End of week 1 - may not sound much but...

cherys

I haven't completed an entire week of weight-loss eating since my twenties and I'm now 55!

I thought I lacked the self-discipline, so I am counting this as a mini-milestone.

Not sure if I've lost any weight yet as my scales are too unreliable to tell. But I know I have drastically reduced my intake, cut out snacks, all sugar and processed foods and the only carbs I've had are tiny portions of oats and brown rice. Very happy to have made it this far. Should take about 6-8 months to get down to the right weight so I need to stay motivated.

ReenieHJ

Yay you! One day at a time!! For so long in my life, every time I started eating healthy, it lasted until lunch. On a good day, maybe till bedtime.
Sounds like you've found something that works now too!!!

LouVee186000

Congrats, i felt the same after my first week!

apryl05701

Good for you! I also am in that over 50 bracket. Struggling with self discipline and trying to figure out a exercise routine that wont put me in cardiac trouble. lol Best of luck to you!!

quiksylver296

Woo hoo! Great work!

cherys

ReenieHJ wrote: »

For so long in my life, every time I started eating healthy, it lasted until lunch. On a good day, maybe till bedtime.

@ReenieHJ - That was me too, for years. Start weight loss plan. Be eating potato chips by midday! Not sure why this time I'm sticking to it, but I've just had enough.

cherys

Thanks everyone for the thumbs up. I am sticking to this one. I want energy and I want to look good in my clothes again.

ReenieHJ

cherys wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the thumbs up. I am sticking to this one. I want energy and I want to look good in my clothes again.

It WILL happen. One meal choice at a time!!

live2skide

@cherys Keep logging! I am on day 40 of logging after a recent diabetes diagnosis. I broke out the digital scale and feel kind of obsessive about weighing things. I do that so I am "logging accurately" because I was over estimating amounts and "cheating myself" out of calories. I set a personal 3 month goal to lose 10#. It's a slow steady loss, and I can see it working when I weigh myself about every 3 days. The good news is that by tracking every bite I stuff in my mouth it is WORKING....down 8.5# in the last 40 days. When I hit that goal, I will "adjust it" to a new goal, because now logging has motivated me because I see result. I hope you keep going! (My diabetes educator told us the other day to walk a bit after every meal....she gets up during TV commercials and walks into every room in the house. I thought it was genius!)

djnufer

Congrats! Even the longest journeys start with the first step.

midlomel1971

cherys wrote: »

I haven't completed an entire week of weight-loss eating since my twenties and I'm now 55!

I thought I lacked the self-discipline, so I am counting this as a mini-milestone.

Not sure if I've lost any weight yet as my scales are too unreliable to tell. But I know I have drastically reduced my intake, cut out snacks, all sugar and processed foods and the only carbs I've had are tiny portions of oats and brown rice. Very happy to have made it this far. Should take about 6-8 months to get down to the right weight so I need to stay motivated.

Good for you! Don't you feel much better? It's honestly amazing at how better I feel after just a week of healthier eating. Maybe it's in my head, but I feel slimmer and lighter. I hope you are feeling proud of yourself! You've got this!

mysteps2beauty

cherys wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the thumbs up. I am sticking to this one. I want energy and I want to look good in my clothes again.

Just keep at it. Even if you go over calories, it just helps you see what you are eating, and making adjustments along the way. I drink way more water than I use to. I feel good just tracking that! My goal 60 lbs lost by my 60th birthday this July. (I'm currently at 36 lbs lost and it took me almost a year to get to that, though I lost 6 in the last month cause I just have had enough letting food dictate how I feel and look).

Like you, I want to look better in my clothes and want to have energy and not have bad knees and feet caused by too much weight. Cute clothes and shoes look so much better than tents and orthopedic shoes. LOL

All the best to you!

cherys

Thank you so much for your supportive comments, particularly since I went out and bought scales that work today, and found out I'm 4lb heavier than I thought my start weight had been. So after a week of being careful I now have a new, heavier - but accurate - weight. This has just made me more determined though.

@live2skide - I like your idea of having short term goals rather than just the end goal. Think I'll set myself a goal of 4lb in the next month which at least brings me back to where I thought I was.

@mysteps2beauty - yes - cute clothes and shoes instead of tents and orthopaedic shoes

cherys

@midlomel1971 - I feel a bit better. What I really like is that I am not getting cravings any more. I used to get really ferocious cravings for carbs, but since cutting out all refined carbs and sugars, they've gone. I sometimes 'want' a bag of potato chips but that's not the same as feeling a raging need for them. I think I'm very susceptible to carb cravings.

RenaSkam

Yippee!!!! SO happy for you! I'm 53 and never went more than a week either but I started this journey on Sept 23rd, 2019 and have not stopped since! Every little thing is a victory for YOU, celebrate it, rock it, you got this!!

TravisJHunt

Changing a lifestyle takes more than a few days so you should be proud on your first week. Its the first step and one of the hardest because you had to make the decision to do it. Keep killing it!

brettrobb

I am just coming to the end of week one of tracking for the first time ever at 45. I have gained and lost 100s of pounds but still struggle - hoping this tracking is a life long tool that will keep me on track. I was afraid to weigh at the start and haven't in years but after a week of MFP I felt strong enough to get on the scale and really see - at least now I know.

Treab123

Just reached my 60 day milestone and 26.25lbs down 23stone to 21st 1.75lbs as of today... onwards to my first major goal of being 18stone still overweight but a huge improvement for me

cherys

Thanks to everyone who has responded and very good luck to @brettrobb just starting out too. I have found MFP really useful and helpful this time. Stuck with it for three weeks now and have lost 2lbs - not a lot, but I really want this to be a lifestyle change I can stick with forever, not a weight loss programme I ditch as soon as I reach the target, only to regain. So far, it has been really enjoyable and eye opening.

I've learned my body reacts really badly to refined carbs and sugar. If I ditch them, I feel strong, healthy and good. If I have them I feel grumpy, get vicious cravings and mood swings. So avoiding bread, processed snacks or sweets day to day really helps.

I need exercise - far more than I was doing. Starting gently due to a foot injury, but there are no excuses, because, guess what - there are workouts online even for people with broken ankles! Google 'hurt foot workout' to find a whole host of them. So no more 'my plantar fasciitis is so bad today' couch potatoing.

Best of all, I'm actually enjoying it! I enjoy feeling healthier. I enjoy learning from the wise, fit people on here and being constantly inspired by people whose journeys have been far more challenging than mine. I have learned so much in three weeks and I'm sticking around!

mariepar

All the posts are so inspiring! First week down(weigh in tomorrow) but feel lighter, more mindful and first time in a while I’ve made it through a whole week!
I’m 57 and have about 70lbs to lose- first goal is the 100s and then next is non-plus size etc... this time does feel different- health is primary goal not vanity(although the tents and orthopedic shoes comment resonated)!
In the past I started w a bang at the gym and it’s ended quick with a whimper. Too fast/too hard/not 21. Easy does it - hopefully slow and steady will win the race this time.
Started with some gentle walking this week- will try the gym next week- yoga and some weights plus more walking. Will be a big step up from car-office-couch.
A bit daunting overall but time will pass regardless and I found this week looking forward to what I CAN eat vs what I can’t helped a lot.

fdlewenstein

One week down is an accomplishment. Now you know you can succeed week two. Be patient and consistent. I started my weight loss journey in August (down 57 pounds) and I still have to remind myself to be patient. If I am consistent...it happens. I found that using a weight tracking app, like Happy scale or Libra, can be useful. It shows your weight loss trend. This really helped me to keep things in perspective. I don't freak out as much when I gain 0.2 of a pound! Also, keep in mind there are many variables that can affect weight fluctuations and that is normal.

Take one day at a time! Celebrate every small step forward. Best of luck.

brenn24179

wow I have been dieting since I was 16 yrs old, always been a struggle.

leanneellison1979

im at the end of week 2 but wasnt brave enough to get on the scales until last week. Ive lost 6 pounds this week and its the first time in my life (other than my 3 children being born) that im actually proud of myself. I wish i would have weighed myself from the start now.
@cherys well done and keep up the good work

cherys

leanne - that's a huge loss. Wow! Well done.
Brenn - you've put more effort in than I ever have and it shows. You look lovely in that pic!