Early Fifties and disgusted... HELP!!!!!!!!!!

I;d add to my post above, that realistically, I would aim for one pound per week. you may lose more, or not. But in four months, you should be more than a stone lighter. That would be REAL progress!!

Baby steps, definitely.

At work, if possible, take stairs instead of using the elevator. Park at the far end of the parking lot. Take 10 minutes of your lunch hour and walk.

If you drive a desk, try to stand up for a few minutes of every hour.

If you know you are eating unhealthy, try cutting down on portion sizes of things that aren't good for you. Cut down, not out.

What I have found is that trying to do too much too fast just made me frustrated. Slower is better.

I'm 55 and just started on this - was very surprised at my initial weight. Please feel free to add me for mutual support.

Agree with all that has been said so far, target 1lb a week weight loss, don't go in guns blazing, reducing calorie intake down to the amount a sparrow can consume in a day.

The biggest hurdle we (and i say we in our 50's have to over come), is to kick start that metabolism again, unfortunately
at our ages it slows down, due to muscle deterioration, so working on getting them up and running again will work wonders for your weight loss.

Good luck on your journey, there are plenty on here to help if you need it, just add and ask away.

My opinion: Realistic Goal is 21 lbs by the end of December, that is 1 lb per week.

Advice: Be totally honest about the calories and the food you eat, about your daily level of exercise, and log everything

even toothpaste (maybe that is carrying it a bit to far)

I was almost your weight 16 months ago (also 5'4") and have gone from obese, to overweight, to normal weight in that time. I joined the YMCA and signed up for some group classes that were pegged for my demographic (older adults). I also went back to Weight Watchers (as I was a Lifetime member who had backslid); had I know about MFP then, I would have joined it. I only discovered MFP last November. I reached my Weight Watcher goal by Dec, but knew I wanted to keep going, so am now 22 lbs below that preliminary goal.

As far as progress goes, I lost a pound each week, following a 1200 cal/day plan, along with exercise several times a week. As I got closer to my goal, that loss has slowed down a bit, which is normal. As I became more fit, I upped my exercise to 4-5 times a week, plus I walk every day. I even have ventured into some classes at the Y that are not pegged to older adults. I feel better than I have in years. One pound a week might sound discouraging to someone who wants to lose weight faster, but I am down 61 lbs from where I was in March '12. The time went by whether I was losing or gaining that weight. And, I never had a week when I had gained even an ounce.

I will say that prior to going back to regular exercise, I was not able to lose weight consistently, as I used to be able to do when I was younger. For me, I had to both watch my diet AND incorporate exercise into my life. This is often the lot for the older woman; guess its a metabolism thing. Of course, I am way older than you.

Please friend me if you would like!

Hello, Im 51 and way over weight alot of mine may be due to medicines but ive been here since may of this yr. and lost over 20 pounds so just do what the MFP tells you and you should lose a pound or two a week. Good luck to you and feel free to add me

Well, you're younger than me and weigh less so I'm actually kind of jealous. I just started on this site a few days ago & I've already found posting my meals (what I should be eating) before I eat them helps. I don't want to change my food diary. Good luck & let us know how you're doing.

I'd recommend finding changes you can stick with long-term (for months or maybe years), and picking one area (breakfast, cardio, etc) at a time in which to find that change, so you're not overwhelmed. For instance, I typically eat like a 10 year-old on Halloween: candy, cookies, etc. So I decided to start eating a breakfast that's quick but healthy and full of protein, no sugar: spinach, two fried eggs, salsa, green onions, stuff like that. That was my one change. It makes a huge amount of difference over time, and can be the start of a change in your mindset, IMHO.

Regarding exercise, I'd say find something you really enjoy doing: frisbee with the dog, walking around a botanical garden, snowshoeing, martial arts, ballroom dancing, etc. And then find friends or groups to do it with, to keep you motivated to show up and have fun on a consistent basis. Consistent is the key word there. Personally I do yoga, road biking and work with a trainer twice a week. I think that incorporating some kind of resistance training is extraordinarily beneficial. You'll become strong in both muscle and bone, balanced, toned and you burn more calories even when sitting on your *kitten*

Better than 63 and disgusted! Do it for yourself and stop feeling disgusted. It's a waste of energy that should be used to get healthy! You can do it! Good Luck/Cindy