Wow! Losing is tough when you're 50+ years young!

ItsVJ

Looking for those 50+ year-old friends I haven't met yet. Shedding pounds/building muscle is not as easy as it used to be. Let's support each other!

WendyofMysfam

Count me in! Just made level 51 last month! ha. My sweet tooth is my biggest issue. Also, I just started with this app today, but I will get more updated soon.

LadyLilion

I'm 53 and this is my second time around...as I regained most of what I lost about 10 years ago. Yep...it was easier in my 40's.

sjack44

I'd love some more support! I've just turned 50 and am finding it slow going

ItsVJ

You're singin' my song, LadyLilion! Same here. I dropped 50 pounds on MFP four years ago, hit a rough patch in life, stress ate and abandoned the gym - gained back every pound. AAAAAKKKKKK! Now life is back under control and I'm ready to get back up on the horse.

Looking forward to working on this together!

dianemduvall

I just started this week after a 50lb weight gain over 6 years - due to senditary work (home office worker) - no exercise - menopause- and too much wine. Just turned 55 yo. I need encouragement too. Glad to have found you!

earlnabby

I have actually found it to be so much easier since I got older. Part of it is that there are no longer all the hormones cycling through my system since menopause. I don't have to deal with the additional hunger, water weight gain, sleep disturbances, and general weirdness that comes with monthly periods. Granted, I am dealing with joints that ache more than they did when I was younger, but the eating part of this is so much easier to handle.

snavemom

You are all just kids

I'm 63 years old and I am back at it - Seems to be a never ending battle since 55+ I also had my gallbladder removed last August and I've gained 10 extra pounds since. I love retirement, but this weight has to go!

JeromeBarry1

I'm 55 and losing weight seems to me to be easy. Of course, I cook for me, I shop for myself, and I have several quite useful cardio machines in my own home so exercise is always at hand if I want.

mikesmom1983

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

I'm 55 and losing weight seems to me to be easy. Of course, I cook for me, I shop for myself, and I have several quite useful cardio machines in my own home so exercise is always at hand if I want.

I agree. I lost 54 lbs., began when I was 57 and am at at healthy weight and BMI for the first time is 25 years. Tomorrow I will be 61 and good health is a gift I gave myself. I went from a size 14/16 to 4/6 and am having a blast wearing flattering clothes.

It wasn't easy, but I developed good habits, one at a time until it all came together. The biggest change was letting go of the "fat is no good" mantra I adopted in the 70's, I believe it contributed to my weight gain and not being able to lose weight.

Good luck to everyone!

Sabinecolada

Hi, I think I found this post for a reason, hopefully to regain traction on my health & lifestyle journey (don't like to use the term 'weight loss", sheesh it gives me the creeps.
I'm 53, recently gone through a divorce, still working out the financial break up. Not allowing 'the victim mentality' or the m word (menopause) take over my life.
I exercise regularly, weight training & or boxing twice a week and try to walk for an hour every morning with my beautiful friend Mary. Although I'm not too sure this counts as exercise. We have coffee afterwards and pat ourselves on the back for again avoiding the delicious cake counter. Sounds good so far doesn't it.

I have also found myself a gorgeous new man, we travel, bike ride, walk, make love (still sounding pretty good) eat and drink ( aha now we are getting down to it) Yep we love to eat and drink (deep sigh here).
So after shedding 30kg's and keeping it off for app. 5 yrs it is now slowly creeping it's way back up. (another deep sigh). And although I reprimand myself every night and tell myself tomorrow is a new day and I'll get my sh.., I mean my act together then For Sure! I fail miserably.
So For those of you who find 'loosing weight' easy, yes I am talking to you Jerome and mikesmom, I would love to hear from you. Please share with us your motivation, tips and inspiration. I could really do with the help.

Kind regards,

Sabine.

GrayRider61

U can add me. 56.

boptobi

62 years young- have been an unhealthy weight most of my adult life, with times of losing 20-30 lbs. and gaining it back again....hope that I can finally, for the last time, lose 65lbs, keep it off, and live a healthy lifestyle!!

dejavuohlala

69 nearly 70 and cone to a stand still, finding it tough but got to keep trying, it's harder as you get older but can still be achieved. Good luck to you all.

CoueCoue

Sabinecolada wrote: »

I try to walk for an hour every morning with my beautiful friend Mary. Although I'm not too sure this counts as exercise. We have coffee afterwards and pat ourselves on the back for again avoiding the delicious cake counter.

I don't care what you call it - sounds like an awesome way to spend time. You're still moving and even if your coffee is a "latte" and you take in a few more calories than you burn, I reckon the "feel-good" benefits of being outside and spending time with your friend knocks it out the park as a "healthy lifestyle" activity!

Machka9

3 months before I turned 48, I had a decision to make. I could just resign myself to being a dumpy, slow cyclist who couldn't do much in the way of long distance cycling anymore ... or I could do something about it.

A year later, I hit the lowest weight I've been since my early 30s.

A year later, I was well and truly back into the long distance cycling.

I'm 50 and 4 months now ... and I'm a slender, fit long distance cyclist again.

sijomial

I actually found weight loss easier in my 50's !

Children more self-sufficient, career settled, more time for myself.

Plus the information and tools are so much better these days, comprehensive food labelling, internet has all the information you could ever need (if you can differentiate between reliable sources and nonsense!), MyFitnessPal of course.

Now 57 and having a ball.

JeromeBarry1

Sabinecolada wrote: »

Hi, I think I found this post for a reason, hopefully to regain traction on my health & lifestyle journey (don't like to use the term 'weight loss", sheesh it gives me the creeps.
I'm 53, recently gone through a divorce, still working out the financial break up. Not allowing 'the victim mentality' or the m word (menopause) take over my life.
I exercise regularly, weight training & or boxing twice a week and try to walk for an hour every morning with my beautiful friend Mary. Although I'm not too sure this counts as exercise. We have coffee afterwards and pat ourselves on the back for again avoiding the delicious cake counter. Sounds good so far doesn't it.

I have also found myself a gorgeous new man, we travel, bike ride, walk, make love (still sounding pretty good) eat and drink ( aha now we are getting down to it) Yep we love to eat and drink (deep sigh here).
So after shedding 30kg's and keeping it off for app. 5 yrs it is now slowly creeping it's way back up. (another deep sigh). And although I reprimand myself every night and tell myself tomorrow is a new day and I'll get my sh.., I mean my act together then For Sure! I fail miserably.
So For those of you who find 'loosing weight' easy, yes I am talking to you Jerome and mikesmom, I would love to hear from you. Please share with us your motivation, tips and inspiration. I could really do with the help.

Kind regards,

Sabine.

@Sabinecolada It's right there, highlighted for you. You're using food and alcohol as a social cement rather than as a fuel for your simple caloric needs. If you reprimand yourself after consuming too much, try using that self-awareness to consume a little less and stay within your calorie budget. I figure you and your beau are spending a lot of together time at dining/drinking establishments? You might have to start having your salad without dressing or bread as a meal on such occasions.

Odd_One25

Hey, I'm not alone! Lol! I'm 56 (in body anyway, mentally I never made it past 20

Odd_One25

Where did the rest of my post go???

Odd_One25

I don't have time to retype it all now. I'll be back later.....

DebLaBounty

I'm 57 and am finding that MFP and more exercise is really working. It is a challenge, for sure. I decided that I have no timeline so I don't feel pressured to reach my goal, but logging in my weight and seeing progress is a great motivator. I'm hopeful that a firmer body that can take part in more activities (I started cycling, what a joy!) will distract from the lines in my face!

nowine4me

I'm 52 and have lost 75# with 10 to go. This is the first time in my life (since high school) that I've not been overweight. I also switched to vegetarian in March and am loving the way I look and feel. I've not found it harder this time, but it has taken me 18 months. But I am absolutely committed to keep it off.

@Sabinecolada - I totally understand the giddiness of a new relationship and how awesome and exciting that can be. eating and drinking is a fun way to spend time together, but so is cooking at home.

I have a thought for you. If you -- if you frequent the same handful places, have a pre-planned meal and get the same thing. Like maybe a Greek salad, dressing on the side and one glass of prosecco. You can still enjoys each other's company, but that might help keep calories in check.

heatherluuu

I have found that weight loss is much more challenging in my 40s than it was in my 30s!
My metabolism seems to be saying, "no ma'am!". I'm working to build muscle to make my body more efficient where I used to just throw in some cardio, if anything.

UpcyclerGirl

I'm 58, and this is my 4th time in 6 years at MFP. The first was in 2011, and I lost 65 lbs by on my one-year "logiversary". Hit a bad plateau that lasted 6 mos, then gave up. Gained back 50 lbs. Since then, I've been a yo-yo. Can't seem to find my motivation. I obviously screwed up my metabolism so it's twice as hard now. But here I am...again...determined to make it work.

I re-joined MFP 2 weeks ago. At my first week weigh-in, I had GAINED half a pound. That derailed me for another week. I am not so much a stress eater as I am an emotional eater. Bad news has me reaching for the bad food, and lately, life has been very stressful. So I am back again.

I could use some friends. Please add me.

CMNVA

I'm 53 and have never really had significant weight issues most of my life. In fact, when I was younger I was one of those skinny people that was kind of made fun of. I could and did eat anything I wanted. It was probably my 30s (and 2 children) that got the weight gain going. I've always hovered between being the right weight and being up to 20 lbs higher than I wanted. That 20 lb mark definitely hit me around the menopause time.

I did MFP last year and lost most of it. I also did C25K. Then winter came and I couldn't go outside anymore, then I got stressed over some health issues and started eating again. Gained most of it back in what seemed like a very short time. Then at the end of May, I thought, THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I went back on MFP but at a more reasonable calorie deficit. I have managed some, very slowly, but I'm feeling better about it.

My problem is: exercise. I just can't get going. Here's my excuses:

1. It's so freaking hot outside.
2. I'm tired of trying to take my life in my hands and cross the busy road to get me to the "walkable" area.
3. My commute is 1 hour each way.
4. I'm the cook in the house so I'm preparing meals when I get home.
5. I get up at 4AM.
6. If I join a gym or something, I lose my entire evening getting there, working out, and getting home.
7. Absolutely NO motivation for it.

But I need to do something. While I've lost weight and I'm a good size, I don't like the way I look anymore. I need a good weight program. But I need to do it at home. Getting out is just not going to happen because of my job.

I know that no one can give me the magic words. I just wanted to whine.

ryenday

Ugh, it is so SLOW going. 53 here and even with 2 hour+ exercise marathons in the pool 4 x a week, and a significant calorie deficit under NEAT (and not even eating back exercise calories) most every day- I'm still only losing about a pound every 10 days.

I weigh my food, cook 95% of the time, log everything and MFP says I should be losing somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds a week. So the scale showing maybe .75 pound a week is very depressing.

Happy to be added as friend. My struggle now is to stay motivated working so hard for results I can hardly see/feel.

LeanButNotMean44

CMNVA wrote: »

I'm 53 and have never really had significant weight issues most of my life. In fact, when I was younger I was one of those skinny people that was kind of made fun of. I could and did eat anything I wanted. It was probably my 30s (and 2 children) that got the weight gain going. I've always hovered between being the right weight and being up to 20 lbs higher than I wanted. That 20 lb mark definitely hit me around the menopause time.

I did MFP last year and lost most of it. I also did C25K. Then winter came and I couldn't go outside anymore, then I got stressed over some health issues and started eating again. Gained most of it back in what seemed like a very short time. Then at the end of May, I thought, THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I went back on MFP but at a more reasonable calorie deficit. I have managed some, very slowly, but I'm feeling better about it.

My problem is: exercise. I just can't get going. Here's my excuses:

1. It's so freaking hot outside.
2. I'm tired of trying to take my life in my hands and cross the busy road to get me to the "walkable" area.
3. My commute is 1 hour each way.
4. I'm the cook in the house so I'm preparing meals when I get home.
5. I get up at 4AM.
6. If I join a gym or something, I lose my entire evening getting there, working out, and getting home.
7. Absolutely NO motivation for it.

But I need to do something. While I've lost weight and I'm a good size, I don't like the way I look anymore. I need a good weight program. But I need to do it at home. Getting out is just not going to happen because of my job.

I know that no one can give me the magic words. I just wanted to whine.

1. It's so freaking hot outside. - Adjust for the heat. If you are a walker, carry water with you and slow it down a bit.
2. I'm tired of trying to take my life in my hands and cross the busy road to get me to the "walkable" area.Can you join a gym and walk indoors? This would eliminate #'s 1&2.
3. My commute is 1 hour each way. So is mine. I know it's tough. See my suggestion to #8

4. I'm the cook in the house so I'm preparing meals when I get home.Prepare food over the weekend to reheat during the week.
5. I get up at 4AM. Why do you get up at 4am? I ask because I do the same, but it is because I hit the gym when it opens at 5am.
6. If I join a gym or something, I lose my entire evening getting there, working out, and getting home. Find one close to home or on your way to/from work. Perhaps find one close to work and go at lunch?
7. Absolutely NO motivation for it. That has to come from within. My suggestion is to make yourself go for a couple of weeks. Think of it like an appointment you must keep. After doing it for a couple of weeks, it will become a habit. Also, maybe shoot to go over the weekend and/or 2-3 days during the week.

LadyLilion

CMNVA wrote: »

I'm 53 and have never really had significant weight issues most of my life. In fact, when I was younger I was one of those skinny people that was kind of made fun of. I could and did eat anything I wanted. It was probably my 30s (and 2 children) that got the weight gain going. I've always hovered between being the right weight and being up to 20 lbs higher than I wanted. That 20 lb mark definitely hit me around the menopause time.

I did MFP last year and lost most of it. I also did C25K. Then winter came and I couldn't go outside anymore, then I got stressed over some health issues and started eating again. Gained most of it back in what seemed like a very short time. Then at the end of May, I thought, THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I went back on MFP but at a more reasonable calorie deficit. I have managed some, very slowly, but I'm feeling better about it.

My problem is: exercise. I just can't get going. Here's my excuses:

1. It's so freaking hot outside.
2. I'm tired of trying to take my life in my hands and cross the busy road to get me to the "walkable" area.
3. My commute is 1 hour each way.
4. I'm the cook in the house so I'm preparing meals when I get home.
5. I get up at 4AM.
6. If I join a gym or something, I lose my entire evening getting there, working out, and getting home.
7. Absolutely NO motivation for it.

But I need to do something. While I've lost weight and I'm a good size, I don't like the way I look anymore. I need a good weight program. But I need to do it at home. Getting out is just not going to happen because of my job.

I know that no one can give me the magic words. I just wanted to whine.

I'm not in the spot you're in as I only have a few minutes to get to work, but I still find myself having problems "finding time" to work out. I bought an elliptical and do that 20 minutes (most) mornings, before getting ready for work. Then virtually every day I walk at lunch time. It's is SO freaking hot...so I walk in a large, nearby office building where a number of workers walk the 5th floor, round and round. OR - and this is so cool - I walk the state capitol building! It's open to the public every day and those cool marble floors are awesome! I've gone there often enough the guards are starting to recognize me. lol

Find a nearby building that has a large square floor plan and walk the halls. Take 30 minutes, then eat the other 30 of your lunch hour.

Of course, this only works if you actually have an hour for lunch. :

sunsqueak

All of you, I'm with you. This article helped me put things in perspective and provided some 'baby steps' to help me along the way. Still on the journey, and I haven't arrived but: http://www.rd.com/health/diet-weight-loss/how-to-lose-weight/
Hope it helps! Good luck.

CMNVA

@LeanButNotMean44, I get up at 4AM because I have to meet my carpool at 5AM. I am at work about an hour later and then work at least a 9 hour day.

@LadyLilion, that sounds great walking to the capitol and having a destination. I am in a secured type facility and I cannot get into other buildings without a need to have that access. And while my office building is large, even within the floor we are somewhat controlled as to where we can go.

But overall, I can incorporate walking into my day somehow. What I'm looking to do is a defined strength training workout. I just need to find a way to do it that doesn't make me feel like crap when I have to perform at my high-stress job.