can a 46 year old, with health issues, trim down inches

kablooeee2u
kablooeee2u Posts: 17
in Motivation and Support
after a certain point in age, women have greater difficulty losing due to the change of life (which i haven't yet started) and a slower metabolism. if you have health issues, it makes it even more difficult. thanks.
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Replies

  • kkpellicano
    kkpellicano Posts: 8
    HI There,

    I'm checking out this site for the first time and have heard good things so I've set up an account.

    I'm 45 with a husband and two teen age kids. I've worked out of the home for about 10 years and just quit my job (Monday is my last day) to spend the summer getting everyone healthy again, and then starting a bakery focused on good, hearty, organic healthy breads.

    I'd love to get to know you better. Maybe we can motivate each other.

    Karen
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    can a 46 year old, with health issues, trim down inches?

    no. it's impossible. you are stuck with how you look now... forever and ever and ever!








    do you see how ridiculous that sounds?

    of course you can change. your body is very adaptable. if you start eating less and moving more, your body will change. you will lose inches. you can feel better. it's not even hard. it just takes a little bit of knowledge, some dedication, and patience.

    your best bet is to avoid the fad diet cycle that leads to yo-yo dieting. don't listen to the low carb'ers or the clean eaters or the gluten haters or any of the hundred other kooky diet schemes you'll run into on the internet (and sadly, sometimes on MFP). the people pushing those notions probably mean well most of the time, but their mindsets are stuck on the idea that one needs to follow a gimmick or deprive themselves in order to lose weight. here's the real truth... so long as you sustain a calorie deficit day in and day out, you will start losing weight. avoid the temptation to go with too high of a deficit. find a nice healthy deficit level that allows you to feel full each day and then stick with it. you'll lose the weight.

    read about IIFYM:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

    read the other threads listed here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    start learning the basics, then ask questions. your health issues may complicate things slightly, but at the end of the day, eating less and moving more works for everybody. it's physics. it applies universally.
  • kablooeee2u
    kablooeee2u Posts: 17
    @BrainyBurro "no. it's impossible. you are stuck with how you look now... forever and ever and ever!"

    lol. actually that would be acceptable...since i wouldn't gain anymore for the rest of my life. thanks for the info. i am not knowledgeable when it comes to being healthy.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    You probably can, however the best way to go about it depends on what your physical limitations are, whether you have dietary restrictions, and how many inches you want to lose. Also, if you're on Prednisone, it can be very difficult to lose weight, and it can change where you put on body fat. Therefore, your best bet is to talk to your doctor. I don't think anyone is going to be able to make meaningful suggestions without a better idea of what your specific situation is like.
  • louisek_72
    louisek_72 Posts: 3
    It can definately be done - I'm 41 and confined to a wheelchair because of chronic arthritus. I was seriously ill and in hopspital for a while. When I got out I ate everything in sight because of the poor quality of food in the hospital. I went up to 20 stone (and I'm only 5ft 2. It was when I reached that weight that I thought I've got to do something about this. Just by changing my eating habits I've gone down to 15st 11lbs. I went from a size 26 to 20. My Doctor has also reffered me to a NHS gym. I went for the first time yesterday. Although I have arthritus everywhere my knees are suffering the most and of course the weight doesn't help so they showed me which machines I could use and also some exercises I can do at home "with a can of beans" was what they gave as an example. It's a 12 week programme. It's not like going to a private or council gyms where most of the people in them are 'perfect' (whatever that is). The people that are there are in the same boat as everyone else. That was one fear I had of going to a gym that I'd be surrounded by size 6 people and I was thought they would stare at me and judge me without even knowing me. If thats something you're interested in you could ask your Doctor and it doesn't cost anything (apart from a few aches and pains I'm presuming) with it being NHS

    I hope I've helped in some way or another. If you want to talk at any time just post me.

    Louise :wink:
  • MrsGriffin67
    MrsGriffin67 Posts: 485 Member
    It is harder but it is possible. I am 46 with perimenopausal symptoms. I have to really work at losing weight since turning 45. I have had to really bump up my exercise.
  • taylan14
    taylan14 Posts: 34 Member
    No way! Refuse to accept such non-sense. I am 46 & 1/2. Get moving and get eating healthier. We ALL can do this,
  • droppinlbslikeangels
    droppinlbslikeangels Posts: 86
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1029467-ladies-and-gentlemen-my-mother-pics


    :)
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    Harder, perhaps, but still very achievable. It took me a year to lose almost 50 pounds and get to my goal weight and size. I found an eating plan that worked for me and exercised 5 times a week. I never, ever gave up because I knew tenacity would get me to my goal. And it did. It took me a year to lose weight and I've now maintained my weight for a year.

    I'm 51 years old and I have cerebral palsy and severe hip arthritis. With ever fiber in my being I believe in and live this phrase: "You can have excuses or results, but not both". I choose results.
  • Trisha_Williams
    Trisha_Williams Posts: 33 Member
    I'm 66 with a mountain of health issues, i retired 3 years ago because of my health.
    i walk at least 5 times a week, only doing what i can manage,
    I must say i am a lot healthier now than when i retired. i'm losing weight, it's coming off slowley but it is coming off.
  • kalika47
    kalika47 Posts: 23 Member
    Yes! I am 66...high blood pressure, no gall bladder, bad right arm (chronic pain..cannot lift arm due to failed surgery after shoulder break, so difficult to do a lot of lifting), menopausal for 20 years. I have lost 27 pounds in 5 months with diet change and some walking, and lots of gardening. I am at goal,(133lbs, 5'4") and just looking to "tone up". I LOVE to get ID'd for senior discounts...55.
  • ChristinaR720
    ChristinaR720 Posts: 1,186
    It is absolutely possible for you to lose inches and achieve a healthier you! I have lupus and have gone from literally walking with a cane 3 years ago to becoming a runner! Craziness! But, I have to say that losing the weight has actually helped relieve some of the symptoms (chronic joint pain, fatigue, etc.) for me, which has been an absolute blessing. Listen to your body, take rest days when needed, find what works for you, and do that!

    You've got this!
  • jmkmomm
    jmkmomm Posts: 3,247 Member
    I'm 63, have Multiple sclerosis and thought that I was doomed to be this overweight sad sack. But my husband had a heart attack which made us both realize we needed to do something. I have gone from a tight size 20 to a 'thinking about a size 14' now. I am comfortable in a 16. I have only lost 32 pounds but just this moth I have lost 10 inches. It can be done but does require determination. Good luck
  • LisaKunz
    LisaKunz Posts: 73 Member
    I did it. 50-some pounds and 4-5 pants sizes, from a tight size 20 to 10's & 12's.
  • yellowsnowdrop
    yellowsnowdrop Posts: 154 Member
    I'm 54, menopausal, have chronic back problems and recently had urgent gall bladder surgery (5 weeks ago) I'm a size 16. I've joined a gym and walk everyday, I've lost 17lbs and the gym will help me loose more and tone up. You absolutely HAVE to accept that the weight and inches will not melt the way they did maybe even 5 years ago but a bit of determination is ALL that it takes. Stay focused and enjoy whatever exercise you can do, it HAS to be better than nothing.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    I will be 50 in august. In 2001 I was disabled by a spinal cord disease which left me partially wheelchair bound for several years. I also have mild form of RA, OA in my back, neck, knees, and shoulders, and am insulin resistant. My back has slowly improved over the past several years to the point where I rarely need a wheelchair, but still have many mobility issues. The years of immobility resulted in quite a few pounds gained. I hit my top weight of 237 in 2008 and was 228 when I started here last August.

    Since my 49th birthday, I have lost around 45 pounds. It has not been easy, but it certainly is doable.

    The biggest reason for my success so far, is that I reached the point where I said to myself, "whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, I will do what I have to do to get this weight off".

    That commitment to myself has resulted in many changes in my thinking, my diet, and my activity level.

    I educated myself thru research and personal experience, to find the calorie level and food plan that worked best for me.

    My maintenance calorie level was only around 1600-1700 when I first started, and now, with the lighter weight, it is around 1500-1600.
    This means that, contrary to what a calculator or other people on the forum tell me, my body just doesn't need that many calories.

    I have also discovered that cutting out most grains and processed sugars, not only helps lower my carb levels, which helps my insulin resistance, but it also reduces inflammation in my body which significantly lowers my pain level.

    My body feels 200% better today than it did a year ago. I am able to do things I never thought would be possible again. I am actually able to exercise again, and rarely even need my cane to walk.

    Yes, it is more difficult to lose weight when you are older and have health problems. But I am living proof that it is NOT impossible.

    The drastic improvement in my quality of life has definitely been worth the effort, and will keep me motivated to continue to lose the weight and keep it off.
  • connie_messina
    connie_messina Posts: 495 Member
    im 46 have a few health issues but im losing on a regular basis
  • ktrn0312
    ktrn0312 Posts: 722 Member
    I am 46 & doing it the slow & steady route. It isn't easy but, it can be done. You must commit to succeed.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    I've been working on it since I was late 42.
    43 now and yes it can be faught, slower
    than our younger counterparts but yes. Trying
    is the way to get it working. I have an arm length
    of problems medically but the fitness I take in
    little chunks. It still gives me results. Best of
    luck to u and just believe in U!! :)
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    Absolutely! Look around here a bit. Some of the hottest people are in their 40s! I have an absolutely gorgeous friend who I think is 60! Also my best friend in real life is 49 and smoking hot. It can absolutely be done with hard work. Good luck!
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    after a certain point in age, women have greater difficulty losing due to the change of life (which i haven't yet started) and a slower metabolism. if you have health issues, it makes it even more difficult. thanks.

    More difficult? Maybe
    More important? Definitely

    I'm 45, with diabetes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, degenerative disc disease and OA in my wrists, fingers, ankles and back. To keep going, all I have to do is think back to how I felt 2 years ago
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    after a certain point in age, women have greater difficulty losing due to the change of life (which i haven't yet started) and a slower metabolism. if you have health issues, it makes it even more difficult. thanks.

    So do men. A year of results:

    Weight : down from 230 to 181
    BMI: down from 35.4 to 28.3
    Body fat (guess from pictures): 40%+ to 28%
    Waist: down from 40 to 33
    Endurance: up from "Couldn't get up three flights of stairs" to "hiking six to seven miles a day in under ninety minutes."
    Lifts: Bench up from 60 lbs to 145. Squats up from 65 lbs to 160. Deadlifts are still new and rising 10 lbs a week.

    the tl;dr version: It takes longer. It's totally worth it.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    You can do even more than you would imagine.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics
  • rcclcruiser
    rcclcruiser Posts: 98 Member
    Your are only 46? I'm 54, but have always believed in preventing any health issues that could come up in the future. I have always eaten healthy and exercised, but at our age, that's not enough to lose weight. So I am doing the Flat Belly Diet. It is a book by the Editors of Prevention Magazine. So far, it is working - an assortment of great-tasting, easy food to fix, I am never hungry and have no cravings.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I've had health issues since my twenties. The fact that I exercise, for enjoyment, has made them a lot less bad than they could be.
  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
    I'm 45, perimenopausal, and hypothyroid, and I have some nerve damage in one foot from when I messed up L5S1 a few years ago. I'm also down 20 pounds since February.
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,696 Member
    I am 63 and have had high blood pressure, all kinds of aches and pains, damaged knees and ankles, and was obese.

    One year later I am within one lb of 'healthy' BMI and nearly every health issue is resolved. One knee still clicks. I have eaten lovely healthy food around 1700 calories and exercised off 400 a day or a bit more. Gym machines and strength training. Dumbbelles. I hardly recognise myself, not just because of the way I look, though that is nice, but the fitness that permeates every second of my daily life.. I used to hardly be able to get in and out of the car and could not walk on the flat without being out of breath. I hurt everywhere. Even turning over in bed was a major struggle. Painkillers every night. Now I love to move. I feel a true miracle.

    You can definitely do it. The other posts on this thread are inspiring. The wheelchair users rock!

    Good luck, you can do it .:flowerforyou:
  • Shetchncn1
    Shetchncn1 Posts: 260 Member
    Seriously if you don't get moving NOW you are not going to be able to move later. How do you want to be when you really get old.... Think about it....
  • Pixilox
    Pixilox Posts: 51 Member
    I'm going to be 47, have Fibromyalgia, nerve damage, a bad back and going through menopause. If I can do it (dropped 35 lbs) then you can too!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    I'm 59 and have lost 24 pounds since April 1st of this year. The "I'm old and it's so hard to lose weight" mentality is an excuse. I have a friend who's 87 who power walks and maintains a plot in a community garden. Your life is what you make it.

    Eat less and move more. Embrace life and find a reason to be happy. And I agree, the wheelchair users who posted are awesome!

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