55-65 year old women's success?

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  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    I am 62 and have chronic sciatica aand just maintaining my current weight is a struggle. I am here every day to offer support. Together we can accomplish our goals no matter how long it takes!
  • 04hoopsgal73
    04hoopsgal73 Posts: 925 Member
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    "I want my life back. I used to play golf but don't because I am too embarrassed. I find myself hiding from people I know. Go down a different isle at the grocery store, don't go to social events, ect. I am done. I am getting my life back!!!!

    How do I stay motivated? [/quote]


    Hi HoganBirdie, I have felt and experienced what you share. I concentrated on how great I felt and looked before I allowed myself to get out of shape and to become overweight.
    I started my health journey then lost my younger brother. I fell off food wise during my grieving but got back on track.

    I don't have an answer but what you wrote last sticks with me. This attitude and perception of what I want for myself has helped me tremendously. Stay the course, stay strong!
  • JackieAC1951
    JackieAC1951 Posts: 93 Member
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    I will be 64 in several months time. I can say without hesitation that I feel the best I have felt now after a loss of 60 pounds since January 2014 that I have felt in 30+ years. I attribute this success to MFP. In January 2014 I was suffering from Periformis syndrome, where the Periformis muscle was pressing against the sciatic nerve. I decided that the excess weight had to go. I was also working a part-time job in a retail store after being retired for 8 years from an office job, which added to the exercise factor and still adds as I work 3-4 days a week now. Since the holidays, I have felt that my motivation was slipping as I have allowed several pounds to be added. This post has brought me back to reality and to remember that I still have a goal which at this point is about 15 pounds away. In a recent visit with my doctor, I was told that I didn't need to lose any more weight. While that statement may have contributed to my slight loss of motivation, I still have a goal, and I intend to meet that goal thanks to MFP and the great support system.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I know one thing, if you have been overweight your whole life, this age is where your body will start to have serious health problems, and losing weight now is not about getting a date or fitting into hot jeans...for me it is about staying off insulin, being able to walk without a walker. Those are major health issues. Non compliance on a diet now, for me is stupid. Same with avoiding exercise.

    Sure, exercise is "hard", so is being fat and out of shape! I pick exercise!

    At this age, you can really tell the ones who love themselves and take care of their bodies.

    I am glad I am healthy enough to exercise!
  • grandmamere
    grandmamere Posts: 155 Member
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    lovesretirement wrote: »
    Hi there! I am 62 and have struggled a lifetime being overweight. I have lost/ gained and spent a ton of money doing it. I started MFP June 2013. I lost about 20 pounds very slowly and stopped logging June 2014. For 6 months, I ate with abandon and gained 8 pounds in the process. Had I not been going to the pool every other day, it would have been more.

    Anyway, I started back tracking mid December and started strength training with a personal trainer. I'm in for the long haul...not number focused, but health focused. I will have to log food for the duration of my life if I want to remain healthy. For me, weight loss and good health begins in the kitchen...You cannot out-excercise a bad diet! I am doing the 1:1:1 strategy... one carb, one protein, and one fat at 3 meals and 2 snacks. It's working well for me so and I am not deprived of any food group.

    I would love to be a part of this thread or a group. Maybe being connected to others was what was missing for me when I first started on this site.

    Connie

    "I will have to log food for the duration of my life if I want to remain healthy." Connie, this sentence says it all in a nutshell!

    I have come to realize this is necessary and a boost for encouraging me through my journey. On 12/30/14 (my birthday), I had my ah ha moment. I too realized I have to and WILL LOG EVERYTHING that touches my lips!!!

    My first goal is to continue to excersie 6 days a week, increasing my time by 1 - 2 minutes every 3 or 4 days to achieve 60 minutes per day. The second goal is to lose at least 44 lbs by 12/30 this year. Third goal is to continue to lose weight until I reach my final goal 150 - 140. Baby steps will go a long way!

    I wish everyone a great and adventurous journey.

    Oh one more thing, once I reach my final goal the next step will be how to maintain it!!!

    Good luck to all:)
    Anne

  • drmartz55
    drmartz55 Posts: 78 Member
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    This is a great thread! I love reading all the inspirational stories. I joined MFP June 2014 with a goal of losing 20 lbs which I accomplished by the week before Xmas. At that point I set a new goal to lose 6 more lbs- as of today, 5 to go. I love my new lifestyle which includes 4 days of cardio/crossfit training and 2-3 days of Yoga, following a mostly Paleo diet. I know that if I can do this, anyone can! Good luck to all on their healthy journey & if you send me a friend request please include a note about yourself. :)
  • ednam3
    ednam3 Posts: 2 Member
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    I would like to join the 60 and over group also. I thought losing 15 pounds wasn't much , but I see I'm normal. Glad I read your posts. It really boosted my enthusiasm . Is there a link to the 60 and iover?
  • HoganBirdie
    HoganBirdie Posts: 21 Member
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    I have created a list of all the things I want to do, all things I will do this year, and all the things I have not done but want to do once I am thin again. Every time i go to eat I ask myself " is eating this ( ) going to make me feel better than all this? ". And I read my lists and add one more item to the list.

    It really helped me yesterday!

    Doing this is helping me with my food intake and binge eating.
  • oregonbirds
    oregonbirds Posts: 25 Member
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    59 here and 5'8" - between 49-51 I quit a 30+ year cigarette addiction, hit 50 (obviously :) ) and went through menopause. Those were some years! The weight that had slowly been going up blossomed into 196 lbs 2 years ago. Some major tooth work (full dentures) and a move into my current home took away 10 of those pounds in the last 1 1/2. I did notice it was slowly coming back so when a new gym opened up last summer around the corner with membership for 20.00 a month I thought why not. I went and enjoyed it and signed up for6 months of 1x a week personal trainer time. From that I started logging food here and doing some strength training through body weight exercises and some free weights. I am now down to 169, gained 1 pound through the holidays. I find it hard to motivate to get to the gym when it's dark when I get up, dark when get home from work so I am trying to work out at home. I try to get steps in at work I average 8000. I have decided I would like to work out in the morning so to hopefully get me into that I have a goal to be outside every day at sunrise even if it's just on my back porch watching the rain and birds. I am hoping as the sun rises earlier I will be out walking during that time.

    I have an ultimate goal of staying mobile and active as long as possible, I want to be able to enjoy retirement when it gets here! Thanks PianoRun for starting this post!
  • etremoi53
    etremoi53 Posts: 45 Member
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    Just found this thread. 56 yrs old here. The issues are just different when you are past menopause as you all have noted. Over the summer I upped my exercise a lot and hiked 18-24 miles per week. I felt and looked more toned but did not lose a pound! This really speaks to the need to do portion and caloric control in order to lose actual poundage. I have been on MFP for several years and found a group I like but I have not found the will power necessary to log consistently and to commit to every day caloric restriction. Until I can do that, I can see I will not be successful. I don't know what it is going to take to get me motivated to do it.
    I bookmarked this thread. Perhaps it will help. It is good to see some success happening with many of you.
  • ReJoyceDP
    ReJoyceDP Posts: 7 Member
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    Hello all! I am 61 and at least 80 pounds overweight. I am also a weight loss surgery failure! That is a long story and I won't bore you with all the details. I have renewed commitment to getting a minimum of 60 pounds off. I would appreciate friend requests and support. I have gently moved myself back into healthy eating mode, with my first step being giving up all soft drinks and increasing water intake. Happily that has spurred me quickly on to starting to log my food today. I plan to tackle exercise this week also, so this week's goals are to exercise at least three times and log everything I eat and drink. I will have weekly goals that are related to behavior rather than pounds lost. I know if I make the right choices the weight will begin to go down, even though it will be slower than when I was 20 or even 40 years old. Anyone that wants to friend me is welcome to do so and I welcome all feedback and encouragement. I will do likewise with you, but should caution that I am in the midst of a divorce and have recently started my own business. The divorce has some emotional stress, but not that much. It is as friendly as any divorce can get. The business on the other hand is very demanding, some days I may not have time to comment on your posts or diary entries. I will do my best to respond to everyone at least twice a week. Another thing to keep in mind is that due to having had gastric bypass surgery, I do have specific ways I need to eat to keep healthy. Basically the formula is to eat protein first, veggies second and complex carbs last. My protein count should be between 70-80 grams daily and my carbohydrate count should be less than 80 grams. I'm happy to have found this discussion group and would welcome some friend requests. Happy losing! Joyce
  • SbetaK
    SbetaK Posts: 380 Member
    edited January 2015
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    sodakat wrote: »
    So great to read posts from DETERMINED women instead of women with excuses. Thanks so much for detailing what keeps you going everyone! I'm excited to see what I can accomplish in 2015.

    55835802.png

    Agree with you, sodakat. Excuses, no matter how valid they sound, just delay your progress. Somewhere else in these forums was a quote that said "the only thing keeping you from success is yourself". I put it above my computer to look at every morning.

  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    edited January 2015
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    @ snowflake............you're what MFP is all about. Congratulations on your success and maintaining. I agree with you about the success stories...........I'm inspired everyday and I completely agree with your "no fad diets, pills, or surgical procedures" prescription.

    Good luck to everyone just checking this thread. I think we're one of the hot topics on MFP this weekend. ;)

    <<ETA, finally put up a current pic from today!
  • bluesdivaca
    bluesdivaca Posts: 27 Member
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    Hello to all-

    I am happy to find all of you. I am 54 and will be 55 this year... please... don't boot me out! o:)

    My history is so long I am not going to bore any of you with it. I am committed this year to moving at least 10 minutes daily. Of course I usually move more, but sometimes I have to play games with myself to change my thinking and behaviors!

    MFP links with my iPhone and syncs with all of my devices so this assists my nerdiness and keeps me honest. I am committed to making this year as successful as 2009 was for me. I lost weight, got fit and maintained that until 2013-14. Sometimes we have bad years because bad things happen. I chose to cope with ice cream.

    Happy NY to all - and I look forward to finding success with all of you.
  • maryellendeen
    maryellendeen Posts: 2 Member
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    snowflake930 wrote: »
    I am 63, I joined MFP on 3/12/12. I was morbidly obese @ 290#. Wearing size 24W (which was tight). I am a size 10 (some brands size 8) now, and have been maintaining @ about 130# for 14 months. It wasn't easy, but it is not easy for anyone, no matter your age. I tried many times over the years, but very rarely made past a few days. Maybe once I made it to two weeks. I totally bought into the premise "it is hard to lose after 40", and simply gave up. When I started here, the success stories gave me hope, and the confidence, that I could do this too. Especially the success stories of those over 40, but really everyone's success gave me the incentive to keep going. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without becoming out of breath. I did not begin to move more until I had been on MFP for about 7 months and had lost 90#. For the past year, I have been getting 18,000 to 20,000 steps daily on my fitbit. I truly think that the major difference for me was using MFP.

    I think that losing weight is doable for anyone, at any age, without any health issues that will limit their ability to do so. You just have to want it, and persevere, and it will happen. The hardest part of this for me has been maintenance for the past 14 months. Losing was easy compared to maintaining. I will be one of the people that has to continue to monitor and log for the rest of my life.

    One thing I want to mention, is I have been doing this with my doctors approval and help. I have done it strictly through counting calories, and moving more. No fad diets, pills, or surgical procedures. Some older people do not need as many calories as younger people, and this is something that I have found to be true for me as well. With my doctors approval, I am eating at maintenance about 1500-1800 calories per day. For me, if I go above this amount, I begin to gain. For exercise, I mostly walk/hike, use the treadmill or elliptical, and work out with light weights. I do not do heavy lifting.

  • maryellendeen
    maryellendeen Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks for sharing, I am new here and stories like yours are very encouraging.
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
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    PianoRun wrote: »
    Looking for some inspiration. I lost my "chronic" 40 lbs of overweight with reasonable ease at age 45, and maintained for a couple of years. However, my motivation at this age is different, and is my ability to exercise with the same intensity has also decreased. Now, i don't want to hear all that stuff about how "age is just a number" -- There are many physical and emotional differences between women who have passed through menopause and those who are in their youth or who are pre-menopausal.... perhaps as many as between girls before menarche and teenagers who are growing into women. Anyway, I would be really interested in hearing from post-menopausal women who have lost significant weight and their experiences with that. Congratulations and high-fives to you all and your efforts!

    I haven't read all the comments, but the ones I did read sound like you have a great dialogue going on with a lot of inspiring success stories. I thought I'd add my own experience.

    While I am not in the age bracket your post states - I did lose 68 pounds while going through and reaching menopause (age 50-52, I am now 53). I was overweight on and off my whole life, finally reaching my highest weight which put me in the obese category before getting serious and making drastic habit changes in regards to food, both eating and my beliefs surrounding food.

    I believe there is some decrease in metabolism as we age, but I think for me the bigger problem was that I had habits that were solidly established for decades. Those habits were extremely difficult to change, in fact I am still working on it after 3 years. Also my beliefs surrounding food was very much all or nothing - so eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, without regard to nutrition or calories, OR a restrictive diet that was not sustainable for very long and viewing foods as good or bad, which would lead back to overindulgence. I lost by eating sensibly, paying attention to calories and macros, while allowing myself "treats" and learning moderation with those.

    You're welcome to check my profile page for before/after pictures.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    It really is lovely reading everyone's stories.
    Those who have struggled all their lives,
    those who have made incredible strides going from morbidly obese/ obese to normal BMI,
    those who have discovered exercise, cardio, and strength,
    those who were suddenly challenged by middle age spread,
    and those sidelined by health problems, but overcome.

    Peri, menopausal, and post, we are all committing to being a better version of ourself, and helping others along the way.

    I am not a big 'friend' person, and as some of you know, I have never had a severe weight problem, but I have lost my 30lb, and maintained it for 5 years.

    I am 61yo, 5'1, maintain at 100-105lb, and do both cardio and weight bearing exercise.
    SW 130, at a menopausal 55, GW 105, achieved at 56, now maintain.

    If you would like a friend who believes that commitment is what it takes to achieve ones goals, please feel free to add me.
    ( mention this thread or I probably won't respond)

    Biggest revelation: lift heavy means; lift what is heavy for you, and build on that.

    Cheers, h.

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