My over 50 journey!

ruthlewis9760
ruthlewis9760 Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello! Like some people, I've struggled with my weight my whole life. I am just over 50 years old, and my body feel like I'm closer to 80! I have tried ever thing under the sun to lose weight but haven't had much success. My heath is now affected by my weight... So, at the beginning of June, I decided to see a doctor as a weight loss clinic and started using this app. I have changed my diet and I've already started to feel the difference. Just wanted to hope on here to find likeminded people to keep me motivated and help cheer each other on. Let's keep moving forward!
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Replies

  • janeholland2008
    janeholland2008 Posts: 22 Member
    Hi Ruth,
    Like you, I am struggling with my health because of my weight. I first used this app in 2016 and weighed 17 stones then. Now, having given up smoking, I am nearly 25 stone and feel like an OAP despite only being 58 years old. My 2 sons are joining me on this lifestyle change and I am in the lucky position to have a son who loves cooking and is determined that we all lose 100lb as quickly and safely as possible. This is my first week of logging food and it has been eye-opening to see just how much we were overeating. 2nd weigh is on Monday, I'm going for a 2lb per week loss, so fingers crossed. Having given up smoking after 40 years, I've decided that I can achieve anything I want if I put a little effort in but I also need continual motivation. I would be happy to share this journey with you, let's show them that us 50+ ladies can do it
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,610 Member
    Hi, and welcome to you both!

    Yes, there can be success after 50, and I'm not the only person here who'd say so, I'm pretty sure.

    I joined MFP at 59, lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight, and have stayed in the healthy weight range and same jeans size for 7+ years since, now age 67. That, after around 30 years before that being overweight/obese.

    I had gotten quite active in my mid/late 40s (after cancer treatment), but stayed fat. It was pretty easy to eat the few hundred calories that the added exercise burned. (Two tablespoons of peanut butter will offset most of it, let alone those fancy flavored coffee drinks!)

    Finally, at 59, I had to admit that I wasn't as healthy as I needed to be, despite being pretty athletically fit for my age by then, surprisingly much so, given my weight. That's when I started calorie counting, joined MFP, and committed to lose weight. Honestly, though it wasn't psychologically easy every single second, the practical mechanics were simpler than I'd imagined. I could kick myself for not doing it years earlier, honestly.

    When I first started being active at 40-something, I was very inactive, totally out of shape, depleted from chemotherapy and such, and recently diagnosed as severely hypothyroid. Just getting active was a quality of life improvement, even while fat.

    Staying active, then losing weight: The combination was gangbusters. Quite honestly, now at age 67, I feel more functional ("younger", if you will) and have better health markers (blood tests, blood pressure) than I did when I was 45. It can happen, with patience and persistence, and IME it's very, very worth that effort.

    I'm cheering for you both to succeed!

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