Turning 51 and REALLY serious this time. Anyone else?
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Ok, I just went bathing suit shopping and I'm really starting to see the middle age spread. I am going to commit to MFP and stick to it gdmt!! I've never had a weight loss buddy so maybe that would help. Instead of making it a pound loss goal, I want to stick to my 1500 calls per day with at least 30minutes per day of a workout. I would like to do that for 30 days and see how much I lose. I will not weigh myself until that 30 days is up. Then I'll assess, and hopefully, keep going. Anyone want to get serious with me?? Oh, and I'm old!! Just kidding, I'm in great shape and workout a lot, but I guess I just eat too much. But, I am turning 51 and I want to accomplish this weight loss so I can move on with my life!! Anyone in the same boat??
I took it on this year after hitting 52, so you've got company in the 50's from many of us.
All I can suggest for you is to be patient. About a pound a week would require a weekly calorie deficit of 3500 calories (350 per day). Giving yourself 30 days as you suggest above will most likely - provided you run a deficit of 350 calories per day - result in a 4 pound weight loss. There is nothing wrong with that at all, but just be aware that patience and time are needed which may not line up with the opening of swimsuit season for this year. But you certainly could shed 10-15 by Labor Day Weekend depending on your deficit along the way, tracking your calories in vs. calories out (CICO).
All the best and have at it!!0 -
Ok, I just went bathing suit shopping and I'm really starting to see the middle age spread. I am going to commit to MFP and stick to it gdmt!! I've never had a weight loss buddy so maybe that would help. Instead of making it a pound loss goal, I want to stick to my 1500 calls per day with at least 30minutes per day of a workout. I would like to do that for 30 days and see how much I lose. I will not weigh myself until that 30 days is up. Then I'll assess, and hopefully, keep going. Anyone want to get serious with me?? Oh, and I'm old!! Just kidding, I'm in great shape and workout a lot, but I guess I just eat too much. But, I am turning 51 and I want to accomplish this weight loss so I can move on with my life!! Anyone in the same boat??
I took it on this year after hitting 52, so you've got company in the 50's from many of us.
All I can suggest for you is to be patient. About a pound a week would require a weekly calorie deficit of 3500 calories (500 per day). Giving yourself 30 days as you suggest above will most likely - provided you run a deficit of 500 calories per day - result in a 4 pound weight loss. There is nothing wrong with that at all, but just be aware that patience and time are needed which may not line up with the opening of swimsuit season for this year. But you certainly could shed 10-15 by Labor Day Weekend depending on your deficit along the way, tracking your calories in vs. calories out (CICO).
All the best and have at it!!
Corrected for my obvious math error...0 -
I'll be 52 this year! Add me if you'd like!0
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I'm also 51 and in a guest to get my waist back! I have lost 22 lbs and for every inch off my hips I only lose .25 inches off my waist. :sad:
I joke with my friends that I don't mind being an hourglass but I refuse to turn into a "brandy sniffer". As we get older, besides keeping our sense of humour, we also need to change our approach to diet and exercise. The good news is that you have come to the right site for advice from folks dealing with the same issues.0 -
You can add me as well. I am 52 and new to all of this. I've been on MFP for nearly two months now and have lost 15#. I try to make good nutritional choices, weigh and record my meals, drink tons of water, and adding exercise to the mix. My diary is open, I feel that to be accountable I must be open and honest. I am no expert, but will gladly cheer you on. We are stronger than we think!0
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Hi folks.
I will be 53 in Nov (so says the birth cert) but in my head I am 30.
I have lost 84lbs in the last year and have another 15 -20lbs to lose to get to my goal of under 123-127lbs.
I have been overweight my entire life.
I was a fat child (it carried no stigma I was in Africa)
I was overweight as a young woman (It carried a bit of a stigma I moved to Europe)
I became obese in my 40s (I move from the UK to Germany and could not speak the language, the isolation was a killer, I ate all day when my ex-husband was at work) and I suffered from the emotional consequences of being so huge at 250lbs and added to my social isolation by hiding from people who knew me.
The real me is back.
I rock my skinny jeans
I rock my killer 'heelz'
My staff think they have a new woman inside my body.
The stylish woman screaming to break out, has been sprung from her self made jail.
I need to get to my goal weight by the 1yr anniversary of when I started the journey (1st of July)
I am having a blast in case folks haven't guessed yet.0 -
HI! I am not in my 50's yet, but I am close. I will be 47 this year. In January the scale said I was 247 lbs, the biggest I have ever been. I knew I had to do something about this, everyone in my family has died of cardio disease. So, while I did not go on a diet, I did give up cokes (used to drink 7-8 a day..yikes) I eat lean protein mostly chicken and fish, do eat red meat but no more then twice a week. I also eat mostly green veggies and at least 2 fruits a day. I still have my bread ( I just make it whole grain instead of white) and for fats I eat avocado and nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts). And I have made water my friend at least 80 oz everyday. Instead of taking my dog to the dog park and letting him play until he passes out, we are now walking 3 miles a day, he still gets to go to the park though :-). I got a fitbit and I walk on average of 15000 steps a day (having a border collie really helps).
I started this changes on March 2nd, to today I am down to 211lbs and have lost about 3-4 inches from different parts of my body.
So, congratulations for making a commitment to yourself to better your health. Is not easy, God knows it has not been easy for me. I love bread and butter with milk, but if you set your mind to it, you can do it.
Just keep one thing in mind. You did not pack on the weight overnight, so do not expect it to come off overnight either. Be patient, and if you hit a plateau do not despair, change it up a little. And keep going!!!
Good luck to all of us!!!!0 -
I'm 50 and trying to get serious about my health. could use some friends for motivation. I'll be on here everyday.0
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Hi,
I'm 52 and definitely support my friends here on MFP. It is all about encouragement!
Feel free to add me as a friend!0 -
Funny I turned 51 and I decided it was time to get in shape too. Ive been doing it hard now for a week. You can add me if you need motivation too.0
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51??!!! Will be 72 in September and lost 14 lbs with MFP mostly to help back. At five six and 135 lbs I wasn't too overweight but at 121 Lbs I still look good in a size 6 jean. MFP keeps me on track maintaining. Stay with it, this is the best way I have found to keep on track.0
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Add me as a friend. I don't get on here every day as I have been in maintenance for about 3 years. The support here can be great! Some of us old timers can be a great resource. (I am 63).0
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I'm in the Chicago area too and will be 49 this summer! I'll send you a friend request and maybe we can motivate each other!0
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I'm soon to be 53 and yes the dreaded middle age spread crept up when I wasn't looking. Weight was never an issue until 6 months ago and then all heck broke loose on my butt! Yes I'm serious about getting off this extra baggage so you can friend me if you like. I work out to Leslie Sansone daily and also try to get a Jillian Michaels work out in a couple times a week.
Deb0 -
Hello, fellow 40s and 50s! I'm new to the forums, but not to the app. It looks like you all are experiencing the same change in metabolism I have. A couple of things about me:
- In my 20s and 30s, I taught and competed in ballroom/Latin dance (half a pizza? No problem!)
- Had my son at 34, finally got back to my normal body (5'2"/115 lbs) after he started to walk. I got divorced when he was three, weight was the same
- My weight creeped up after he turned 7 - turned out to be a big-time uterine fibroid. Surgery took care of 10 lbs for me, yay! Back to 110 lbs.
- Weight stabilized for another five years, then I lost my house and gained a lot of stress. Lost 10 lbs to 100 lbs. Too much.
- Blew out both Achilles tendons (inflamed for two years). No more running up and down stairs. I didn't get a full-length mirror and wore forgiving clothes. Hello, summer, and why did my shorts shrink? For the last two years, I've been above 130. That's new territory for me. Turned out my hormone factory slowed down, and so did my metabolism. What a struggle to lose weight! I used to be able to drop 2-3 lbs. at will.
- I finally joined a really nice 24-Hour Fitness within walking distance. I've been doing resistance/strength training, walking on the treadmill to increase stamina/endurance and kickstart my metabolism, and to be sure my Achilles could take it. I took my first Zumba class today - a lot of work, but fun!
So, here we are. My goal weight is 115 lbs. I want to fit into my clothes again. I'm sick of wearing the same two pairs of pants and don't want to buy nice "133-lb clothes." That, to me, is admitting statis.
So, how does everyone deal with the change in metabolism? Did it sneak up on you? I know that with more muscle mass, I'll start torching those calories again, but will I be losing more slowly because of my changed metabolism?
Thanks, everyone! Glad to be here! (Yeah, I got 1200, too)0 -
I am 55, I will be 56 in September. I've always been "bottom heavy" since puberty. As a toothpick skinny little kid, puberty just whacked everything out, LOL. So I've always played the lose weight, gain weight game. I'm 5'3" and at my heaviest was 150 lbs. Then I would lose weight, get lazy, gain weight, up and down, up and down. I am one of those people that HATE exercise.
When I was 52, I had once again lost weight after discovering the joys of Zumba workout videos. Finally an exercise program I enjoyed doing! I was happy with my progress then........
WHAM!!! I had a mild stroke. Thankfully, it was extremely mild and I was left with no residual side effects. However, during my hospital stay, I was also diagnosed with thyroid nodules. Those lumps that appeared on my neck (2 of them) were something I sort of ignored and put in the category of "don't want to know, it's just old age setting in". But they were causing out-of-control hyperthyroidism.
Luckily they were not cancerous but needed to be taken care of. I had a choice of having my thyroid removed with surgery or shrunk and rendered non-functional with Radioactive Iodine treatment. I opted for the Radioactive Iodine treatment because that could be administered at my local hospital, whereas surgery would have had to take place about 50 miles away.
Two and a half months after treatment (which was in October 2011) I became severely hypothyroid (which I knew was coming eventually, but really hit hard and fast). I also gained 25 lbs (\ I knew I would gain weight, which was a really depressing thought). It took 5 months to get my Synthroid to the proper level, but I still wasn't feeling good at all. I had muscle cramps and pain, joint pain, extreme fatigue (so bad I would have to literally crawl up the stairs to get to the second floor of my house), intolerance to heat AND cold, hair thinning and loss, night vision problems; I was a mess. I didn't have the energy to exercise, I tried it once and just couldn't do it. Five months later I had my one year post-treatment check with my endocrinologist. I asked her why I wasn't feeling good and described my symptoms. She said "Maybe you have Celiac Disease". I had never even heard of Celiac Disease, so I thought she was crazy and told her no.
That same weekend after my endo visit, my husband and I went out of state for the weekend to my Aunt and Uncle's for a surprise birthday party for my Aunt. The party was at an Italian restaurant. Everything from the appetizers to the cake was made out of something with gluten in it. Plus the other gluten laden food I ate over the weekend and brought bagels home because where I live, Bagels suck, LOL. The day after we got home I felt like I got hit by a Mack truck about a dozen times. So I thought, let me check into this Celiac Disease nonsense online. Well, I was surprised to find out what it was all about, that I was suffering from about 99% of the symptoms and what caused it. Thinking about all the things I ate over the weekend, it made sense. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying out a gluten free diet.
Well, the results were amazing. Within days I started to feel better, in two weeks I felt like a whole new person. Using MFP and going back to my Zumba vids, I lost all the weight I gained and a few pounds on top of it. I purchased the newest Zumba (Incredible Results) and have been working on toning and muscle building. My thighs are the smallest they've ever been and that's saying a lot for me. I've also built up my biceps and the first time I saw my deltoid muscles in the mirror, I was like "Hey, where did they come from? I've never seen those before!". I tried a couple Jillian Michaels videos, but I always end up pulling a muscle or injuring a rib. I've discovered I'm not the push-up, plank kind of gal. The newest Zumba has a step routine, and since I have always liked step aerobics, this combines two routines I like; step and Zumba. I have to say, I look better now than I do when I was in my 20's. And I feel great on top of.
Yes, it's hard to eat gluten free. Yes, there are a lot of foods I miss, like good pizza (but I did find a pizzeria nearby that does a gluten free pizza, YAY!) and I have to watch where I eat out, the choices are limited where I live. But it's been manageable for 1 1/2 years so far. I haven't been diagnosed officially with Celiac Disease, the thought of having to eat gluten only to be told NOT to eat gluten doesn't appeal to me at all. In December I ate something that apparently had hidden gluten in it, and I thought I was going to die from the reaction I had. Doing that on purpose seems horrible to me. So I will just maintain a gluten free diet, which can be challenging sometimes. We are going back to my aunt and uncle's in August because my brother and sister-in-law will be visiting for a couple days and I will have to bring a lot of my own food so I can eat, but I will deal with it.
I actually like shopping for clothes now, and when I get dressed and look in the mirror I LIKE the way I look, instead of just feeling OK with the way I look. It's quite a head trip, LOL. I stick with MFP because I find now that I can gain weight far too easy, just a couple days of not keeping track will have the scale creeping up. I exercise to keep healthy. My Mom had severe osteoporosis and as she became more and more sedentary, she lost muscle tone. By the time she passed away her legs looked like skin on top of bones. I do not want that to happen to me, so I exercise 5-6 days a week and actually feel guilty on my rest day. That is something I never thought would happen, me feeling guilty about NOT exercising!0 -
Ditto!0
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I was in a wheelchair or on crutches from last March until November, then very limited walking or standing. I recently hit my highest weight ever. Combination of being severely sedentary for so long and stress eating.Ok, I just went bathing suit shopping and I'm really starting to see the middle age spread. I am going to commit to MFP and stick to it gdmt!! I've never had a weight loss buddy so maybe that would help. Instead of making it a pound loss goal, I want to stick to my 1500 calls per day with at least 30minutes per day of a workout. I would like to do that for 30 days and see how much I lose. I will not weigh myself until that 30 days is up. Then I'll assess, and hopefully, keep going. Anyone want to get serious with me?? Oh, and I'm old!! Just kidding, I'm in great shape and workout a lot, but I guess I just eat too much. But, I am turning 51 and I want to accomplish this weight loss so I can move on with my life!! Anyone in the same boat??
I'm 49 years old and very excited about using MFP because it's really working. My goal is 105 and I'm currently 148.8. I may not go that low but I'm 5'2 and that was my healthy weight through my 20's. I need to get this 50 lb grain sack off my joints!
I need more friends so please friend me!0 -
Turned 50 in April, started exercising and seriously watching what i ate when in January. You can do it. Stick with your program ideas and when need a push friends on here will help
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Just turned 50 last week - and just weighed in at the highest I've ever weighed! I've been toying around with MyFitnessPal for a month or two - but now I'm seriously buckling down! I have the summer off before I start teaching Community College classes - so this a perfect time to get back into the swing of things health-wise.
MY PLAN
Consume 1200 calories a day M-F to allow for some cheating on the weekends. I'm primarily pescatarian with an emphasis on vegan dairy replacements, so I eat pretty well - just been overindulging due to past job stress and some old lady health issues. I'm just starting to go through menopause - so I'm really tracking my intake of vitamins and minerals at the moment as well.
Living in Las Vegas during an unemployed summer will have its challenges as far as exercising goes - but I'm planning on doing yoga and resistance band training here at home, and walking in the cooler evenings to start (can't afford a gym membership right now). Would love to get back to bike riding eventually when the temps cool down again.0
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