Age 40's, 50's 60's weight loss stories PLEASE

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Wow...just wow!!!!! :drinker:

NewLIFEstyle4ME

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amiscci

How old are you? I'm 50. Today is my birthday :-)

How much have you lost?
I have lost about 17 lbs. I'm 5'5" and started at around 152-154 -- probably my peak-- in Mid-March 2012.

Today, I finally hit my "goal weight " of 135 lbs! Yay for me!

How long did it take you to lose the weight (and/or issues/attitudes that kept you overweight/obese)?

It took me about 4 months of tough work and I've struggled with loss of every half pound!
I've been seeing a personal trainer 3x a week and counting every calorie.
I think I would like to lose a few more pounds, but feel really happy with myself that I accomplished my goal.

What did you do/are doing to STAY slim and healthy?
We're eating better, eating less (at 1440 cal a day I'm still pretty hungry and not eating my exercize cals back) but
I've started a new LIFESTYLE and roaring into my 50's! A little nervous to transition to "Maintenance" to be honest!
I "know" how to do THIS!

Hitting that goal was the best way to start my new year! Yay me!

hs1956

This is my 10th day of working out and keeping records on my fitness pal. I am 56, 5'4" and currently 135 lbs. My goal is anything under 120 (where I was before menopause). I settled into an unhealthy 142 lbs in my early 40's, lost 25 over a four month period at age 48 with a program similar to this and kept the majority of it off until age 53. Menopause came and three years later I have the "menopot" and "Mom arms". The weight gain came back mainly due to lack of exercise and eating anything I felt like along with the sluggish metabolism that comes with menopause.

Exercising 6X a week, strength training 2-4X a week and monitoring food intake for at least a year worked before. Now that my kids are either in college or beyond, I really do have the time after and before work to do this.

Things that worked for me:
1. Limit eating out-I can pack on 1200+ calories in a meal at an Italian, Chinese or Mexican restaurant.
2. Record everything eaten-it is easy to "forget"
3. Stay away from diet drinks and artificial sweeteners-they make me hungry
4. Try to do some exercise everyday-even a walk around the block is good.
5. Use the tape measure-much more rewarding than the scales
6. Get rid of big clothes as you loose (keep one piece for comparison)

Good luck to everyone and hang in there!

lauralind5

wow !

loope1

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gettingfit65

This is a great thread....keep the inspiration coming!

almc170

I'm 42 and have lost 22lbs since December. Still a work in progress. I'm taking the slow and steady approach, lifting weights and eating at a modest calorie deficit. I've revamped my diet considerably, paying a lot more attention to macros and cooking more.

fastforlife1

I'm 56 - I started dieting July 26 and then went to intermittent fasting for a couple days a week. The first month, I lost 2-3 pounds per week. Now I barely lose a pound a week, but it is slow and steady. 16 pounds so far. I keep tweaking my diet to see what works best for me. The last 2 weeks I've been doing alternated days dieting. 1 Day 1500-1600 calories the next day 1000-1200 calories with one maintance day (1800-2000) per week. It seems like I have to have at least 1 -1000 calorie day or less to lose 1 pound. I find that the longer I diet, the less calories I am able to eat and be satisfied. I exercise 3-6 hours per week and do not see any difference in my weight loss by how much I've exercised.

gatorginger

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gatorginger

I am 51

My Journey
2/27/12 started with myfitnesspal at 146 pounds eating 1000 calories a day

5/25/12 weighing in at 128.8 increased my calories to 1100 a day

6/8/12 weighing in at 126.4 increased my calories to 1200 a day

7/6/12 weighing in at 124.8 increased my calories to 1300 a day

7/20/12 weighing in at 124.6 increased my calories to 1400 a day

8/3/12 weighing in at 124.4 increased my calories to 1500 a day





6/11/12 started doing 20 lunges to tone my legs every day but one

6/13/12 started doing arm lifts 3 sets of 10 every other day

I walk about 25 minutes 4 times a week

9/3/12 started walking on my treadmill at home for 15 minutes at at time whenever I feel like it

Been maintaining since August, so far so good, I ocassionally still go under my goal weight of 125 and when I do I usually will eat at least another 100 calories the next day to gain it back cause I don't want to get smaller.

Hope this helps

driab106

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ForeverChasingTheSunsets

Thank you so much for posting this! I am 44 and have been struggling with carrying 20 extra pounds for a couple of years. This thread is really motivating me and telling me that success is totally attainable passed the age of 40.

larryc0923

I just turned 55. I have lost 30 lbs in 5 months. I accomplished this primarily thru using MFP to achieve the required daily calorie intake. I am amazed how uninformed or unaware of how many calories a day I was consuming. In addition to this I have increased my workout regime in both frequency (now 5-6 times a week) and amount. My plan was to lose 1 lb a week for 1 year. So far I am ahead of this plan, however, it is getting progressively more difficult.

FITnFIRM4LIFE

Bump 4 later

Kaylee_Jeanelle

This is my Moms weight loss story she turns 50 this year and has lost almost 70 lbs

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/748384-my-motivation-mom-s-success-story-pics

CamilleClaudel

Congratulations on your journey so far! That's SO encouraging. I have about 50-60 pounds to lose -- great with exercise, less consistent with not eating through emotions. I love being healthy but am aware that, at 50, health isn't something to take for granted anymore, so here I go ...

CamilleClaudel

Why is everyone saying bump?

600racer

How old are you? I'm 51

How much have you lost? About 50 lbs, From 220 to 170

How long did it take you to lose the weight (and/or issues/attitudes that kept you overweight/obese)? About 9 months

How long have you kept it off? Just got there

What did you do/are doing to STAY slim and healthy? I'm doing the same thing as what got me here. Watching what I eat and exercising.

jaynep12002

When I was 48, I quit smoking and put on a ton of weight. I made the decision to go on Nutrisystem and lost 50 pounds and managed to keep it off without much difficulty for 4 years.

Then I hit menopause and put 30 pounds back on over a two year period.

I'm 56 now and trying to lose 20 pounds to get back to a healthy BMI on the advice of my doctor.

I just found My Fitness Pal yesterday and downloaded the app to my phone and also logged in to the website.

I'm hoping that keeping myself organized and keeping track of what I eat will help me lose weight again.

I did it once, I hope I can do it again!

jaynep12002

Camille - they say bump to keep the thread active if no one has replied in a while. Otherwise the thread will get buried in the archives and new members (like me) won't see it.

richardheath

How old are you? 45

How much have you lost? 40-50 lb (before joining MFP)

How long did it take you to lose the weight (and/or issues/attitudes that kept you overweight/obese)? About 6 months

How long have you kept it off? A few months so far!

What did you do/are doing to STAY slim and healthy? Exercising and eating healthily.

I went through a divorce last year (it became final in Jan of this year), and added a lot to my already expanding beer belly. I was drinking too much beer (being a homebrewer didn't help!), not exercising, and eating anything I wanted. Around the end of 2011, I was probably over 210 lb (I'm 5'11).

Then, I decided I needed to change. I had been through a lot in the previous few years - trying to patch things up with the wife, going to counselling, then being separated for a year and working on the divorce papers... I was doing a lot to try and make HER happy (though she is the one who had the affair, I thought if I changed, I could stop her from leaving). Finally I realized that this wasn't about me. She had found someone new, and was moving on, so I had to as well. Instead of letting her dictate my life, I was going to take charge of my own life again. *I* want to be the author of the next chapter of mi life's story. And if I wanted to date again (which I did!) that meant losing the belly.

So I started with the drinking (drinking less, not quitting altogether!), and then working on my diet slowly. About the same time, my work opened a gym on campus, so I started using it regularly. I dropped down to about 170 fairly quickly from elliptical training and weight machines.

Then, in June, I was diagnosed with prediabetes following a routine physical. The best thing to prevent full blown diabetes is exercise, and being at a healthy weight. So now I HAVE to keep on going! My nutritionist suggest getting an app to monitor my food and exercise, which is what brought me to this site. Currently, I'm at 166 lb, which is about where I need to be. My next goal is to bulk up my muscles a bit (muscles have lots of insulin receptors ;-) ) so I'm starting to lift heavy. And I have switched out the elliptical for running on my non-gym days now that it has gotten a bit cooler here in Memphis.

That went on longer than I intended, but there you have it!

scottjohnsonbcc

How old are you?

44 - 6'4"

How much have you lost?

30lbs (35lbs at lowest)

How long did it take you to lose the weight (and/or issues/attitudes that kept you overweight/obese)?

Started labor day 2011 on South Beach diet and keeping food journal (originally on loseit.com and more recently on MFP). Lost 35lbs by Feb 2012

How long have you kept it off?

Mostly since Feb this year - did get a little sloppy in August of this year with eating habits with kids home from college and just "living it up" so went back to phase 1 of the south beach for our 1 year "anniversary" on the south beach diet. I'm pretty much in a phase 2/3 maintenance mode on it now, though wouldn't mind losing a little more fat percentage and gaining more muscle still.

What did you do/are doing to STAY slim and healthy?

started with just basic walking and the simple exercises in the south beach book. Then wanted to step it up, so did P90X for 1 1/2 rounds through it at the beginning of the year, then been doing a "boot camp challenge" program twice a week for 2 6-week sessions, doing lots of biking and walking over the summer, and most recently been taking up running (jogging) - ran a 5K 2 weeks ago and a 4mile race last weekend (having never run before since those junior high presidential fitness tests

Even though South Beach really tries to not use counting calories so much as what you eat, frequency and some general portion guidelines, I love the food journaling because it motivates me to work out more so I can eat more - south beach is pretty easy to stick with cause I like all the food, but I can eat a lot no matter how healthy it is, it still adds up, so I get motivated to exercise My wife and in-laws can't stand counting calories/etc. and doesn't and have also been successful with minimal extra exercise but just following south beach plan - but I eat more than them

LadyIntrepid

Just looking to see and hear any success stories from those of us who are in their 40's, 50's and 60's....

How old are you? (you don't have to be specific if you don't want to...you can just say 50's, 60's 40's--whatever, okay)

How much have you lost?

How long did it take you to lose the weight (and/or issues/attitudes that kept you overweight/obese)?

How long have you kept it off?

What did you do/are doing to STAY slim and healthy?

I turn 50 Saturday.

I've lost 20 pounds, 7 over the last 2-3 years, an additional 13 since getting serious about it in April (and joining MFP). I am at goal weight, so I didn't have a whole lot to lose.

I've been in maintenance for 2-3 months. Only twice have I gone above maintenance (including this past week with lots of birthday celebrating). The last time I went off maintenance, it took only a week to get back.

I've not altered my exercise schedule at all -- working out as hard or ever or even harder as I get more conditioned. I watch what I eat but also enjoy what I eat. I've given myself a three-pound range for maintenance (since scales can be so goofy), but the nanosecond I go over the maintenance range, even by an ounce, I go back to deficit netting 1200-1400 a day. I think I will do this the rest of my life -- it works.

flatblade

Age 58. Lost 40 pound from weigh-in two months ago. I think the number is closer to 50 from my top weight. I have lost 40 pounds in two months. I admit part of what I am doing is not sustainable. I have gone very bland and low calorie on normal days. I have exercised almost every single day and also I think I am benefitting from a job that is pretty active--yesterday I logged over 10,000 steps before I left work.

I think logging my food has been a real key in my lifestyle change. I have nearly totally cut out sweets and have cut my consumption of breads etc. I have eaten a lot of turkey and tuna as an entree and consumed dozens of peaches and nectarines.

I have a long way to go before I can talk about maintenance, but I expect the last 40 pounds to come off slowly with a more balanced and higher calorie diet, but with continued exercise . I will stay on MFP and I will log my food. I think keeps me in line.

mykmatmom

How old are you?
46

How much have you lost?
53 lbs.

How long did it take you to lose the weight (and/or issues/attitudes that kept you overweight/obese)?
Started July 2010 and hit goal January 2011.
I like food, happy, sad, mad, or glad, I eat.
I didn't understand as much as a thought about how many calories I was consuming and the need for exercise.

How long have you kept it off?
More than 2 years.

What did you do/are doing to STAY slim and healthy?
I joined Weight Watchers for 2 years.
I now use My Fitness Pal to track my food and exercise.
I work out at least 5 times per week; boot camp (Monday and Thursday) and running 3-6 miles a day.

bluefox9er

How old are you? (you don't have to be specific if you don't want to...you can just say 50's, 60's 40's--whatever, okay)


45

How much have you lost?

Ticker says 85 lbs..its actually 100+

How long did it take you to lose the weight (and/or issues/attitudes that kept you overweight/obese)?

a year or so..MFP kept and keeps me motivated

How long have you kept it off?


No significant gains in weight..



What did you do/are doing to STAY slim and healthy?

Until recently I started to run, but I am injured with weeks before my first Half marathon..I am devastated. But I only started running this year in May. The bulk of my weight loss was down to cycling and aggressively long walks as I am a non-swimmer. I feel a little foolish as I I had eaten back my exercise calories, I would have reached my goal weight (170lbs from a start of 275) a lot sooner.

I am looking to continue running after my injury ever heals, if not then I am not sure what to do as I did a 20 mile bike ride today and my knee didn't like it one little bit. Ho-hum. Portion management of food is critical...I miss not eating 'more' because I exercise ' more'. I ate freely at least twice a month but no more than 3 times..I eat a lot 'cleaner' now.


I just have to say none of this would have been remotely possible without the continued love and support from my mfp family.


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gon2bfit

I am 47 years old. I have had trouble in the last 10-15 years controlling my weight due to lack of time to exercise and age; diet alone doesn't work after 40, exercise is a must. I commute 120 miles one way to work every day and usually work more than 40 hours a week so personal time is very limited.

Some of my coworkers started a biggest loser competition that started in mid-January and ended the Friday before Easter. The competition and accountability forced me to research ways to burn fat since exercise time would be minimal. I remembered a "reverse calorie" diet I tried years ago and tried to find it. I didn't find the diet but, in my research learned so much about metabolism and how to increase it to make your body burn fat. It is amazing what your body will do for you if you follow a few simple rules.

At the beginning of the competition I counted calories and studied everything I could find on the internet in terms of using metabolism to burn fat. During the competition I heard about Fat Loss for Food Lovers and decided to order it. It is not a diet plan but an eating plan which focuses on increasing your metabolism and making your body burn the fat instead of storing it. So for the last 4 weeks of the competition I quit counting calories and followed the plan as closely as I could, given my time constraints. I had given up on getting fit until retirement because I didn't think I could. As my weight started dropping I was amazed that it was happening as quickly and as easily as it was. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose but I needed to lose fat to be healthier. I lost 23.6 pounds in the 12-week competition and dropped from size 8 to size 2, and I won the competition. There was a second round competition and the girl who won it ordered the same plan and she won the competition.

I focused mostly on burning fat for the competition and not so much on building muscle since muscle weighs more and the competition was based on percentage of weight lost. I knew when the competition was over I would change my exercises to build muscle and my weight would come up. I am now within five pounds of my weight when the competition started but have only gone up 1/2 size in my clothes. The clothes I was wearing at the end of the competition are too tight but the next size up is big. So, although my weight has increased, my size has changed very little. I have to admit that I have slacked off on the exercise so the size change is mostly due to fat and not muscle. I am currently working with some of the same coworkers in an accountability group with a goal of losing 5 pounds by November 20. We had our second weigh-in today and I have lost 2.6 pounds. And the only thing I've done is increase my exercise.

You don't have to count calories or starve yourself. The key to keeping your metabolism up is to eat every 2-3 hours. If you don't your body will store the fat because it doesn't know when you might feed it again. Study your foods (carbs and proteins) and learn how to combine them to make your body burn fat. You do have to be mindful of portions, more food means more calories, but certain foods make you feel full and you will eat less. There is a book "Foods That Make You Lose Weight" which will tell you what different foods will do for you.

I hope I answered all of your questions.

You have already done a great job. You will reach your goal.

Good Luck!

Noni2863

Bump - for an inspirational read later......
Well done everyone!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

AmyRhubarb

I'm 44. I've lost 26lbs (and dropped from a size 12 to a size 4/6), and that's been over about 2 and half years. Not all that impressive, but I didn't have as much to lose, and I got off track a few times, gained a little back, and finally have been on track - 395 days straight on MFP today! :bigsmile:

I started with just walking, but wasn't happy with results. So I added some strength stuff with Jillian MIchaels 30 Day Shred - my first dip into using weights of any size in over 20 years. (OUCH!! LOL) Loved the feeling of accomplishment and realizing how much I was capable of, and how much stronger and more flexible I was becoming. Added more DVDs for variety as I progressed, and bought heavier dumbbells.

I began to love challenging myself, so in January of this year, I got it into my head that I wanted to try running, which my hubby found hilarious since I've always hated running. Hated. Loathed. Despised. You can't make me. Challenge accepted! Added c25k on January 31st and followed the program, and I'm still running. Love it. Racing is a blast. Love that running is something I can do almost anywhere.

To stay slim and healthy, and to continue losing the fat and building in lean muscle, I'm still logging all my foods, currently using Nike Training Club app for weight/strength training (would love to lift heavier, but no gym membership and no room for bench & big weights at home, so doing the best I can with what I've got) three days a week, and running three days a week - lately two quick miles in the early morning, and a longer run on weekends, around 5k, but hope to increase a little when the weather cools. Also do Kickbox Fast Fix for a good 20 minute cardio blast on non-run days, or go for a brisk walk.

And I eat well! I have learned that eating too little does not lead to fat loss! Weight loss stalls, as does energy and my desire to move, and not enough fuel gives the body a reason to store fat rather than burn it. Finding this topic helped me tremendously: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Other than that, I plan to stay this way and to continue to work on fitness and healthy habits - this is no diet or temporary thing that I will be finished with some day - it's a way of life!