47 and my body is falling apart

I applaud you for joining, as it is the hardest part. I am 45 and feel the same way. In the past 12 months I have had spinal surgery, knee surgery and put on 10 kilos on top of the 10 excess kilos I already had. I can totally empathise.

Glad you're trying again! I know the feeling well, as I just turned 50 this year. Those new bodily annoyances aren't fun, but I look at them as not so subtle reminders of the importance of living healthy, especially at this stage of life.

I will be 50 this year and hubby got me a fabulous book called "Younger Next Year" about how to be stronger and healthy in the next third of your life. I really recommend it lots of good stuff in it on aging and how to counteract the effects. I truly believe eating better and exercising daily is the fountain of youth. Now it's just a matter of putting all the pieces together and making it happen.

Hi to all who need the support.....

The best place to begin is at the beginning.

All you have to do is lose 1 pound xxx times. Not xxx pounds, all at once.

That kick to get it done comes from inside....

The fact you are reaching out and being honest about your struggle is a sign of growth and progress, for which you should be commended. Take comfort in that.

The difference between MFP and everything else? If you adopt the mindset that its a lifestyle change & not a diet, the rest will fall into place.

The past is done. The future will be here soon enough. Try and focus on today & today only. Its all we have to work with.

6.5 months ago, I weighed 312 pounds. I woulda been dead in 5 years if I hadn't made this commitment. All signs were pointing that way. Thats a pretty sad commentary on the life of a 45 year old man, but??? It is what it is.

Just a few things the MFP tribe and common sense has taught me:

1) This is a thing you DO, not a definition of who you ARE. Just like laundry. Take the emotion out of it wherever possible. I cannot stress this enough.

2) My approach? This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. So there is no finite number of days that I am trying to get to. I will be logging in and logging food for the rest of my life, because:

a) This program works
b) I don't want to die young and I was headed that direction

3) Try to remember - We are the results of the choices we make every day, whether those choices are good or bad. Make as many good choices as you can, and the ship will stay steady. At the end of the day, we are the man in the mirror. We are accountable to ourselves and no one else. We can help you with getting there, but the doing is up to you. Leave rationalizing at the door, and continue to be honest with yourself. Its the only path to long term success

Cal tracking is considered a good choice (whether boring or not) because it tells you where you really are (just like your check register tells you your balance) - remember to be honest with yourself all the time. Ultimately, you will achieve that which you are seeking much sooner.

Knowing that plus the support I get from my MFP buds make enough difference that Ive lost 50 in 235 days without doing anything stupid. You just find what works and then hammer the crap out of it, staying in the present while doing so.

If you will stay committed to this, your MFP tribe will commit to helping. Why? Because that's what we do. And we have ALL been there.

You only get one chance to live your life.

Please feel free to add me if you would like some help along the journey

Fsunami