 50lbs in my 47th year
Took up the gym, with the help of a PT, got into progressive weight training and increased my general activity
I'm 49 now, been at goal (5'8, 160lbs for around 2 years)
I'm not perfect but I'm really proud of me
@Sued0nim Awesome, awesome, awesome! YOu should be proud of you- that's crazy insane results.... I've read some of your post in other threads and I know that this lifestyle has stuck with you! I just never knew your story. Thanks for sharing.1 -
I just turned 43 yesterday and I'm starting this again, hopefully for the last time. I'm about 40 lbs overweight. Fell free to add me. I would love to have some support on this jorney.
We are in this together. It's some great feedback here. I have faith that we will hit our goals!!!!3 -
STLBADGIRL wrote: »I calorie count ..no fads, no demon foods, no demon food groups, no fads or gimmicks, an eye on protein aiming for 100g minimum daily. Watching my trend on trendweight.com
Like the Karate Kid's "wipe on, wipe off" training, I do calories in, calories out training
Lost 50lbs in my 47th year
Took up the gym, with the help of a PT, got into progressive weight training and increased my general activity
I'm 49 now, been at goal (5'8, 160lbs for around 2 years)
I'm not perfect but I'm really proud of me
@Sued0nim Awesome, awesome, awesome! YOu should be proud of you- that's crazy insane results.... I've read some of your post in other threads and I know that this lifestyle has stuck with you! I just never knew your story. Thanks for sharing.
Aww thank you @STLBADGIRL1 -
Between age 57 and 60 I slowly but surely lost 115 pounds, by strictly and honestly keeping track of eating with MFP. Regrettably no exercise, which would have speeded it up a little. But I am happy. Have stayed at 155 or a little under for 7 months and don't foresee gaining any back. I had been at a steady 180 or so, then gained 90 between age 50 and 52. Now I'm back to where I was in the 1980s.
Motivation was seeing 300 coming over the horizon. And learning that feeling hungry can be your body lying to you was very useful. Found out that if I didn't eat every time my body said to, nothing bad happened. So I started eating a reasonable amount on schedule, and it worked.
This was also while taking various meds that supposedly make you gain weight. They may mess with your metabolism some but they can't pick up a spoon and stick it in your mouth. Or force you to.12 -
I love this part. It goes back do discipline and commitment. You kicked your bad habits in the azz big time!!!!Between age 57 and 60 I slowly but surely lost 115 pounds, by strictly and honestly keeping track of eating with MFP. Regrettably no exercise, which would have speeded it up a little. But I am happy. Have stayed at 155 or a little under for 7 months and don't foresee gaining any back. I had been at a steady 180 or so, then gained 90 between age 50 and 52. Now I'm back to where I was in the 1980s.
Motivation was seeing 300 coming over the horizon. And learning that feeling hungry can be your body lying to you was very useful. Found out that if I didn't eat every time my body said to, nothing bad happened. So I started eating a reasonable amount on schedule, and it worked.
This was also while taking various meds that supposedly make you gain weight. They may mess with your metabolism some but they can't pick up a spoon and stick it in your mouth. Or force you to.
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I wanted to give an update on this thread and my status. I am, in the best shape ever - although I don't look it. I attend Zumba 2 nights per week, I walk/jog on the treadmill the other 3 x's out of the week, I lift heavy, and I am really strong. I still have to tighten up my diet and nutrition and log and weigh everything. I think that's the big set back for me and I'm learning that killing myself in the gym does nothing for my weight loss if I blow it in the kitchen. So in a nutshell, I am doing well on my strength and fitness goals, but need to fine tool my diet and let them work together for my benefit.
So I am now really trying to discover what my true calorie intake should be for me to lose weight and have enough energy to power through my workouts.
How are you all doing? I love to hear/see progress stories.4 -
I'm down about 60lbs now (I'm 45 years old, have another 35 to loose)
I've lost the majority of it this year, around 40lbs.
I stopped counting. I've never been able to stick to anything before, but now it's become a lifestyle. I simply make about 75% of my food fruits/veggies. I eat as much of them as I want. I eat nuts daily, just a handful. I eat an egg or 2 most days of the week. I eat fish 2-3 times a week and other meat about twice a week. I only eat red meat about once a month. I still have sugary treats (my weakness) but when I do have it I limit it. I don't keep sweets in the house. If I want a cookie, I go and buy one cookie. If I want icecream, I get a pint of Halo top (but never more than once a week)
I rarely ever eat pasta or breads.1 -
luvcookies2014 wrote: »I'm down about 60lbs now (I'm 45 years old, have another 35 to loose)
I've lost the majority of it this year, around 40lbs.
I stopped counting. I've never been able to stick to anything before, but now it's become a lifestyle. I simply make about 75% of my food fruits/veggies. I eat as much of them as I want. I eat nuts daily, just a handful. I eat an egg or 2 most days of the week. I eat fish 2-3 times a week and other meat about twice a week. I only eat red meat about once a month. I still have sugary treats (my weakness) but when I do have it I limit it. I don't keep sweets in the house. If I want a cookie, I go and buy one cookie. If I want icecream, I get a pint of Halo top (but never more than once a week)
I rarely ever eat pasta or breads.
It seems like you got this figured out....this is really great!!!! Do you keep at calendar posted @luvcookies2014 posted so you know when you have eaten your red meat or ice cream for the month?0 -
No, I really don't track anything on paper. I eat red meat so really it's easy to remember I had it last a few weeks ago. The icecream I buy one a week if I want (though I usually split with either my son or boyfriend so I'm really only eating half a one)
Honestly, since I started eating so many fruits/veggies I just crave the other stuff less. It really is about moderation for the treat stuff. When I do have red meat for example, I'll have one hamburger or half a steak.
I listen to my body more for when I'm full. I used to overeat and then feel terrible for hours after. I just don't do that anymore.2 -
Update: I'd hit goal weight in Jan/Feb 2016 (120 pounds at 5'5", age 60 then, 61 now), and maintained that successfully until around that September/October. Then I sort of abruptly put on a few pounds over those couple of months - through some periodic well-over-goal days rather than just general calorie creep - and hung onto it through the holidays, adding a few more pounds on some recent travel weekends.
Now sitting at about 130, working on dropping my weight back a bit via a very low, slow deficit and a little more activity - especially since I do tend to be a little more active in rowing season, which is finally upon us. While I want to drop back a bit, my health markers are still excellent, my smaller clothes are still fitting, and my BMI is toward the lower end of normal, so I'm not in a fret-fest.
I was pretty active before weight loss, and have maintained more-or-less the same activity schedule. In season, that's rowing about 4 days a week, spin class 2 days a week, and some random bike rides and such.4 -
Update: I'd hit goal weight in Jan/Feb 2016 (120 pounds at 5'5", age 60 then, 61 now), and maintained that successfully until around that September/October. Then I sort of abruptly put on a few pounds over those couple of months - through some periodic well-over-goal days rather than just general calorie creep - and hung onto it through the holidays, adding a few more pounds on some recent travel weekends.
Now sitting at about 130, working on dropping my weight back a bit via a very low, slow deficit and a little more activity - especially since I do tend to be a little more active in rowing season, which is finally upon us. While I want to drop back a bit, my health markers are still excellent, my smaller clothes are still fitting, and my BMI is toward the lower end of normal, so I'm not in a fret-fest.
I was pretty active before weight loss, and have maintained more-or-less the same activity schedule. In season, that's rowing about 4 days a week, spin class 2 days a week, and some random bike rides and such.
WOW @AnnPT77 You are still doing pretty well. Good thing that you were on top of it. You are doing awesome.1 -
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Eat right and exercise! I also joined Camp Gladiator, an outdoor boot camp. It has really helped me.0
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I love this thread...just reading your stories are so inspirational...I struggle with staying motivated, and am a chronic yo yo dieter. Ya'll make me believe I can reach my goals. Let's please keep this thread going. More stories please!!!2
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bonniebug50 wrote: »I love this thread...just reading your stories are so inspirational...I struggle with staying motivated, and am a chronic yo yo dieter. Ya'll make me believe I can reach my goals. Let's please keep this thread going. More stories please!!!
@bonniebug50 - I agree these stories gave me life. I have even instituted some great ideas that have been given throughout. I would love to hear everyone's progress.
I lost 3.5 lbs last week due to being on a restaurant strike....LOL. Not that it's bad, but I noticed that I was going out more at lunch with work friends and doing a bit of senseless eating. I would have sworn I was at a plateau. And then I noticed that cooking my meals were seeming more like a choir, and didn't like that feeling. My strike was to spark my but into action again and take control vs going with the flow or with the masses.
And do you know what I've discovered? I've noticed that all I say all day during my strike is, No thank you, I brought my lunch... No thank you, I already have a snack. No thank you, I can't do happy hour tonight. No thank you to the donuts in the kitchen, I've already eaten breakfast. - It goes on. So I've noticed in the last two weeks of how much I am turning down FOOD/SWEETS! had I not been on strike - I probably would have said YES to half of the invites!4 -
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Hi, I'm Sandy, 47yo. Like many others, I've struggled with weight my entire life. I'm 5'5". The lowest I weighed was 125lbs in my freshman year of high school after losing 15lbs during summer vacation. I regained the weight I lost and stayed around 150 throughout high school. I gained in the military and yo-yoed between 150-170 for four years. When I married I weighed more than my husband and I was 150. Then enter the child bearing years and I got huge with both, around 202lbs. After each birth, I'd weigh around 190 something, and it would take me 8-9 months to lose with eating less and exercising and I would gain it all back, plus. I started suffering from insomnia in my late twenties and along with really heavy menstrual cycles, increased rheumatoid arthritis pain, marital stress (all is well now), teen year stresses (all well there now, too). My highest weight was 234lbs back in 2008 and I lost 40lbs, I allowed stress to win once again and regained weight, except to 224. I lost thirty pounds around 2013 to get back to 194 and then I allowed an injury (plantar fasciitis) to win--can't exercise, let me eat and feel sorry for myself!!! I regained the thirty pounds. Before I continue, I want to say that it always, always took me what is considered a "slow and healthy" weight loss to go back down. However, this time is different...
Tired of being sore and in pain (sans my menstrual cycle, I had a hysterectomy just over a year ago) and living life in a chair, I decided to so something. I've never really counted calories, though I was a member of MFP on and off. I count them now. At first, I didn't really exercise (got in my head that I don't have to exercise to lose weight at first, calorie counting is a great start), just got some of the weight off via intermittent fasting. I started feeling better, but I still struggled with food addiction and wanting to eat between meals, or run to food for comfort when I felt stressed. Looking into different types of intermittent fasting, I stumbled onto eating one meal a day, also known as OMAD--I will never look back.
I get all my calories in at one time and I do count calories. I no longer feel hungry between meals. There have been stresses that I just handle and running to go eat something isn't even a thought. My rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis pain are next to nil, my upper arms don't constantly ache, my feet don't ache after I walk even after doing a 6 mile hike with a friend, as well as a 7 mile walk a couple of weeks ago.I'm sleeping better, I have more energy, I have self-confidence, I eat the healthiest I ever have in my life because my body and mind feel better making healthier food choices, I've lost inches, and my diastolic BP has been 80 my entire adulthood and the other day I fell in the normal range with a BP of 101/75! Most importantly, I am in control and food no longer controls me. All of those are just as, if not more important than weight loss, in my opinion. I've lost the 41.2 pounds since March 5, 2017. I'm only about 3.9 pounds shy of leaving the obese category and it feels great to be at 183.6 right now, I haven't seen the 180s in over a decade!
Even though I'm only a few months in, my attitude regarding food is the major difference now than in past attempts and it's a lifestyle change that I can live with. I eat whatever I want, I just make healthier choices and count calories. If I get a bug up my *kitten* and want McDonald's, I will get some McDonald's. I no longer feel bad or guilt myself to death for eating what is unhealthy, occasionally. I look at it like this: Even people at healthy weights indulge from time to time, just not all the time. I want the mind of a person who has a healthy weight and is good health, and even though I have 53 pounds to go, that's the frame of mind I have right now. :-)6 -
wsandy8512 wrote: »Hi, I'm Sandy, 47yo. Like many others, I've struggled with weight my entire life. I'm 5'5". The lowest I weighed was 125lbs in my freshman year of high school after losing 15lbs during summer vacation. I regained the weight I lost and stayed around 150 throughout high school. I gained in the military and yo-yoed between 150-170 for four years. When I married I weighed more than my husband and I was 150. Then enter the child bearing years and I got huge with both, around 202lbs. After each birth, I'd weigh around 190 something, and it would take me 8-9 months to lose with eating less and exercising and I would gain it all back, plus. I started suffering from insomnia in my late twenties and along with really heavy menstrual cycles, increased rheumatoid arthritis pain, marital stress (all is well now), teen year stresses (all well there now, too). My highest weight was 234lbs back in 2008 and I lost 40lbs, I allowed stress to win once again and regained weight, except to 224. I lost thirty pounds around 2013 to get back to 194 and then I allowed an injury (plantar fasciitis) to win--can't exercise, let me eat and feel sorry for myself!!! I regained the thirty pounds. Before I continue, I want to say that it always, always took me what is considered a "slow and healthy" weight loss to go back down. However, this time is different...
Tired of being sore and in pain (sans my menstrual cycle, I had a hysterectomy just over a year ago) and living life in a chair, I decided to so something. I've never really counted calories, though I was a member of MFP on and off. I count them now. At first, I didn't really exercise (got in my head that I don't have to exercise to lose weight at first, calorie counting is a great start), just got some of the weight off via intermittent fasting. I started feeling better, but I still struggled with food addiction and wanting to eat between meals, or run to food for comfort when I felt stressed. Looking into different types of intermittent fasting, I stumbled onto eating one meal a day, also known as OMAD--I will never look back.
I get all my calories in at one time and I do count calories. I no longer feel hungry between meals. There have been stresses that I just handle and running to go eat something isn't even a thought. My rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis pain are next to nil, my upper arms don't constantly ache, my feet don't ache after I walk even after doing a 6 mile hike with a friend, as well as a 7 mile walk a couple of weeks ago.I'm sleeping better, I have more energy, I have self-confidence, I eat the healthiest I ever have in my life because my body and mind feel better making healthier food choices, I've lost inches, and my diastolic BP has been 80 my entire adulthood and the other day I fell in the normal range with a BP of 101/75! Most importantly, I am in control and food no longer controls me. All of those are just as, if not more important than weight loss, in my opinion. I've lost the 41.2 pounds since March 5, 2017. I'm only about 3.9 pounds shy of leaving the obese category and it feels great to be at 183.6 right now, I haven't seen the 180s in over a decade!
Even though I'm only a few months in, my attitude regarding food is the major difference now than in past attempts and it's a lifestyle change that I can live with. I eat whatever I want, I just make healthier choices and count calories. If I get a bug up my *kitten* and want McDonald's, I will get some McDonald's. I no longer feel bad or guilt myself to death for eating what is unhealthy, occasionally. I look at it like this: Even people at healthy weights indulge from time to time, just not all the time. I want the mind of a person who has a healthy weight and is good health, and even though I have 53 pounds to go, that's the frame of mind I have right now. :-)
This is great that it worked for you. I've heard of this, but never really researched it. It's great to see that you are not only losing weight, but are feeling great.2 -
Hello 40+ grinders.... How are your weight loss/fitness goals going? I broke down and went to see a dietitian. She gave me a lot of tips that I never thought of. I'm going to implement them and see how it goes. But boy it's easy but difficult to hit my goals. I don't know if you all understand or not....1
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I’m 40, and I’ve lost 12 stone so far. How did I do it? I completely rewrote my brain, based on the insight that much of hunger is psychologically mediated. So I paid a lot of attention to what sort of things make me hungry or keep me hungry (eating food that isn’t what I really fancy, telling myself I can have something if I’m still hungry in five minutes, boredom) and what sort of things stop me being hungry (exercise, being busy, eating slowly and mindfully), and I did a lot more of the latter and a lot less of the former.
I also rewrote a certain amount of my reward circuitry; it is now genuinely more rewarding to me NOT to have a doughnut, because that way I get to feel good about myself.
And I never, ever have a ‘cheat’ day. This is something I need to be able to do for life.4 -
54lbs lost for me.
Do yourself the biggest favour in this journey: Lift weights/Resistance Training
Dont fear it, don't burn yourself out with endless cardio, lift weights. The older you are, the more muscle mass you lose, the slower your metabolism gets, so put some muscle in, trust me, it will be so much easier to get there!7 -
I am well over 65 years old. I lost so much weight on a pay to lose weight loss business, but the program changed and my body did not like the new guidelines - I gained it all back. So after a few years of gaining more weight, I joined MFP and really like the program. It is much easier than the prior program - the food list includes all of the foods and brands that I use. After reading all of these testimonials of weight loss, I think that now I just might have the useful tools needed to lose weight. None of this "eat all the fruit" you want nonsense. :-)3
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54lbs lost for me.
Do yourself the biggest favour in this journey: Lift weights/Resistance Training
Dont fear it, don't burn yourself out with endless cardio, lift weights. The older you are, the more muscle mass you lose, the slower your metabolism gets, so put some muscle in, trust me, it will be so much easier to get there!
i]Note: if I'm repeating others, I'm sorry, but there's so many posts that it'd take me hours to go through.[/i
To support this, any woman at any age can do this, provided there's no health issue (like fibromyalgia) that will keep you from lifting. I'm using this article as a guideline for myself. Lots of discussion with both my brother and dad, both serious weightlifters, helped support this idea. Start off with weights that offer enough resistance, but won't burn too much the more sets you do. Also, I suggest creating and keeping track of a BodySpace profile. If you want to maintain privacy, just create a username no one will recognize you on, don't upload photos, and stick to journaling your progress. It has a very accurate tracking system, and I think pairs well with MFP. I think it's much easier to visualize body fat percentage vs muscle. If you end up lifting, your weight might not change, but your overall BF% will change for sure.
If [any of] you need a good program to start out with, I suggest Daily Burn. They offer something great for beginners. I'm also a big fan of intermittent fasting, and think the 16/8 of hours fasted/hours eating helps promote weight loss. If you can handle exercising on an empty stomach do that, then weight about half an hour (maybe shower, prep breakfast) so that you get that afterburn working on your stored energy (aka fat).
Losing weight isn't just about exercise or what you're eating. Sleep is a big, big factor. Get in 6-8 hours, don't allow distractions to keep you up too late (Netflix, Facebook, video games; Yes, adults play video games too). My life's bane is acquiring delayed sleep phase syndrome. I'll lose energy, tell myself I'll work out tomorrow. And then tomorrow. And before you know it, a whole month goes by. Bad sleep increases cortisol, which is a result of stress on the body. Body stress = weight gain.
Focusing on losing weight is good, but this isn't just about losing weight. This is about changing your daily routine, and creating a healthier lifestyle. When we take in more calories, carbs, etc than our body will use, we store that as fat. Part of this new lifestyle is emptying our "energy reserves," so that we're only consuming energy our bodies need to use. In most cases, I see weight gain as a symptom of underlying problems that we haven't made ourselves aware of. Don't look at it as, "Ew I'm fat and ugly." This shouldn't be about image. You were gifted a body and we only have so many active years before it breaks down with age. But living a healthier lifestyle will help extend those active years.
I'm most inspired by an 88 year old woman I met a few years ago. Such smooth, youthful skin that you'd think she was a well-aged 60 year old. Both mentally sharp and physically fit. If she can do it, why can't we?2 -
Yes, I lift 3-4 times a week. One of the best decisions I've made regarding my fitness goals! I feel so accomplished afterwards.1
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I lost over 100lbs at 41 with the keto diet and strength training/hiking.1
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I've lost 55 lbs and I'm 45.
For me, the key was getting rid of chemical additives in foods. It's just a massive difference. I aim for a keto diet, just because those foods are not super processed - one ingredient foods, no chemicals.
I lift weights. That's for toning - I don't lose weight that way. And I've recently started running. Again, it didn't help me lose weight, but it did make me feel better physically.
Some benefits of exercise that help your diet - it gives you something else to focus on beside food. It also takes up time so you aren't eating.0
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