Getting fit at 50+

kimmybefit66

Just been told I could be suffering from osteoarthritis ..this has given me the push I needed to loose weight. My health has declined slowly over the last 3yrs since my hysterectomy and i'm finding it hard to loose weight and stay focussed.
Would be great to share my journey with other in the same position and age.
I struggle with menu's too as I'm a shift worker so any tips and idea's would be great

lwr731

Welcome to MFP. Many of us here are 50+, and I can certainly relate to your challenges. Most people have osteoarthritis to some extent once we leave our 20s. You are correct that losing weight may lessen the stress on your joints. It became difficult for me to lose weight after menopause, and in fact, I gained a lot. The best thing for me has been to count calories by logging my foods here on MFP. I also exercise, both cardio and strength. I started out on the treadmill at only a slight incline (maybe 2%) at a slow pace (3 mph), and I gradually increase. It feels good to make progress. I still have weight to lose, and sometimes it is hard to find motivation. I would think that shift work would make meal planning difficult, but it helps me to prep several meals at the beginning of the week. Good luck!

dadsafrantic

welcome aboard youngster. like was said. log everything. get yourself an activity tracker. i won't say which one io use (fitbit) i found making everything from scratch (mostly) gives me greater control. pre logging meals also gives you a chance to cut if it looks like a bad hair day for calories. there are good tips on meal prepping ahead here as well.

lynn_glenmont

kimmybefit66 wrote: »

Just been told I could be suffering from osteoarthritis ..this has given me the push I needed to loose weight. My health has declined slowly over the last 3yrs since my hysterectomy and i'm finding it hard to loose weight and stay focussed.
Would be great to share my journey with other in the same position and age.
I struggle with menu's too as I'm a shift worker so any tips and idea's would be great

Do you have to prepare meals for other people who are on a different schedule? If not (and maybe even if you are), you can make things easier for yourself if you discard the idea that certain kinds of foods can only be eaten at certain times of day. That is, feel free to have "dinner" foods when you first wake up, or in the morning even if that's your last meal before sleeping, and feel free to have "breakfast" foods at any time of day as well.

LAT1963

lwr731 wrote: »

Welcome to MFP. Many of us here are 50+, and I can certainly relate to your challenges. Most people have osteoarthritis to some extent once we leave our 20s. You are correct that losing weight may lessen the stress on your joints. It became difficult for me to lose weight after menopause, and in fact, I gained a lot. The best thing for me has been to count calories by logging my foods here on MFP. I also exercise, both cardio and strength. I started out on the treadmill at only a slight incline (maybe 2%) at a slow pace (3 mph), and I gradually increase. It feels good to make progress. I still have weight to lose, and sometimes it is hard to find motivation. I would think that shift work would make meal planning difficult, but it helps me to prep several meals at the beginning of the week. Good luck!

I am peri-menopausal (random months between periods x 1 year, don't know if I will or will not have any more), and I'm actually finding it easier to lose weight now because I'm not having the same hormonal swings (I'm probably having hormone swings but they are different ones).

Because I'm starting at a high weight and am going fairly slowly, I'm allowed 1670 calories a day. I have multiple orthopedic issues and have not been doing any exercise this time around, but have lost 27 lbs so far since February. I think part of what stalled me out previously was eating back exercise calories.

One thing that is working for me is Trader Joe's chicken breakfast sausages, at 130 cals/3 sausage, or their maple chicken sausages (135 cals/3 sausages), and 2 large eggs for breakfast. These two items give me a big protein surge at the start of the day and together are only 283 calories. To that I add a serving of whatever fruit is in season (right now that's strawberries, which are good for fiber/calorie ratio) and a hot caffeinated beverage, so if I don't put cream in the beverage (50 cals/TBSP) that generally tops out as a well-balanced meal for <350 cals.

For me, this 'standard breakfast' gives me protein to carry me through the morning without crashing and leaves me a lot of calories to work with for the remainder of the day. It would get repetitive if I didn't vary the fruits and tea flavors, but it's worked well for me for the past 4 months.

Note there's no bread in this breakfast. I'm old enough to remember the folk wisdom of my grandparents, who grew up before the 'four food groups' and other governmental dietary advice. Their folk-wisdom was that bread and potatoes are what make you fat--in modern terms, excess carbohydrates. If you spend some time to look at bread, even 'whole grain', you'll usually find that its calorie/macronutrient ratio is less favorable than something else, like a strawberry or a kiwi or something. I consider all grain products a 'treat' item which I am only allowed to have if I specifically budgeted for it ahead of time.

Nothing is forbidden--its just that grain items have to be a conscious decision, not just a reflex that the definition of lunch = a sandwich and therefore bread.

LAT1963

dadsafrantic wrote: »

welcome aboard youngster. like was said. log everything. get yourself an activity tracker. i won't say which one io use (fitbit) i found making everything from scratch (mostly) gives me greater control. pre logging meals also gives you a chance to cut if it looks like a bad hair day for calories. there are good tips on meal prepping ahead here as well.

^ Get your wisdom here ^

(except I use Polar which is waterproof & swim-capable. Withings has a waterproof one that looks promising too.)

PS: I'm taking two one-a-day over-50 vitamins just to make sure to cover any micronutrient gaps in my diet. I don't have proof but I think this reduces cravings, which I believe to be natures way of driving you to food choices that are high in a vitamin or mineral that you're short on.

kimmybefit66

thank you everyone xx some great ideas and yes I've started doing cook ups and food planning. An early shift means my lunch is at 11am so find it difficult to eat anything to heavy but now been having a bowl of porridge and love it.
As for exercise ... i'm about to reduce my working week and plan to start power walking regularly with my dogs.
My head seems to be in the right place this time for loosing weight .....tried some many times before and failed

perkymommy

Hi kimmy! I'm going to be 49 this year so feel free to add me as a friend. I lost 25 lbs last year and gained it all back by the fall. I'm here to lose that 25 lbs again and hopefully more. I have arthritis in my hands and knees and need to strengthen my body as well. My mom had osteoarthritis and I figure I am headed that direction but never been tested. All I do is walk on the treadmill but it's something and it helps tone me up when I stick to it. We can do this!

Randal3120

Well, IM starting over again. Going to lose weight this time hopefully with the right tools. 58 year old. In the past, I start out with an elliptical machine. Then get advice of how to lose more by listening to "professionals". I do what they indicate. Then I get hurt: Shoulder, elbow, back injuries which make me stop exercising. Then I recover and start over again. This time starting over again with hopefully the right tools.

pversten1

I'm 57 years old and had a triple bypass four years ago but I'm doing fine other than roller coaster weight gain and loss. I'm finding that most of the blogs, marketing, tips and techniques on My Fitness Pal seem to be aimed at people in their 20s and 30s, especially those who are already fit. If someone like me attempted the fitness moves and routines I see promoted here, I would be injured and out of the game, thereby defeating the purpose. I need to mix high heart rate for an extended time, with some weight loss/control exercise and realistic nutrition lifestyle programs. Where is the marketing and inspiration for someone like me? I know I'm not alone, and have a feeling this is a growing market. Anyone out there want to capitalize?

glitterng

You're not alone, Kimmy. I'm 57, and was diagnosed last year with osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disk desease, and bulging disks in my back. On top of my high blood pressure and TIAs, my doctor has limited my exercise or walking to ten minutes a day total. My physical limitations, along with taking care of an adult mentally disabled daughter, has really put the pounds on. Like, who has time to think of eating healthy when you're trying to manage your pain and cater to a disabled daughter, right? LOL

But I've realized things are not going to get better anytime soon, unless I do something to help. I've been using MFP for a week and it really helps! My goal is to lose 140lbs. My daughter only wants to eat fast food, which is totally not good, but by logging in what I'm going to eat BEFORE going out, it helps keep me on track and at or under my calorie allowance. I plan to only weighing in once a week, and this week says I've lost 10 lbs. I'm not buying it, as I weighed in at a different time of day this time, the one I'm planning on weighing in from now on. I'm also going to sign up for a Tai Chi class given by my park district. I'm hoping it will help with my flexibility and back pain.

Everyone has had some really good suggestions, and I loved reading them. My suggestion is making logging in to MFP part of your routine. If you don't have time in the morning, then make it a habit to do it after dinner in the evening. I think it would help keep you honest about what you're eating. Shift work makes it difficult to eat properly, I know. Planning your meals and shopping once a week sounds like it would be the best for you. Keeping healthy snacks around the house and car, in your desk or locker, would be of a benefit. Nuts, seeds, raisins, dried fruit. Ziploc has snack-sized bags that you can put a pre-measured amount of snacks into to keep in your purse, etc. You can make your own 100-calorie snack bags this way, and use things you enjoy eating. This is not a diet, this is a new way of life, right? It's healthy eating, not "diet" eating. You can do it! Keep those snack bags around to help during those times when you're tired and feel defeated. ((((hugs)))) We can do this together, right?