First Post 2.15.23 I have questions :-)

linsjean

Hi everyone,

I probably signed up for myfitnesspal a long time ago and now I'm just finding the website to engage in this community. My insurance company gave me a free fitbit called Inspire 2. I wear it every day, but I never get above 2,000 steps. That's because my back has been hurting. Physical therapy was making things worse.
Do you know of any videos that I can watch (maybe on Youtube) that focus on gentle stretches from head to toe. Keep in mind I am 67. I went to my free gym (Planet Fitness) 2 days ago and I'm still sore, after walking on the treadmill for 15 minutes. I see my doc tomorrow.
How do I post a photo on my profile? The main reason is I want to be able to see my posts quickly.
I want to lose about 30 pounds.
I want to find quick and healthy meals. I just made tuna casserole tonight, but lots of carbs with those noodles.
Hope to have more interaction here. Take care!

durden

Welcome to our community! I think speaking to your doctor about this first is a good step, I wouldn't necessarily advise taking any advice you get before that to heart without knowing what else is going on.

You can add a profile photo by going to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/photos/edit on our website, and uploading a photo there.

AnnPT77

Hi, and welcome! I'm also a 67-year-old woman, but I've been around MFP for a while. (I used MFP to lose 50+ pounds when I was 59-60, been hanging around since to stay at a healthy weight.) I'm pretty active fitness-wise, but I don't get massive numbers of steps, either.

Since you mention free gym, I'm wondering whether you're in the US and maybe have Silver Sneakers through your insurance? If so, they have quite a few videos online that are senior-beginner-friendly. You can check your eligibility, and sign up if eligible, here:

https://tools.silversneakers.com/

Similarly, if you belong to AARP, they have some good video exercise content, too. Their main web site is here:

https://www.aarp.org/

Most of their health/fitness content is here:

https://stayingsharp.aarp.org/

Some is free to members, some has a cost.

I know their are good sources on YouTube, too, because I've seen other people here talk about them, but I don't have any special knowledge about that myself.

It sounds like you're doing the right thing: Start slowly and gradually, with just a manageable bit of a challenge. Keep going at that gradual progress, and you'll gradually be able to do a little more, progressively, as you continue. Keeping it moderate/manageable to avoid injury is important at any age, but IMO extra important for us seniors! Stick with it, though, and I think you'll surprise yourself with how much progress you make in a few weeks/months.

As far as healthy eating, there are lots of good healthy-eating ideas right here on MFP. You can look at the recipes section of the MFP blogs, here:

https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/recipes/

Lots of good ideas there. Another spot is the Recipes section of the Community, where people chat about recipes they like or recipes they want. Here's a direct link to that area:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/recipes

I think tuna casserole could be fine. Carbs are much demonized on the web and in the tabloids these days, and people who are diabetic or insulin resistant do need to manage them (you don't mention having either of those conditions) . . . but carbs in reasonable quantities are fine. I eat a couple of hundred grams of carbs daily now: Some of my favorite veggies and fruits have quite a high amount of carbs, but I think they're good for me. I admit, though, that many our age are getting too little protein, so it's important to leave room in calorie goal to get plenty of that. The tuna should be a help! Go heavy on the tuna and veggies in your casserole, lighter on creamy/fatty sauces, reasonable on the noodles, and you've got yourself a healthy meal, in my opinion.

Weight loss is mostly a matter of getting eating in shape, IMO. Exercise is good for a person, and it lets us eat a little more while losing weight at the same rate (which is nice), but getting food right is key for weight loss. It's a balance of appropriate calories, good nutrition, satiation, tastiness, practicality and affordability, among other things. That can take a little experimenting to get to the best personal balance, but that's OK. Health, including a healthy body weight, are a worthwhile reward.

You may even find that as you lose weight, movement gets easier and causes less discomfort/pain; and as you gradually get stronger and fitter, that improves even more. I definitely found that to be true, for me.

If you'd like to connect with others our age, this can be a good thread for that:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10718336/60-yrs-and-up#latest

Don't be dismayed if you open that up and see old posts. Like any long time "conversation" thread here in the MFP Community, the newest posts are at the end, on the high-numbered pages. You can jump straight there by using the arrow/page-number click options near the bottom of the page. (That said, it's good to read the most recent couple of pages to get an idea of what the group/conversation is like.) There are 60+ people there at all stages of fitness and weight management, beginners to old hands. It's a good and supportive group! (That would be a good place to ask about senior-friendly beginner videos on YouTube.)

I'm wishing you much success here on MFP. Don't be afraid to participate in the Community, even amongst the all-ages threads. It turns out that we have a lot of challenges and useful strategies in common, at any age, in my experience.

Best wishes!

linsjean

Durden,
Thanks for the link to upload my profile photo. I did that and it says "main" but it's not showing up here.

Ann,
Wow! You sure know your place around this site. As time allows, I will click on some of your links.

I am NOT getting email notifications when someone replies.

Jeepbarbie253

I found a chair yoga on YouTube that is great for older people or those with limited mobility. It’s not all seated but you do stand and hold on to the chair for some of the exercises and it’s great for flexibility and balance

linsjean

Thank you, I will look on youtube for "chair yoga". I'm still hurting.