Changing my life now so that I can age well! 50 is on the horizon!

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kellyw4444
kellyw4444 Posts: 60 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I am a 49 year old wife and mother of 3 kids - 2 grown at university, 1 still in high school - who works full time from home (at a computer all day). I am 30 lbs overweight after years of losing and gaining and I am frustrated with my inability to maintain motivation, despite knowing all the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating. I am interested in making permanent changes to how I live my life (read: up the daily activity and reduce the caloric intake) so that I am not on the weight loss rollercoaster for the rest of my life. I now have more time for myself than I have had in the last 20 years and am ready to make myself a priority.

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  • carolmelton147
    carolmelton147 Posts: 5 Member
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    I am in the same boat! 48 and about thirty over where I need to be! I have four children and all are grown and the last graduates from University this May. I know all the right things to do, but just can't seem to stick to it! I am saying this is my year!
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    Congrats on your commitment! I was in the same place about 5 years ago – I was in my early 40s and starting to get out of shape, I rejected that I had to accept the decline of my health associated with aging, and fitness became my midlife crisis. I started logging my diet consistently on MFP, and after a month, I was able to start cutting down on certain foods and replacing it with foods that were better aligned with my fitness goals. (For example, I stopped robotically drinking milk and OJ every morning because I was getting more than enough vitamin C, D, calcium, etc. from my general diet, so I replaced a few hundred liquid calories with calories from solid food that kept me satiated longer.)

    My best advice is to get a handle on how many calories you should be eating and the correct mix of macros (fat/carbs/protein) and just consistently eat within those parameters. Spend a few hours a week doing strength training and cardio (especially strength training, if you want to have a nice body composition, strong muscles, good bone density, etc.. As you reach your 50s and beyond, strength training will make you more resilient and able to absorb some of the negative things that happen to us as we get older (broken bones and torn muscles from falls, for example)). Build sustainable eating and exercise habits that you can see yourself doing for years. Best of luck!


  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    I will be 49 this year. Six years since I happened upon MFP when searching for a calorie counting app. Lost 20+lbs slowly over that first year and have kept it off since. If I can do it, anyway one can :smile: :smile:
    I'm in the best shape ever.

    Be consistent at logging your calories. Use a food scale ( most of the time we are eating more than we think)
    And move a bit more.
    Keep on doing the above day after day until it becomes an ingrained habit - which it will :smiley:

    All the best ladies.

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