Need some guidance

mjks_mom

I'm 49. Struggling with fact I'm turning 50 this year. I have an amazing A1C but my blood sugars are terrible. I need to lose about 40lbs. Exercise is so hard for me. Physically I'm just weak. Fibro makes my joints hurt. I feel defeated alot. I know I can do it. How do you motivate yourself? I weigh 200. 5 yrs ago I weighed 420. Always afraid of going back.

Running2Fit

Exercise is hard for everyone at first! Take it slow. There are a lot of YouTube videos out there that offer great workouts and usually have someone showing modified versions of the moves for low-impact. I'm a big fan of PopSugar Fitness. I also used Daily Burn for awhile but they do cost $15 a month but they always have low-impact modifications and they have more programs set up (like a set of videos to take you through 6-8 weeks worth of workouts) than a lot of YouTube channels I've seen.

Also swimming is a great low-impact exercise if you have access to a gym with a pool.

Just do what you can. If you keep at it you will get stronger and it won't be so hard.

But remember you don't have to exercise to lose weight. Exercise is great for health but losing weight is really about the diet.

jonjaxmom

I’ve been at this for the millionth time, for last 6 weeks. I’ve found my a1c is better and I’m using about 30% less insulin because I’m working out and eating cleaner foods. It’s such a slow process and it’s easy to discourage but hang tough!! Remember at our age hormones are changing things too so we’ve got lots going against us. I’m down 9 pounds and have 25 to go. Youve got this!! Walk, run, swim, lift canned goods over your head, whatever it takes! Baby steps and you’ll be headed in the right direction. Good luck!!!

longkathleenann9291

I’m not knocking exercise, but you don’t have to exercise to lose weight. You just have to eat at a calorie deficit. I’ve lost 22 lbs since July 23 just by watching what I eat. I’m 53 years old and have another 25 lbs to go.

elisa123gal

If you used to weight 420 and now you're 200? I think you know way more than you feel right now. That's amazing you lost that weight. You know what to do.. 40 pounds now is nothing compared to what you've lost. Eat your way skinny..and explore what exercises you can ease into that work for you.

I do realize that as you are smaller now.. you will need to exercise to get to your finish line,.. but you're amazing you've come so FAR...and you can do this!!!

88olds

Wow! Congrats on the loss.

Afraid of going back? Good. The potential to regain is a real problem. I’ve lost 100lbs, been maintaining for years. But I hang around these boards as a reminder.

Exercise is overrated as a weight loss strategy. Good for our heads though. Motivation? It’s not reliable.

Calculate a modest calorie deficit, crunch some numbers and keep a food diary. Use a food scale. Try to hit your number. Calorie counting works.

I’m curious. How did you get from 420 to 200? Are you stuck at 200? Why do you think that is?

Defeated? Well, I guess you haven’t really closed the deal but not a lot of folks manage the changes that you have. So you aren’t at goal yet, but you seem pretty far from defeated. Failing to credit our successes is a problem in weight loss.

I would think the hard facts are that after a serious 5 year effort you’ve lost 220lbs and have 40lbs to go. You must be an uncommonly determined person. Don’t kick yourself over an episode of doubt. Keep going. Or maybe regroup and start again. Good luck.

thisPGHlife

I agree that your eating is the key to continuing to lose weight and that you don't necessarily have to exercise. Obviously you're doing something right. Your down to the last 15% of your journey!! Motivation is fleeting and it comes down to the habits you've created. If you're truly feeling defeated, maybe consider a diet break for two weeks. Let yourself eat at maintenance. You'll notice a jump in the scale but it should be mostly, if not all, water weight. Regain some perspective. Even if you ate enough to put on four pounds per week of actual fat, you'd have to eat an extra 2000 calories per day over maintenance (so probably in the ballpark of 4000 calories per day) and it would take you 55 weeks to put back on the weight you lost. I'm only saying this to point out that the gear you feel if putting it back on is what will help keep you on track. And even if you fall off and are putting on 4 pounds a week, I'm sure you'll recognize that something is very wrong well before you get a year intro putting weight back on. Especially at 4 pounds per week!! At that rate I would bad myself from my kitchen after two weeks! 😁. Basically what I'm trying to say is, you know how to not totally backslide and you've had good practice with it. You, hopefully, have proven to yourself that you know what to do and can do it.

As far as exercise, you don't specifically need it for weight loss, but it is good for your body and your mental health. Having lost so much weight there is a high probability that you've lost a good amount of muscle mass which is probably contributing to feeling weak. @Running2Fit mentioned swimming and I'm going to second that. It will probably be easiest on your joints. And start of small. Even if it's just walking around in the shallow end for 15-20 minutes, the walking plus the resistance from the water will be an awesome workout. Or don't paddle in the deep end for a while if your knees are bothering you.

You are amazing and such an inspiration. You've worked so hard for this. And just think, your 50's will be even more amazing because of all your hard work. You are leaving all that weight behind in your 40's!