"senior" dieter

Hi, I am 62. I am trying to lose 20 lbs mostly for preventing health problems: sleep apnea, blood sugar, heart. I am on 2-3 meds which cause weight gain, so this is a struggle. I have tried dieting on my own and cheat. I have done Weight Watchers, both meetings and online, and didn't really lose; I got tired of going to meetings, I don't think their program is as good as it was because the points method lets you eat unhealthy foods and push their own products, many of which are sugary; also the meetings are too "upbeat" and rarely deal with serious issues. I do like the low glycemic diet (whole grains, more veggies, no refined sugar) but don't follow it as well as I should.

How do you keep from snacking or eating unhealthy food because you need a "treat?" I guess you should change you "inner talk" but boy is that hard!

Anybody else on weight-gaining meds?

Not on weight-gaining meds...but i can answer the snacking question. I have a huuuge sweet tooth. If you want to curve your appetite, Stay with in your calories you will be surprised between working out and keeping up with your calories it's a lot of work to eat those calories. It's ok to eat 6-8 times a day. Small portions of course...sweet things ORANGES, GRAPES, APPLES, BLUE BERRYS. And as far as a "treat". 100 Calorie granola bars, 100 Calories Honeymaid delight bars...take one when a sweet tooth comes on. I'm sure you heard all this before. But This has worked for me, so I thought I'd share. And I drink lots of water. Kind of fills you up and your a little less hungry.

I am a 66 year old "senior". I have serious health problems. In January of this year I was in a wheelchair and did not expect to walk again. Since that time, I have had the good fortune of having doctors who changed the combination of meds I was on. The changes were effective, and I was able to walk, abeit, slowly. I am 6'1" tall and I weighed 234 lbs. Today, I weigh 169lbs. I walk 30 mins. everyday. Mostly in the house, as I am teathered to oxygen 24/7. I also ride the exercise bike 30 mins. every other day as well as some beginner resistance band exercises for 10-15 min. a day. I also had to reduce my sodium intake. I lowered mine to 1000 mg/day. Most Americans consume 3500 to 4000 mg/day. I follow Dr. Oz's program, YOU: On A Diet. I don't use all of his recipes. I primarily follow his recommendations for healthy eating. I get recipes from a number of different internet sites. I log everything, and I mean everthing, that I eat on MFP. This helps me to insure that I am eating the right kind of foods and that my calorie intact is what it should be.

You can do it, and you have to do it! After awhile the cravings you get now will go away and you won't miss the unhealthy foods. You will feel better physically and emotionally and will not want to go back to your old ways. Good luck to you. Let me know if I can be of any additional help.