60 yrs and up
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Welcome to all the new people! You'll find lots of information and support here.2
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Yesterday I turned 70 years old. Today I feel so much better and can do so much more than I could a year ago. In the last 15 months I have lost over 90 lbs and have so much more energy. I know it's been said many times before but never let age hold you back from doing the things you want to do. You can lose weight. You can take up new activities. You can increase your fitness. When you put your mind to it and stay consistent in working toward your goals it can be done. I have about 15 or 20 more pounds to lose but I know if I keep doing what I'm doing I'll get there. And with the tools I've learned here and help from this community, maintain my loss and continue to improve my health and quality of life.13
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@SbetaK Yes! Staying active both physically and mentally is so important to the way you feel, whether that be in your job or a generally active lifestyle. I'd say you are a success story whether or not you feel you still have more to lose. Losing weight and keeping it off is success. I think one thing I've learned is that we are all a work in progress, even when we do reach our goal weight. What I've noticed in these forums is the people that are successful are constantly striving to improve their lives in some way even after they have been in maintenance for several years. It's important for our health and well-being. Especially as we age.4
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@SbetaK Yes! Staying active both physically and mentally is so important to the way you feel, whether that be in your job or a generally active lifestyle. I'd say you are a success story whether or not you feel you still have more to lose. Losing weight and keeping it off is success. I think one thing I've learned is that we are all a work in progress, even when we do reach our goal weight. What I've noticed in these forums is the people that are successful are constantly striving to improve their lives in some way even after they have been in maintenance for several years. It's important for our health and well-being. Especially as we age.
Well Said!
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Thank you @karlschaeffer .1
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@Pdc654 Happy belated birthday! And what a testament! Well done!
To the new people on here, when I first decided to lose weight I made my weight loss like a part time job. And the job description of this new position required me to take more time in the grocery store so I was more aware of what I was buying, to do meal prep and eat those healthier foods I'd bought (instead of letting them rot in the fridge while I grabbed a bag of chips from the snack box at work), to participate in forums such as this, to log my food, to exercise, and to read and learn as much as I could about this journey I was taking.
As you know, there are way too many diet and exercise books out there and believe me, I read dozens of them! But one of the absolute best books I read was "Thinner This Year" by Chris Crowley and Jan Sacheck. It's all about food and exercise in this "third act" that us over 60's are living in. And how we can make our third act so much better. I highly recommend downloading or physically borrowing the book from your library. I did. And then I went out and bought it. I read it about once a year to get my head back in the game (usually in January 😆).
My confession is that between retirement (and the loss of structured eating times), and injuring my back last fall when I hit a deer while driving, I've allowed some weight to creep back. I'd originally lost 90 pounds but right now I'm a few pounds over my "happy weight" and working on that. The back is now 100% so no excuses there and I'm exercising like I was before, but oh my, I struggle with "free range eating" since I retired! It's a constant battle. But one that I will win 😁
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@ridiculous59 Thank you! I like your describing weight loss like a part time job! That's exactly right. Re-training yourself to eat more thoughtfully and learning about those foods that will fill you up but not out and how they effect your energy levels and health is like a part time job!
For me retirement has been helpful in losing weight. I had a high stress job that sometimes required extra hours and I think less stress and more time available to me made weight loss and finding time to exercise easier for me.5 -
Greetings, all. Trying to check in here more often.
To @sandramarshall200, @trekkie123, @ridiculous59 and @karlschaeffer - Thank you for your kind words and your encouragement. You remind me again that the best feature of MFP is the community and the mutual support. 😍
Like @SbetaK, I'm 68 and still working. The work activity is a partial respite from my home situation and I able to save some more money for anticipated retirement in a couple of years. I think work activity is great for anyone wants to stay active and who is able to keep working past expected "retirement" age.
Weight is up a bit the last couple of days. Went to that 18 inning Mariners playoff game yesterday with my sons. Consumed some delicious ballpark food and some adult beverages. Gotta' unwind now and then! Back on the program tomorrow.
Keep up your great efforts, all you seasoned citizens. You're an inspiration to me!
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@Pdc654 - happy belated birthday 👏 and thanks for sharing your story! Very encouraging 👍, as is yours @ridiculous59.
I have only lost about 12 lbs this year, 45 total since starting MFP and have another 90 to go but focusing on the next 50. By focusing I apparently mean wishing it to be so and really working hard not to regain lol. Looking forward to making some progress this Fall. Even another 10-15 lbs off would bring my 2022 total to a respectable number lol.
I am 62, and would really like to make it to a reasonable goal for maintenance by age 65, but as long as I continue to weigh less, year over year, I am counting that as a victory.6 -
alteredsteve175 wrote: »Greetings, all. Trying to check in here more often.
To @sandramarshall200, @trekkie123, @ridiculous59 and @karlschaeffer - Thank you for your kind words and your encouragement. You remind me again that the best feature of MFP is the community and the mutual support. 😍
Like @SbetaK, I'm 68 and still working. The work activity is a partial respite from my home situation and I able to save some more money for anticipated retirement in a couple of years. I think work activity is great for anyone wants to stay active and who is able to keep working past expected "retirement" age.
Weight is up a bit the last couple of days. Went to that 18 inning Mariners playoff game yesterday with my sons. Consumed some delicious ballpark food and some adult beverages. Gotta' unwind now and then! Back on the program tomorrow.
Keep up your great efforts, all you seasoned citizens. You're an inspiration to me!
Woah! That Mariner’s game was intense. Philly fan here, so riding the high of Phillies in NLCS and Eagles 6-0. Happy Monday!
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Weight is up a bit the last couple of days. Went to that 18 inning Mariners playoff game yesterday with my sons. Consumed some delicious ballpark food and some adult beverages. Gotta' unwind now and then! Back on the program tomorrow.
Keep up your great efforts, all you seasoned citizens. You're an inspiration to me!
Woah! That Mariner’s game was intense. Philly fan here, so riding the high of Phillies in NLCS and Eagles 6-0. Happy Monday!
Yes, Karl, the atmosphere in the ballpark was electric. The fans didn't stop yelling and chanting 'til the game was over. Good luck to your Phillies, Karl. I will watch the rest of the playoffs because I'm a baseball fan, but I'll have to root for Cleveland now.
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@ridiculous59 Thank you! I like your describing weight loss like a part time job! That's exactly right. Re-training yourself to eat more thoughtfully and learning about those foods that will fill you up but not out and how they effect your energy levels and health is like a part time job!
For me retirement has been helpful in losing weight. I had a high stress job that sometimes required extra hours and I think less stress and more time available to me made weight loss and finding time to exercise easier for me.
Here's my experience: Like I said earlier, it's been a constant struggle for me to eat appropriately since I retired and the scale is my witness to that. However, and this is a huge "however", when I had my last blood work done my numbers were actually better than my pre-retirement blood work. What's different in my life now? More exercise and no work related stress. I have always known the value of exercise. But to be honest, I didn't realize how much my job affected me till I left it. So to see it in real numbers (my blood work) was an incredible eye opener for me.6 -
@ridiculous59. I can see how the exercise could make a big difference in your blood work numbers. It's so important to our general well-being.
As far as getting the eating under control, I was very bad for a long time just eating anything at anytime I wanted and it was one of the major reasons I put on so much weight this time around. When I finally made up my mind to get the weight off, one of the first things I did was to schedule my eating more regularly and stop the all day snacking. I now eat 3 regular meals and 1 or 2 snacks a day. It was hard at first to do that, but it has helped me so much to not overeat.3 -
Tomorrow we are off to Hawaii, the Big Island. We will be there for 10 days and back on Oct 29. I'm excited but a little nervous too. First time traveling since covid. Our last vacation was in May 2019.
I always retain a lot of water with long air flights and it takes a week or so to get the water weight off so I may postpone weighing for a week after I get back. Sometimes it's as much as 8 pounds up. I will probably be eating at maintenance and estimating my food since I'm not bringing my food scale. But I'm hoping the activity will offset some of the extra calories. Aloha, everyone!4 -
alteredsteve175 wrote: »
Weight is up a bit the last couple of days. Went to that 18 inning Mariners playoff game yesterday with my sons. Consumed some delicious ballpark food and some adult beverages. Gotta' unwind now and then! Back on the program tomorrow.
Keep up your great efforts, all you seasoned citizens. You're an inspiration to me!
Woah! That Mariner’s game was intense. Philly fan here, so riding the high of Phillies in NLCS and Eagles 6-0. Happy Monday!
Yes, Karl, the atmosphere in the ballpark was electric. The fans didn't stop yelling and chanting 'til the game was over. Good luck to your Phillies, Karl. I will watch the rest of the playoffs because I'm a baseball fan, but I'll have to root for Cleveland now.
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Aloha @Pdc654! Did not make it to the big island last trip, will have to visit it soon.
Just wear your mask in busy spots, especially indoors; fortunately almost everything is outdoorsin Hawaii - you will be in the minority (wearing a mask) but it does give that extra layer of protection. Let us know how it goes and have a great time.0 -
I am 60 and am looking for support too. I have high cholesterol and am looking to lose about 15 more lbs as I recently lost 10 lbs. I am having to be on a restricted diet due to sucrose enzyme deficiency and it’s not fun and so would like to have some support too .4
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Welcome and good luck Asugar13901
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BCLadybug888 wrote: »Aloha @Pdc654! Did not make it to the big island last trip, will have to visit it soon.
Just wear your mask in busy spots, especially indoors; fortunately almost everything is outdoorsin Hawaii - you will be in the minority (wearing a mask) but it does give that extra layer of protection. Let us know how it goes and have a great time.
PDc, enjoy your trip! Agree with BC. Just wear the mask in indoor public areas. And have fun!
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BlessedGmaof4 wrote: »Hi everyone. I’ve been a member for a while but haven’t posted. I’ll soon be 65 and need to lose a little over 100 lbs. I’d like to do low carb because I hear it’s helpful with some medical issues but I always fail at it, it’s hard for me to give up carbs. I also have problems with caving in to my cravings. I get so frustrated with myself!!
I guess I'd say, don't do something you have failed at before and think you will fail at again. Try something new! Small changes can really add up, and for me, logging and measuring is the ticket. And maybe if you are logging, you can figure out your patterns and be able to lower your carbs somewhat.3 -
BlessedGmaof4 wrote: »Hi everyone. I’ve been a member for a while but haven’t posted. I’ll soon be 65 and need to lose a little over 100 lbs. I’d like to do low carb because I hear it’s helpful with some medical issues but I always fail at it, it’s hard for me to give up carbs. I also have problems with caving in to my cravings. I get so frustrated with myself!!
I guess I'd say, don't do something you have failed at before and think you will fail at again. Try something new! Small changes can really add up, and for me, logging and measuring is the ticket. And maybe if you are logging, you can figure out your patterns and be able to lower your carbs somewhat.
You know, I think this is really good advice - so important to make changes you can live with, vs adopting changes that are too hard to live with and we give up or regain or both!
However, I too believe low carb can be good for insulin resistance and metabolic issues especially - but don't have to go 'full keto' to get benefits (unless that's a way of eating you like + find satisfying).
Even without lowering carbs, having a minimum 12 hour fast overnight can give some of the same benefits.2 -
Hey all - checking in, hope your weekend is going as planned 😀
Last night I went to Elton John concert on his Farewell tour. He announced this was his last concert in Canada, and boy did he rock the place out! I so appreciated that his whole band was made up of energetic & talented old men (one of the drummers first did a concert with him in 1969!). I was there with my daughter and friends who were born in the 80s & 90s lol. A good time was had by all!
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Hi all. Been awhile since I’ve been here. I’ve been lurking. I’ve been ill and my weight seems to be at the crux of all my health problems. Recently, I realized I have to change. I’m trying. I hurt my achilles and stopped walking until I was told to walk anyway. It’s the only way it will heal.
The great news is that I’m up North on a little trip, just to get away and I’ve been hiking in the woods everyday. I’m so proud of myself! The terrain isn’t easy, but the rewards are great. Saw a series of cascading waterfalls yesterday that was beautiful. There’s pain, but I stretch a lot and it’s manageable. I feel incredibly hopeful.
To those of you wondering about aging and it’s effects, my dad was a sailor. He always told me “ old age is a shipwreck “.
Unfortunately, I think it’s true.
He lived into his 80’s.
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BCLadybug888 wrote: »Hey all - checking in, hope your weekend is going as planned 😀
Last night I went to Elton John concert on his Farewell tour. He announced this was his last concert in Canada, and boy did he rock the place out! I so appreciated that his whole band was made up of energetic & talented old men (one of the drummers first did a concert with him in 1969!). I was there with my daughter and friends who were born in the 80s & 90s lol. A good time was had by all!
Glad you enjoyed the show. Saw Sir Elton in Tucson a few years back. Thought he might “phone it in”. He stay on stage and played and sang for over 90 mins. At one point he sent his band off stage for a break and he did a few songs solo. Great performer.
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Hi, y'all -
First, a welcome and encouragement to the new folks who've recently commented on this thread: Stay engaged, ask questions if you have some, tell us what your challenges are - maybe some of us have suggestions about what's worked or is working for us, for you to consider.
Other than that, just a status update from me.
The Elton John concert sounds amazing, @BCLadybug888! He's such a talented and seasoned performer, with a great back catalog of songs to draw on.
I went to my first indoor musical event since the start of the pandemic this past weekend, too, though a much less famous thing (but still excellent), the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa. So colorful, dynamic (with dancing and drumming), excellent soloists and harmonies. They did about a 90-minute show, split into 2 sets. One was African music, the other was what I'd describe as a mix of American soul/R&B/gospel classics, but done in their African-flavored style. That part included songs like "Amen", "Respect", "I'll Take You There", and more. No photos, because they weren't allowed during the performance.
Beyond that, nothing dramatic happening here. Cold weather is creeping on in Michigan, so I'm sadly getting to the end of my favorite outdoor activities' season. We're still rowing when weather permits, but favoring large multi-person boats for safety; and I'm still biking when I can. This week, we've had 3 days or so back into semi-balmy temperatures (50-75 F), which has been great. I had a nice bike ride yesterday, rowed this morning . . . both in short sleeves. That won't last! I'm steeling myself to pick up with stationary bike and machine rowing to maintain at least some fitness over Winter, and will try to talk myself into strength training as well. (Love the results from strength training, but don't love the process . . . and I'm sadly undisciplined and hedonistic.)
I don't know about the rest of you, but the increasing cold and darker days seem to spark up my appetite, and it gets easier to overeat. Is this my Scandinavian genes wanting me to store up some body fat for Winter? Dunno. But I need to use my ultra-limited discipline/motivation budget, try to stay in a healthy weight range!
I hope everyone else is doing OK, at whatever stage of the process you're in. Let us know how things are going, eh?
Best wishes to all!
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@AnnPT77 someone on an MFP thread once referred to that stored seasonal fat as "winter fluff". Yep, I can relate to that! It sounds like the choir was fabulous. I've seen the Watato children's choir several times (from Uganda) and their energy is just incredible.
After days and days of beautiful sunshine and Fall colours it feels like a change in weather has finally arrived. Gloomy and rain for most of today, but I did get a 60 minute hike with the dogs between showers. My dragon boat club spent yesterday afternoon pulling the dock out of the water and winterizing the boathouse. Paddling is done for the season *sigh* . Afterwards we all went for wings so it was a really nice way to spend the day. Such a nice group of women, plus a few husbands showed up to help out.
@BCLadybug888 sadly, while you were enthralled with Elton, I was watching the Canuck game (on TV), and sobbing into my wine haha It must have been a great experience for you!
I'm only on week 3 of C25K so I'm hoping I can finish it before it snows. I honestly don't do a whole lot of cardio so I need to get myself back into it to make cross country skiing more enjoyable. I end up doing about 20 minutes of yoga/stretching after my runs and I find that that prevents me from feeling too stiff the next morning. Remember when we were young and could run on back to back days and never feel a thing? Doesn't happen that way anymore haha
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Greetings to each of you.
It is unbelievable how much sodium is in the foods we eat. As a result I have switched to fresh and frozen foods. But like a line out of Airplane! - I picked a bad day to give up canned food. Prices have become ridiculous, to say the least. Eating healthy seems to require a second mortgage.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing is the number of times I have to shop for groceries. Fresh fruits and vegetables spoil at warp speed here in Florida. I have managed to extend the life of these items by washing them in a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. This kills the bacteria that accelerates decomposition.
But even with my best food handling practices, it still requires a lot of time, and money, to maintain a healthy diet.
So, I ask you, what are some of the things you do to offset inflation?2 -
It's another expense up front (long past in my case), but a chest freezer has been a great help to me, financially plus logistically during the pandemic (less frequent shopping). They come in all sizes, including some that could fit an apartment.
I admit to having the granny's-basement size, bought back when we did a big veggie garden. I still buy some fresh produce to freeze (Winter squash right now, in huge quantities), but also cook big batches of dried beans/peas and freeze in reusable 2-cup tempered-glass bowls with snap-on lids. Those can go straight from freezer to microwave. Dry legumes are pretty cheap, and cooking them during cold season is a bit of balancing cost with heating costs (as opposed to making A/C cost higher at other times).
Most of the space, though, is things bought on sale, giant bags of frozen veg from Costco, things bought in big quantities that can be frozen (lower per-unit cost than the size package I could use up unfrozen).
At times, I make crustless mini-quiches/frittatas in 1-cup tempered glass bowls, which can use whatever is affordable veggie-wise at the time, and eggs are usually pretty cost-effective for the nutrition, IMO. For waste-avoidance, I also sometimes freeze home-made muffins, sliced loaves of bread, leftovers of casseroles in single-serve bowls, etc. For quick-convenience, I'll sometimes freeze cooked rice or other grains in a large rectangular pan with lines scored in it before freezing, then break up the chunks and store more compactly in a plastic bag. I guess that's a cost savings if compared with some of the microwave quick-rice type stuff.
I know a big freezer isn't viable for everyone, but exploiting whrris atever freezer one may have might be a small help.
On the dried beans front, I'd observe that lentils cook more quickly than others, and an overnight soak makes any of them cook more quickly, even if just making a batch for short-term use from the refrigerator. I like to make beans pretty plain (maybe just onion, maybe not), then use the up in various way (burritos/tacos, stews/soups/chili, etc.).2 -
I agree with Ann in regards to using a deep freeze to save money. Grocery stores seem to alternate which weeks they put certain meat/fish on sale. With a deep freeze you can buy several weeks of beef or pork or whatever at one time, rather than a varied choice of proteins each week, many at non-sale prices. Also, Instant Pots (or other brands of pressure cookers) are amazing for cooking dry beans, rice, hard boiled eggs, and many other foods. Put them in and forget it until it beeps.
As a time saver, when I buy a bunch of one kind of meat, I frequently will cook them ahead (not roasts, though). I will grill (ok, I form the patties/prep the meat; my husband is the grill master) 1-2 dozen burgers at a time as well as 1-2 value packs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (for salads). I also will make up a bunch of turkey/veggie burgers (almost like a meatloaf) and cook them on parchment paper in the oven. We just take them out and eat them as we need them.
Gone are the days of ice cream runs to the grocery store; we joke that now we have lettuce runs.
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