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New to MyFitnessPal

JenLovingLife

My name is Jenn and I have been struggling with my weight since I was eight. I'm now 67 and recently retired. Over the years, I've lost and regained and lost the same 20-35lbs too many times to count with WW... but never learned how to maintain a healthy weight. Now at 67 and recently retired, I need to lose 22 lbs.

I'm a certified water aerobics instructor (teach 5 classes a week), love to walk, hike, and dance. All of these activities keep my weight in check, but lately I've been snacking at night, which obviously isn't helping me reach my goal weight.

Good news is that I've been tracking both my food and exercise this past week. I didn't realize how many calories I was consuming! I'm confident that I can do this the "old fashion" way through diet and exercise. Looking for like minded folks to support me in this journey.

Photo of me on one of my favorite hikes, Jail Trail, in AZ

Replies

tammyroberts4070

Hi Jenn,

I'm new too! Looking forward to reading your posts and learning from everyone here.

Glad to have the support of this community—as some platforms like to say that calorie-counting doesn't work. But I know it does because I have lost 80+ ponds twice in my life.

You've got this!

Tammy 😉

de_online

Hi Jenn,

I’m De, and I’ve been navigating menopause for a few years now. I recently learned from my naturopathic doctor that healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels are a key issue for me right now, so I totally get the struggle!

Tracking calories can be eye-opening, especially when you realize how much you’re actually consuming. I’ve found intermittent fasting to be a game-changer for managing that. If you’re new to it, ease in slowly—start with shorter fasting windows and work up. I can handle 16-18 hour fasts without feeling starved, and it’s been great for weight loss and keeping it off. I also think counting calories can work. It gives you a baseline to understand what your body needs to shed weight. For me, at 5’1” with a small frame, I start losing weight around 1,100-1,200 calories a day. Everyone’s different, though, so it’s about finding what works for you. Adding aerobic exercise and strength training has been huge for me, too.

It’s awesome that you have trails nearby for hiking! Try picking up your pace or adding some resistance, like wrist or ankle weights. I sometimes carry a heavier backpack, but be cautious—it can strain your back. Do you have access to a gym or free weights? Strength training is so important as we age. I’d love to hear how things go for you! Keep me posted, and stay active and healthy!

Best,
De

AnnPT77

Hello and welcome!

I'm Ann, age 69 and an MFP long-timer. I joined at age 59, took about a year to lose around 50 pounds, and have been at a healthy weight for 9+ years since, still hanging around here to keep my head in the game. Reaching a healthy weight has been a huge quality of life improvement for me, and I want to hang onto that.

I'm retired, but have been for a long time. As a stage III cancer survivor, I decided I wanted to retire as early as I thought I could swing it, because I'd be really cranky if I developed metastatic cancer and passed away before I could enjoy retirement. 😆 I'm also quite active, primarily as a rower - on water when possible, machine when I must, plus some cycling and other random things in the mix.

One comment on the night cravings: How's your sleep quality/quantity? That's one thing that can become more difficult as we age (don't I know it!). If that can be improved, sometimes night cravings are reduced. Fatigue accumulates through the day, by evening our body may be seeking energy . . . food is energy, voilà cravings.

Personally, I also found I have fewer evening cravings if I get a solid breakfast with plenty of protein, but that aspect tends to vary from one person to the next so may not be true for you.

You might enjoy this thread, where other 60+ people occasionally chat:

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

If you open that up and see old posts, don't worry: It's still active. It's just that like all long-running threads here, the newest posts are at the end, on the high-numbered pages. You can jump straight there with the number/arrow clicks near the top and bottom of each page of the thread.

Also, if you have questions or have some challenges/roadblocks, don't be afraid to either post on that thread, or make your own thread in a related topic area of the Community. In my experience, people of all ages tend to have a lot of the same challenges, and most people do their best to help by offering ideas or experiences. I hope to see you around here in the Community more often.

Wishing you success!

jmglitter

I there, welcome to the app.

MaryT3359

Hi! My name is Mary, I'm 70 years old, and I've been away from this group for several years. 5 days ago I made a firm commitment to myself to lose a lot of weight. I started doing Intermittent Fasting 16:8, it isn't as difficult as I thought it would be, and I'm already down 3.5 lbs. I've gone to Planet Fitness 3 times and plan to go again today. I attended an online Tai Chi class (free through AARP), and I want to try resistance training. Best wishes to everyone for success!