54 yr old - First Day - First Post

KatieTJS

I started dieting when I was 12 years old. Yes, I've been dieting for 42 years now; totally depressing!

I read about this site in a book. When I created my account I discovered that I should be eating 1200 calories a day. No wonder I weigh twice what I should! I'm eating twice the calories and many times I've eaten multiple times that!

Today, my first day here, I actually feel optimistic about simply counting calories for a change. Sticking to my daily 1200 calorie allotment will be my only goal for now. I'll take this one step at a time and see where it takes me. I look forward to being in the trenches with the rest of you.

Let's do this!

angieroo2

You don't necessarily have to eat 1200 calories to be successful. MFP sets that as your calorie goal when you say you want to lose 2 pounds per week. You can certainly eat more and still lose, as long as you are mindful of what you eat.

2dare2dream

Welcome on board sweety, so glad you found us. I like you are someone who has been overweight since a child. I started my journey last june 2013 and then found MFP in october. Please feel free to add me for some support. I am all the way over the big pond in Scotland uk but i can still offer a few words of encouragement or kick your butt if you need it lol.

Wishing you a successful journey here with us on MFP

KatieTJS

Really? Do you mean with exercise I could eat more and lose more?

At my age I would be happy with 2 pounds. I'm so diet weary. I just don't know where to turn or what to do anymore.

Thanks for your reply!

SherryTeach

I will second that. Don't put two pounds a week as your goal. I'm older than you and pretty small and I eat more than 1200 calories. Moderate, sustainable changes are more likely to work over the long haul.

CindyMarcuzAdams

Check this link out, it will help you get started.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Add me az a friend if you like.

Cindy

OregonGal1964

I have been on here less than two weeks, have 100 plus lbs to lose, and log daily... feel free to add me.... anyone on here feel free to add me... can't ever have /give too much support:)

WowWowWanda

I am starting again about now as well. The only time I have had much success was when I was faithful to journal (log) everything even when I cheated... so here goes again except with the help of MFP... So I will quote from your post, "Lets do this!"! Best wishes to us both!

KatieTJS

Thank you Everyone!

Very kind of you!

What does it mean to "add as a friend" or for support?

carebearrum

Hi there! First off, I have to say I understand the diet issue. As I'm a large woman now, partially because of my meds and the other part is my eating habits I've been an emotional and over eater since I was 12 when I hit puberty. I've struggled with 'diets' and all and found that they never work because the will power was not there, I was not 'ready' to quit ***** footing around and do it. Then In June I found this site and then I started tracking everything. Which has been a god sent as I've lost 10.8 lbs since May, but I think i was more weight then because I don't have a scale at home I weigh in at my doc's office or my mental health office.

My point is this don't think it as a 'diet' but getting healthier. I changed my thinking and I'm doing much better now. Good luck and you can add me if you like!

- Care

KatMicNYC

Welcome, I'm 55, 5 foot 4, weight 159 currently and am on a very slow weight loss plan with a goal of losing 1 pound a week. Sometimes it feels excruciating going that slowly but it allows me to not feel deprived and eat very close to a maintenance amount with a bit of extra exercise to help cut out about half of the calories. So I eat anywhere from 1250 to 1450 calories but do a LOT of moderate exercise, mostly walking and hiking. Walking is easy to track and I do between 1 miles and 7 miles a day depending on the day. The MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO is LOG YOUR FOOD! I log using my iPhone app and I log everything especially if you go over log it. For me tracking is the ONLY way I can handle this type of weight loss if I don't track then it's all fuzzy and kind of oblivious eating. I have tracked every single meal for the past 95 days, every single meal. Sometimes I log it while I'm eating, sometimes I pre log it and that keeps me eating what I just logged. Once in a while I forget to log dinner and I go back to that date and log it. It's estimation but I also bought a food scale and weigh things routinely like cheese, or walnuts, or salmon, just to get a handle on what is 4oz and what is 2oz of cheese. After a while you remember that sizes. So I expect in about 8 months I will be at my goal weight. I know that's a long time but I have to make this work and losing weight too fast just puts you on a teeter toter of sorts with huge cravings kicking in after you lose the weight. That's my plan anyway. Hope that helps to know.

KatieTJS

Thank you Care..

I agree with you. I'm going to try and change my relationship with food.
I'm a sugar and junk food junky. Through my diet ears I have come to like some healthy foods, so I am optimistic.

I need to lose at least 100 pounds. I don't know what weight would be best for me. I've never lost more than 40 pounds and kept it off, so I can't imagine losing 100!

I appreciate all your responses. I think the support here will be a huge bonus!

Thanks!

KatieTJS

Thank you kindly, Kat!

I'm 5'5" and 247 pounds. My highest was 260. I have a long way to go and I know I won't lose 5 pounds a week. I'm happy to lose one or two like you.

Thank you for your reply!

Maddalen101

I'm one inch taller than you and started at 290. When I entered in my metrics, I stated that I was extremely sedentary (no exercise at all) and wanted to lose a pound a week. The algorithm told me I could eat 1800 cals a day, without exercise. 1200 seems too little for your size and weight. You might want to play with the metrics a bit, and if you're willing to go the pound a week route, see if it gives you a more humane total.

KatieTJS

Ok, thank you, Madd...

I appreciate the feed back.

I used to be 5'6"!! I can't tell you how upsetting it was to lose that inch! I even bought an inversion table to try and stretch myself, but I'm too fat to get on it and not be afraid to get back up! LOL!

I may try 1200 to 1400 cals a day for now and see how I do.

You all are wonderful!

cczap80

My doc told me to eat the amount of calories you want to weigh, so......

If you want to weigh 120 lbs then you would eat 1200 calories.

It was something like that. Either way, it's not so much about "OH MY GOSH! I CAN ONLY EAT LETTUCE ALL DAY" as it is, "Okay, I am aware of what I am eating". I like to think, when you eat like crap, you feel like crap. At least I always do. And don't think of this as another diet. I personally do not like the word "Diet" because it's always changing. Instead think of this as your new lifestyle change and this is just how it is. Stay strong. The first few days on MFP are tough because we have to hold ourselves accountable for everything we consume. Good Luck! We are all here for you!!

miss_mckenna

Welcome! I've been actively dieting most of my life as well, it's quite depressing. If MFP has taught me anything, it's that I need to be mindful of how much I eat (holy crap, I eat like 2200 cals a day if I don't track!). Baby steps, and maybe up your cal intake to 1500 to start. Exercise and you can eat even more. A calorie is not a calorie if it's a crappy calorie. 100 calories of broccoli is better for you than 100 calories of cheezits.

jcmillecam

Katie,

I started counting calories in 2005, in 4 years I dropped 70 lb. from 250 to 180. A few pointers. First, stay positive and associate with positive, encouraging people. I found these folks in cycling and running groups as well as the local fitness center. Most people are encouraging and want to help you succeed. Second, track your calories and pat yourself on the back for doing so. Lastly, set intermediate milestones and reward yourself when you hit them. Buy a dress, watch a favorite movie with friends.

Good luck.

Jim

socalkay

Hi Kate and welcome. I'm new here, too (20 days today). I think you'll find the food diary a great tool - I sure do! Rather than "dieting", I'm trying to eat healthy foods that I enjoy while staying within my calorie limit. I even eat some things that aren't all that healthy but ALL things in moderation. I've sent you a Friend request if you would like some 'thumbs up' as you progress.

KatieTJS

Wow!

I'm overwhelmed already with this wonderful support!

I am taking in all of your suggestions - I'm actually jotting them down in my Excel Journal.

I thank you all so much!

nlsalvatore

Welcome to MFP and good luck! Feel free to add me if you want to add friends for support!

PianoRun

I'm going to be 60 in September, and, like you, my first doctor-diet was at ten years old. I am 40-50 lbs overweight now. At one time I lost 40 lbs quite easily with WW, but I was only 45 years old and much more active. I'd rejoined and was just getting off the ground again with some success and they changed the program. Now it is so complicated to track foods, we might as well do calories (and other nutr-info) I like this one because you can easily scan foods from the barcode. I think it's a good system here because it is very adaptable. When I joined I asked for a one-pound-a-week loss, but I was uncomfortably hungry with the 1300 calories originally allotted me . Voila! I added on 200, which seems doable, and hopefully, sufficiently sustainable.

Good luck with achieving your goals -- that is one thing I learned at WW: in a weight-loss group, everyone truly is wishing for your success, because it means they can be successful too!

fitwithin

Welcome to MFP. I just started back last week. It is a great tracking tool and lots of support here. Please feel free to add me as a friend. We can do it!

usbart

When I started logging my food, I learned how many of my calories were coming from sugar! I was shocked! So I'm working on eating less sugar too. I'm going to stick with the idea that no food is off limits, but I'm going to try to be more purposeful about the sugar I do eat: planned treats instead of mindless, constant consumption. Good luck to you!

simplydelish2

Congrats on taking this step towards healthy - and welcome to MFP!

A couple of cautions:
If you plan to eat your exercise calories, I have found that the estimates on MFP are very generous so you may only want to eat a portion (like 1/2). If you measure calorie burn with an HRM - that's a different story as they seem to be much more accurate.

Sometimes a 1200 calorie plan is too low and you start out great but it's not sustainable. Don't be afraid to experiment with different calorie levels to find your "sweet spot".

Most of all - good luck!

SueInAz

Thank you Care..

I agree with you. I'm going to try and change my relationship with food.
I'm a sugar and junk food junky. Through my diet ears I have come to like some healthy foods, so I am optimistic.

I need to lose at least 100 pounds. I don't know what weight would be best for me. I've never lost more than 40 pounds and kept it off, so I can't imagine losing 100!

I appreciate all your responses. I think the support here will be a huge bonus!

Thanks!

Hi, Kate!

MFP will automatically give you more calories to eat when you exercise. I have my daily goal set to 1200 calories, too, and I'll usually eat back the extra calories I burn. You have to be careful, though, how you're calculating those exercise calories. MFP can give you way too much if you use its numbers. It doesn't know your exertion level. If you don't own a heart rate monitor with a chest strap, you might want to think about acquiring one; it's much more accurate.

I'm 48, 5'3" and, like you, I'm a sugar and junk food-aholic. I am also a boredom eater. I've found that the easiest way for me to lose weight is to simply cut out the sugar and simple carbs while staying within my calorie goal. It's much easier for me to pass up a sugary treat when I'm simply not eating any at all. Sugar and carbs are a slippery slope for me; it's easier for me to just avoid it altogether. I find I don't crave them as much once I'm not eating them.

Good luck!

idajo2

Greetings from the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. I so agree with those who've mentioned *journaling* . . my weight loss journey has been somewhat different than that of many here . . it was "surgically-induced" in January 2013. Weight loss surgery is certainly not for everyone - but, for me, it was (what I felt to be) my last chance. I'll be sixty-five in a few weeks and the day of my surgery (01/15/2013) I weighed 288 pounds on a 5'1" frame . . I was a stroke waiting to happen. The majority of my weight loss has happened . . now the hard part has begun. I'm seeing - for the first time since surgery - a *fluctuation*. Losing and gaining . . gaining and losing. SCARY! The point of this rambling post, is that I'm in total agreement with those who've mentioned JOURNALING and (for me) avoiding daily dates with the bathroom scale.

The journaling is (again, for me) absolutely necessary - when I fall off the "journaling wagon", I invariably see a weight gain! For me, at my age, I've also found it necessary to WEIGH my FOOD/PORTIONS . sounds like a "pain in the neck" (or wherever!) right!?!? Well, in my experience it IS a pain in the rear . . but it makes a HUGE positive difference when I do it . . just do it. My eyes have always been bigger than my stomach(hence the 288 pound starting weight) and estimating portions based on what LOOKS right/reasonable, doesn't work for me! Weighing my food portions keeps me honest.

i don't know that any of my "sage advice" will be of value . . but I've found that - at times - all it takes is a "thumbs up" from those who are sharing our journey, to keep us moving forward!! Here's wishing you the very best as your walk your walk . . knowing that there are folks in our "cheering sections" makes such a positive difference!

cityjaneLondon

Hi there! Congratulations on joining MFP. You can see by my ticker that I have lost 57 lbs and I'm now more or less at maintenance. I would like to "fine tune" by losing a couple more lbs.
It took me 18 months to lose the weight and it went much more slowly at the end. But I have maintained now for over 6 months, which is amazing to me. I still log my food and exercise every day which is the secret. I weigh my food and eat well, but healthily.
My advice would be to not register as wanting to lose 2 lbs a week. 1 or 1.5 is easier to keep going with and I always eat my exercise calories. I love food and I know that this is for the rest of my life, not a quick fix and then go back to before. You have to enjoy what you are eating and not feel deprived.
I wish you well. I do not do Friends, but you could take part in the WOMEN 50+ thread on here. I have found it so helpful to have a place to go daily where I can talk to other similar aged women about our struggles and triumphs. I could not have done it without them.
Be prepared for slip ups and backward steps, that is all part of the journey, but you are only a failure when you stop trying.:flowerforyou:

kksmom8

I too, am fairly new, about a month here, started my diet plan on April 24th. I am 57, female, post-menopausal. Started at 190, now down to 167.3. Yes, now I count the ounces. Oh yes, I am 5' 4". I have never been rail thin but only really got heavy in the last 20 years. I hate it, gonna get it off!!

Please add me as a friend, I probably won't post a picture because I am mindful of privacy. Maybe later. I am doing a low carb diet and am doing pretty well! I don't really count calories, and sometimes stall for a week or so at a time, scary and frustrating. I try to exercise 45 minutes, 4x per week, but just sold my house to my daughter and need to be out of here in 3 weeks. Thankfully, I can store a lot of things here, but I am packing up! Soo, exercise might take a back burner for a bit, but am strong on my eating plan.

Would love friends and support, feel free to add me! Thanks!!

sflorer

Hello! I'm a newbie as well...have about 50 pounds to melt off and I'm 5'2. I've been doing this now for 8 days and love it so far! I'm doing 1200 per day and the iPhone app is a real lifesaver! I just had a small surgery but my wake up call was the weigh in when I went to the hospital. Holy Moly! As they were putting me out, I vowed to get my self on some sort of lifestyle plan since I don't want to live the rest of my life with health issues related to my inability to control what I put into my mouth. I never thought I would be counting calories and logging in exercise, but I really believe that is the only way to be mindful, awake and present with your intentions to change. Congrats to you...feel free to add me to your ra-ra team!

carol5047

What a great support group! Have a great day, and be healthy!