Changing my lifestyle

joecooler
joecooler Posts: 10 Member
in Introduce Yourself
(OK, trying to come up with the condensed version here .... )

I'm a 54-year-old man who spent his 20's being active and fit; did a couple of triathlons, some big bicycle tours, 10k's, etc. Loved all of it. Then I settled down, got married, had kids. Let myself go. Big time. I love food and for 20+ years I indulged with few limits. I was still moderately active, but lots of high calorie food and decreasing exercise had the obvious result - a couple of months ago I found myself tipping the scale just over 250 lbs and with the worst fitness of my life. Boo.

I can't tell you how many times I've tried to drop weight and get fit again. I've usually had some success but always fell off the wagon. This time I want and need it to be different. I've been working w/a trainer at the local gym to work on strength and flexibility. I know that for it to work, and for it to stick, I can't just "go on a diet" - I need to change my lifestyle, how I view and use food. I've been working on eliminating the bad stuff (candy, fried foods, snacking when bored, etc), and creating new, healthy habits. So far I've lost around 10 lbs and feel much better - but I've got a long way to go AND THIS IS HARD! So I'm coming here in the hope of finding others who understand the battle and can maybe offer tips and support as I create healthier me.

Replies

  • pamlorbieski
    pamlorbieski Posts: 187 Member
    I agree...it is hard! I lost 140 pounds...and gained back 40 ugh! So here I am making a lifestyle change also to lose the 40 plus the rest of what I needed to lose. Sounds like you have a great plan and you sound motivated!!
  • joecooler
    joecooler Posts: 10 Member
    140 - wow, nice work. That must have been crazy hard. Bummer about the 40 but you did it once you can do it again. Good luck!
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    It's hard to do it that way because you are trying to change everything at once. You want to make things as easy and comfortable as possible so that it actually IS a lifestyle change rather than a "grit my teeth and keep going" change.

    My suggestion is that you change your way of eating a bit at a time by making sustainable changes such as smaller portion sizes and satisfying substitutions. Start by logging the way you normally eat for a week or two and then look back through to see where you can start making small adjustments one at a time. Let adjustments sink in for a week or two before you try another one. Think of calories like money. Spend most of your calories on nutrition but save a few for splurges.

    Log all food and caloried drinks before they go into your mouth. That gives you an overview of the calories and nutrition you'll get from consuming it so that you can decide if you really want it and how much you really want before you've consumed it. You get a chance to reconsider if you really want it or if you are just bored. You get to decide if the calories spent are really worth it.

    I aim for 80% of my calories from nutrient-dense foods and 20% from treats. No food is off limits. Some treats I eat in small amounts very slowly so that I get full enjoyment from them. Some treats aren't worth the calories they cost so I hardly eat them at all anymore.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Hi there I am 56 now and did so well when I started several years ago. I went from 228 to 173 and was in the best shape of my life. I was running 30 miles a week and changed my whole diet to healthy foods. I have the eating part down but I slacked off my running. I also added some more booze to the mix and put twenty five pounds back on. All is not lost as I have been out running three days this week. Slowly getting back on the horse here too.

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