Back...AGAIN

cora204

I've traveled around our Sun 60 times now! Doesn't seem like very many, does it? My goal is to do it 60 more times, lol !!! My weight has always gone up n down by 10 to 20 lbs but the average has gone up around 10lbs per decade, uggh. I'm only 6 lbs above my "healthy" BMI, but I'm determined to nip this in the bud bf I'm 10 or 20 over again! I do the best and feel my best when I stay low carb (NOT no carb) unfortunately I've had major financial issues and have been getting food stamps and food from pantry. The pantries seem to be all high carb foods. And since beggars can't be choosers my weight is creeping up again. Late Oct this will change as I will begin receiving my social security widow benefits. Thanks everyone!!!

AnnPT77

Hi, @cora204, and welcome to the MFP Community!

I'm a little older than you (in real years, 67, and in MFP-years, 8). I joined here at age 59, so almost the same age you are now. Like you, I'm a widow, but have been for a long time, since age 43.

Gaining 10 pounds per decade is a common scenario. No surprise, since doing that requires only eating a super tiny number of calories above our needs on average - literally, it would be like 10 calories extra per day! (Ten pounds in a year is only around 100 calories per day extra.)

Many of us lose a little muscle mass as we age, if we do nothing to challenge it and remind our bodies we want to keep it. That in itself burns a tiny number fewer calories at rest, but perhaps more importantly tends to make being active gradually less easy so less fun, and we move less. Left unchecked that can become a negative spiral that does come home to roost by your/my age range.

On top of that, it's common to have a less active daily life as we age. Maybe jobs become a little more sedentary, we're not chasing toddlers and building a nice home/garden as we were when young, etc. That, too, tends toward creeping weight gain.

The good news is that those things can be reversed: It isn't some kind of unchangeable metabolic mystery.

I used MFP to lose from class 1 obese to a healthy weight around 8 years ago, and have been at a healthy weight for 7+ years since. I didn't do anything special like IF or low carb or something, just logged my food and considered where I could make relatively painless calorie cuts. If IF and low carb helps you, I'm not dissing that at all: Different tactics work best for different people.

I'm cheering for you to succeed with your goals here on MFP!