55-65 year old women's success?

bonniepwest · April 2015

Need some encouragement...I fell off the wagon so bad at the end of last week and into the weekend. I'm up almost 5 pounds from my last weigh-in. I know that some of that is temporary weight gain, but I've really felt out of control. And I go to the doctor today to get my updated lab results from last week (thank goodness before the binge!) Hoping for good news on the A1C...but I have to get back in control NOW!

cathy120861 · April 2015

Hey Bonnie -- oh my goodness, i have been there. actually, i am willing to bet that we all have. sometimes when i am having trouble with my eating, i try to increase my activity. it makes me feel good about myself, which is half of the battle.

another thing i do is give myself permission to up my calories to a maintenance level. that way, i can be a little more relaxed, but not feel out of control. after all, weight loss is not a sprint -- its a life style. so if i maintain for a little while, its not such a big deal.

I had a bad time in the middle of March and gained a few pounds. only just got them off this past week. something that has helped me has been being part of Biggest Loser team here on MFP, although i know that is not everyone's style.

Travelfixer · April 2015

Hi Everyone, I joined MFP Jan 2013, I will be 56 in May and still going through menopause, I lost 20 lbs by August, it was slow but I felt so much better and was half way to my goal weight, then like so many posts, got lazy about not posting my food and gradually gained it back and a little more, so now the heaviest I've ever been at 194. I joined a Planet Fitness a few weeks ago and am going 3 times a week doing treadmill then circuit training and treadmill to finish, and the past couple of days I have cut back drastically on carbs as they are my downfall (rice, bread etc). Lost 3 lbs, and I know its going to be slow going but reading your comments really makes me feel determined, I'm giving myself till next year when I will be 57 (May 2016) to get to 145lbs. I'm glad to have found this thread, with people of a similar age. :-)

Travelfixer · April 2015

trina1049 wrote: »

Hi, I'm 65 years old, 5'2.5" and I've been on MFP for almost a year and have lost 40lbs. so far. I lost a few pounds before I found MFP but this site has helped me the most. It's taken me over a year to do so, but its been a steady loss of about 2lbs per month. My starting weight was 179 and I'm now at 139 pounds.

As for exercising, when I started losing, before MFP, I only walked and rode my bike (slowly). After a couple of months I wanted to exercise more so joined a nearby gym and began a heavy cardio routine of two cardio classes five times a week. I kept to this routine for quite a while then went to the Body Pump classes (weight lifting) and really loved lifting weights. I'm not lifting very heavy yet, 15lb squats; 12lb clean and press, etc., but I intend to lift heavier when go on to maintenance after another 10lb. loss. Trying for a goal weight of 129 - 130 pounds.

So my new exercise schedule is weight lifting four times per week for one hour and I include 30 minutes of cardio after weight class three times per week. My body composition has really improved with this schedule even though I'm putting in less time at the gym. I actually have muscles now! Who would have thought!

When I first joined MFP I read all the stickies and began my own research about nutrition -- that's been my single most motivating factor because I don't really interact in the forum much though I read everything.

What's worked for me is a 35% protein, 35% fat, 30% carb micro split. I love carbs but found that my blood sugar kept going up and now that's not happening with watching my carb intake. I weigh and log everything and will probably have to do so forever if I want to keep the weight off. It could be worse. . . I could be fat again in no time if I stop weighing my food and counting calories.

It's been a slow journey but really rewarding. I went from a US size 14/16 to a US size 6/8; I'm actually wearing petite mediums now. Wow.

Best of luck to everyone - stick with it!

Thanks for posting that, Its exactly what I needed to hear, especially the percentages for carbs, protein and fat. for some reason MFP changed my carbs to 50%, and I had to change them but wasnt sure what the % should be. I eat too many carbs and I think that lowering my carb intake which I started a couple of days ago should really help so reading your post validates that decision. I was in a size 12 but just had to buy a new suit and its a size 16 so your post is very encouraging!! I am 5ft 7 so not a petite but was always skinny until my early 40's when I started gaining weight. I love seeing people going down in size it makes me feel like I can do it, so please everyone keep posting your success stories, its the BEST motivation of all!

sodakat · April 2015

Bonnie, I agree with Cathy -- eating at maintenance when I just need to eat a bit more, for whatever reason, is what I do too.

Don't beat yourself up. You have done so great. You'll continue to lose, as long as you don't quit! We have plenty of time to do this!

--Kathy

trina1049 · April 2015

Travelfixer wrote: »

trina1049 wrote: »

Hi, I'm 65 years old, 5'2.5" and I've been on MFP for almost a year and have lost 40lbs. so far. I lost a few pounds before I found MFP but this site has helped me the most. It's taken me over a year to do so, but its been a steady loss of about 2lbs per month. My starting weight was 179 and I'm now at 139 pounds.

As for exercising, when I started losing, before MFP, I only walked and rode my bike (slowly). After a couple of months I wanted to exercise more so joined a nearby gym and began a heavy cardio routine of two cardio classes five times a week. I kept to this routine for quite a while then went to the Body Pump classes (weight lifting) and really loved lifting weights. I'm not lifting very heavy yet, 15lb squats; 12lb clean and press, etc., but I intend to lift heavier when go on to maintenance after another 10lb. loss. Trying for a goal weight of 129 - 130 pounds.

So my new exercise schedule is weight lifting four times per week for one hour and I include 30 minutes of cardio after weight class three times per week. My body composition has really improved with this schedule even though I'm putting in less time at the gym. I actually have muscles now! Who would have thought!

When I first joined MFP I read all the stickies and began my own research about nutrition -- that's been my single most motivating factor because I don't really interact in the forum much though I read everything.

What's worked for me is a 35% protein, 35% fat, 30% carb micro split. I love carbs but found that my blood sugar kept going up and now that's not happening with watching my carb intake. I weigh and log everything and will probably have to do so forever if I want to keep the weight off. It could be worse. . . I could be fat again in no time if I stop weighing my food and counting calories.

It's been a slow journey but really rewarding. I went from a US size 14/16 to a US size 6/8; I'm actually wearing petite mediums now. Wow.

Best of luck to everyone - stick with it!

Thanks for posting that, Its exactly what I needed to hear, especially the percentages for carbs, protein and fat. for some reason MFP changed my carbs to 50%, and I had to change them but wasnt sure what the % should be. I eat too many carbs and I think that lowering my carb intake which I started a couple of days ago should really help so reading your post validates that decision. I was in a size 12 but just had to buy a new suit and its a size 16 so your post is very encouraging!! I am 5ft 7 so not a petite but was always skinny until my early 40's when I started gaining weight. I love seeing people going down in size it makes me feel like I can do it, so please everyone keep posting your success stories, its the BEST motivation of all!

Thanks for your post!

Update: I'm down 45lbs. I went shopping with my sister today and actually fit comfortably into a size 4 US. I can't believe it. So now with about 7 - 9lbs left to lose before I hit maintenance (new goal is now around 124-128lbs) I've dropped from a size 14/16 US to a size 4/6 US.

I've kept up with the weight resistance classes and have almost doubled my weights. I think that controlling the carbs by limiting them to 30% of my calorie intake and continuing the weight resistance has really reshaped my body. While I'll never have the body of a 20-30, or even 40 year old again at least I'm much healthier at 65 than I was 10 or 15 years ago.

I see my doctor at the end of this month and I'm hoping to reduce my meds again and for me that's a great victory.

cathy120861 · April 2015

Trina - you are awesome! Thank you so much for posting your very inspiring story. It really started my day off right. I have also found that limiting carbs has been essential to my weight loss. I do a lot of weight bearing exercise (boxing, pilates, barre, belly dancing), and lately i have also tried to increase my cardio, which has made a big difference.

mo2go · April 2015

Whaw, this thread is amazing. I am not alone with the struggle of this baggage I am carrying around. Please, please can we have a group with us all in it so we can help and remind each other how really hard it is. I have now dropped my calorie intake to 1500 which seems to be a 1lb a week but I would rather have a fabulous week with loads off to just get that boost of confidence. I started going to the gym but that just fried my mind as I started putting weight on. Oh yes everyone they did say it was muscle but when your trousers and skirts dont meet it is very frustrating and I have an inability to balance the idea I am trying to lose weight with the idea that it has to get worse before it gets better.

trina1049 · April 2015

mo2go wrote: »

Whaw, this thread is amazing. I am not alone with the struggle of this baggage I am carrying around. Please, please can we have a group with us all in it so we can help and remind each other how really hard it is. I have now dropped my calorie intake to 1500 which seems to be a 1lb a week but I would rather have a fabulous week with loads off to just get that boost of confidence. I started going to the gym but that just fried my mind as I started putting weight on. Oh yes everyone they did say it was muscle but when your trousers and skirts dont meet it is very frustrating and I have an inability to balance the idea I am trying to lose weight with the idea that it has to get worse before it gets better.

Hi, mo2go! We're all here checking in so click on the star at the top right side of this thread to stay in touch; there's actually no formal "group." You can friend me if you like.

Don't panic about the initial weight gain; if you've just started at the gym your muscles are retaining water weight to help repair them after working out. You are going to see your weight fluctuate constantly because that's what it does.

Please don't restrict your calories too much as this is not healthy. This process takes a long time; you can rush by losing weight too quickly but that isn't sustainable over the long haul.

Eat a proper number of calories to nourish your body while exercising and the weight will fall off over time. Look for a downward trend in your weight not a specific number on the scale because, you know, fluctuations.

bonniepwest · April 2015

Thanks, Cathy! That's a good idea about increasing exercise time to make you feel better. I'm glad you've been able to get past your "challenge" and get back to where you were. How's the grandbaby?

I do have good news--went to the doctor yesterday for my lab results. A1C is down from 5.8 to 5.6; the top end of the normal range, but NORMAL! And my vitamin D is finally back at the low end of the normal range, but it's been way below normal, so that's good. BP was up more than is normal for me, but I find that every tech takes it a different way; and I MIGHT have been a little anxious about the lab results, too.

Not too worried about it.

Really good to see some quantitative results from what I've been doing. I feel much better and think I will be OK for now--till the next time! But I know I'll have ups and downs and just have to push through. Thanks for the encouragement. This is a "safe" place.

cowleyl · April 2015

sodakat wrote: »

I participated in the last 2 but am passing on this one, if you mean the Team challenge. I don't lose at a regular pace anymore and hate to "hurt" my team. If you like weekly challenges you'll like these Biggest Loser challenges because someone usually comes up with something that everyone on the team is encouraged to do.

Kendalslimmer is leading the challenge @cowleyl so you can "find" her under the member search and ask for an invite to the group.

Thanks. Will do.

trina1049 · April 2015

cathy120861 wrote: »

Trina - you are awesome! Thank you so much for posting your very inspiring story. It really started my day off right. I have also found that limiting carbs has been essential to my weight loss. I do a lot of weight bearing exercise (boxing, pilates, barre, belly dancing), and lately i have also tried to increase my cardio, which has made a big difference.

Thanks for kind remarks! I guess us oldies/goldies have to watch the carbs. I originally had my macros set to MFPs default settings but I found I was hungry all the time. Hated it. After I read a few of the posts for newbies I realized I could change them and the rest is history. The 35% protein/35% fat/30% carb split is much better for me; no hunger.

I also did a ton of cardio but had to back off because it hurt my knees/feet - even the low impact stuff; I think it was the quick, turning movements. I can manage the elliptical 3xs per week for 30 mins. each time before my feet start protesting.

cathy120861 · April 2015

Bonnie -- That is so great! Your hard work is really paying off in the most important ways.

bonniepwest · April 2015

Boy, this group's been quiet lately. I hope that doesn't mean that everyone is feeling discouraged. I haven't been as careful as I would have liked in the last few days, but I'm trying not to let it get me down. I did have a situation the other day where I ended up going through the drive-thru for lunch, getting a hamburger and french fries which I knew was not my best choice. I had taken 3 or 4 bites of the hamburger when I realized I forgot to take the bun off. I took the top off and left the bottom on, but I never noticed before how sweet the bun is. I guess my taste buds have finally changed. That was a positive moment in that I was able to stop a behavior before it went too far (even though I did eat every french fry!)

trina1049 · April 2015

bonniepwest wrote: »

Boy, this group's been quiet lately. I hope that doesn't mean that everyone is feeling discouraged. I haven't been as careful as I would have liked in the last few days, but I'm trying not to let it get me down. I did have a situation the other day where I ended up going through the drive-thru for lunch, getting a hamburger and french fries which I knew was not my best choice. I had taken 3 or 4 bites of the hamburger when I realized I forgot to take the bun off. I took the top off and left the bottom on, but I never noticed before how sweet the bun is. I guess my taste buds have finally changed. That was a positive moment in that I was able to stop a behavior before it went too far (even though I did eat every french fry!)

I'd consider that a NSV - non-scale vicory! Good job.

jenwrite · April 2015

Hi, I am 60, will be 61 in June. I joined the group 60 and over here at MFP, but then got sidetracked and never really got too involved. Recently, however,
I joined Nutrisystem and have lost 11 lbs, with another 8 to go. While I have never been severely overweight, I have been playing with 10, 15 or 20 lbs
since I was a teenager. Now I am ready to get to the weight I want to be and just maintain already! LOL. Like others on this thread, I am finding the weight loss goes
really slow now. I used to be able to lose weight so quickly, but not anymore. I really like the idea of finding support with others experiencing the same thing in
my age group. --- Jen

hispraiseinme · April 2015

I'm thinking of trying nutrisystem. I bought the 5 day starter kit. To see if I'll like the food before buying a 28 day supply. I'm a little nervous to try it. I hope it doesn't taste too much like diet food. Marie Osmond says it's wonderful. I'll be trying it out tomorrow.

snowflake930 · April 2015

hispraiseinme wrote: »

I'm thinking of trying nutrisystem. I bought the 5 day starter kit. To see if I'll like the food before buying a 28 day supply. I'm a little nervous to try it. I hope it doesn't taste too much like diet food. Marie Osmond says it's wonderful. I'll be trying it out tomorrow.

You have to do what is right for you. If it works, that is great! Fantastic, how ever you can accomplish it.

For me MFP, and eating food that I can eat the rest of my life works. I started on MFP at 290# in March of 2012. I have lost over 160# and been maintaining @ around 130# for almost 18 months now. For too many years, I bought into the "it is harder to lose weight over 40" myth, which turned out to be untrue for me, and many others, telling myself, "why even try if it is so hard?" I did try many times over the decades but never lasting long. Usually 2-3 days. The longest time was 3 weeks, until now. I am in the best shape now, that I have been for most of my adult life. For me, it is sustainable and I can live with this the rest of my life. It is all about portion control, not over eating, and moving more. Before, I was out of breath from walking up a flight of stairs. Now, I go to the gym every day, plus, I go for walks up and down the hills of our woods most days, regardless of the weather (I live in MN). At age 63, if I can do it, most anyone can, that has no existing health issues. I work full time. Have a 45 minute commute one way, but I make the time for me, and we all should, because we are definitely worth the effort!

Best of luck to all! You can do this too!

trina1049 · April 2015

snowflake930 wrote: »

hispraiseinme wrote: »

I'm thinking of trying nutrisystem. I bought the 5 day starter kit. To see if I'll like the food before buying a 28 day supply. I'm a little nervous to try it. I hope it doesn't taste too much like diet food. Marie Osmond says it's wonderful. I'll be trying it out tomorrow.

You have to do what is right for you. If it works, that is great! Fantastic, how ever you can accomplish it.

For me MFP, and eating food that I can eat the rest of my life works. I started on MFP at 290# in March of 2012. I have lost over 160# and been maintaining @ around 130# for almost 18 months now. For too many years, I bought into the "it is harder to lose weight over 40" myth, which turned out to be untrue for me, and many others, telling myself, "why even try if it is so hard?" I did try many times over the decades but never lasting long. Usually 2-3 days. The longest time was 3 weeks, until now. I am in the best shape now, that I have been for most of my adult life. For me, it is sustainable and I can live with this the rest of my life. It is all about portion control, not over eating, and moving more. Before, I was out of breath from walking up a flight of stairs. Now, I go to the gym every day, plus, I go for walks up and down the hills of our woods most days, regardless of the weather (I live in MN). At age 63, if I can do it, most anyone can, that has no existing health issues. I work full time. Have a 45 minute commute one way, but I make the time for me, and we all should, because we are definitely worth the effort!

Best of luck to all! You can do this too!

I tried Nutrisystem and lost weight but put it back on once I stopped eating the Nutrisystem food. I also thought the food tasted wonderful. I remember thinking the portions were really, really small, LOL. I had no idea what a single portion looked like! If it works for you, hispraiseinme, that's great. It doesn't matter how you get there, you just have to do it.

I have to agree with snowflake930 that for me MFP and eating food that I like for the rest of my life works. I'm almost to maintenance at 133lbs. (looking to drop about 5 more pounds) down from 179lbs. I lost my 46lbs very steadily and slowly over a year and a half. I, too, am in the best shape now than I have been in years. When I began my weight loss I was at the gym almost every day, but I've cut back to 4xs per week and found my sweet spot for exercising and what I can comfortably maintain.

It really is about making time for yourself and changing the way one looks at food. Food fuels my workouts now; a change from my previous relationship with food -- a love affair that had to end because it was affecting my health, especially now in my 60s. My taste in food has dramatically changed over the last year and a half. I'm done with the overeating!

Let us know how you like the Nutrisystem food and keep us posted if you continue with it.

Trina

alison2429 · April 2015

I see that this post is quite old but here goes....I'm struggling to lose any weight (this time around!) and I put a significant amount of blame on my age. I'm 50 this year but I seem to have been or am going though the menopause. It's difficult to tell! I have been using MFP again for about 3 weeks and have gained weight every week! I exercise 3 or 4 times a week and rarely use all my calories. It genuinely seems to be harder to lose weight the older I get - is that a proven medical fact? I'm going on a holiday of lifetime in September to celebrate my 50th and I NEED to be able to fit into my summer clothes and want to be able to enjoy looking at the photos when I come back!

mk2fit · April 2015

I'm 56. I quit smoking 3 years ago. After about 15 months, my taste buds came back and, boy, did I eat. I gained probably 60 pounds. I did not have a scale, but I went up 6 pant sizes. My doctor recommended counting calories and told me about MFP. The only other time in my life I tried to lose weight was after my kids were born. I started here last October and have lost 44 pounds and have one more pant size to go. I exercise every day - mostly walking and elliptical with a little exercise dvd and some strength work thrown in for variety. I don't think it is any harder to lose weight in my 50s than it was at 29-30, but I have had to work at it each time. I am almost to maintenance so we shall see what happens then. It is nice to see a thread for us older gals. Keep up the good work, ladies. We CAN do this!!! PS it helps to have a supportive spouse, at least for me.

shycie750 · April 2015

Really enjoyed reading through some of these posts and feeling so inspired by such lovely, powerful women! I am 51, menopausal, and slowly but steadily losing weight. I have many young friends on MFP that are losing 2-3 pounds every week and just yesterday I was ready to throw in the towel because my numbers aren't like that. But I went in my closet, cried a little, said a prayer and came out able to leave the food that had been calling my name alone. Today I am more determined to continue on the path I've chosen that IS working for me and compare myself to myself and no one else! I really would welcome friends in my life situation... Please add me or accept if I friend you! Thank you in advance for your support!

hispraiseinme · April 2015

I thought people on here were doing Nutrisystem. That's what I read somewhere. I'll be trying my first real meal with it tonight. I had the chocolate muffin for breakfast. It was okay. Then a bar and large salad for lunch. Snack of almonds and dried cranberries for afternoon snack. Mid morning I had greek yogurt and blueberries. Tonight is the actual dinner. A little nervous about it. I decided to do the 5 day kit you get at Walmart. I just need something to get myself back on track. So I can get back to my healthy eating. It for sure has to be a lifestyle change. I just want to get the weight off. I do find since I hit 50 the weight came on a lot faster.

retirehappy · April 2015

patty1138 wrote: »

Can I plz join your grp?

Link to 60+ group
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3538-60-years-old-and-over

Several members are maintaining, many more are within 20 lbs. of goal, and others are just starting or starting over. Female hormones etc. do make it harder. We do have some members who are male, but they post rarely.

I had lost successfully during menopause and thought I would never have to loss again, but life happens and I am back doing it again, less than 20 lbs to get to my goal finally, I had a false start but I am back for good now. I have learned to log and eat more than 1200 cals. I am 5'3" so I will not be able to eat a lot more than that but 1400-1500 cals are a lot easier to live with than 12K (this is why I fell off the wagon my first time here).

I also have found Fitbit keeps me moving and that has helped a lot. Even though I am closer to goal I am losing more consistantly and eating those extra calories. What ever works

sodakat · April 2015

So great to see everyone continue with the positive aspects of this thread!!!

@hispraiseinme, regarding Nutrisystem being used here, I read in another thread that many of the people from the Nutrisystem forums moved to MFP recently because the Nutrisystem forums are being discontinued (apparently). That may be what made you think MFP members were primarily using Nutrisystem.

Kathy

hispraiseinme · April 2015

Kathy, I didn't think that. I thought I read this thread, 55-65 someone was doing NS. Apparently not

StrawbC · April 2015

cathy120861 wrote: »

I was thinking of starting a group for women our age, where we would choose a fitness challenge every week and offer each other support and encouragement. some of the challenges that occur to me would be adding an hour more exercise than you usually do, or cutting down on carbs, or cutting out night time eating; the people in the group would take turns choosing the challenges. we could define "fitness" very broadly and include any health related challenges that interest us.

anybody else interested?

I would.. I'm on a slippery slope toward old bad habits, though I've had a great start to the year with 12kgs or 26.5lbs lost I feel like I'm stalling and in need of some revitalization of my motivation and goals and challenges may be the way to go so count me in. Let me know if you start a thread around this I will join for sure.

Jewels211 · April 2015

alison2429 wrote: »

I see that this post is quite old but here goes....I'm struggling to lose any weight (this time around!) and I put a significant amount of blame on my age. I'm 50 this year but I seem to have been or am going though the menopause. It's difficult to tell! I have been using MFP again for about 3 weeks and have gained weight every week! I exercise 3 or 4 times a week and rarely use all my calories. It genuinely seems to be harder to lose weight the older I get - is that a proven medical fact? I'm going on a holiday of lifetime in September to celebrate my 50th and I NEED to be able to fit into my summer clothes and want to be able to enjoy looking at the photos when I come back!

I did find it harder this time around at first. I'm 54 now & like you am in the midst of going through menopause. What I've found is that I HAVE to be more active now. I've been a slug most of my life, so for me that just means I put in 15-20 min twice a day on my treadmill. I use one of the preset interval walk sessions. I've lost 53 lbs since last fall, over 30 since I was diagnosed w T2diabetes the 1st part of Dec. I'm now off my diuretic & if my b/p stays as low as it has been, dr will take me off the other b/p med soon. I'm controlling the diabetes w diet & exercise, no meds, & my #s are really good. I started in a size 20, am now in 14 bottoms & large tops. So it CAN be done.
Are you maybe getting too much sodium, hanging on to excess water? Or are e there hidden calories somewhere, like you're guesstimating quantities eaten? Weight loss really can be wonky though as your body starts adjusting to change. Make sure you measure yourself b/c sometimes the tape measure shows love even if the scales don't.

lollye51 · April 2015

Hi everyone!
Enjoyed reading all the posts. Me? 54 and looking for mates. Been on MFP two
weeks now. Enjoying taking charge of my life again, I welcome the challenge
of a new phase in life!

ukjanetm · April 2015

Hello all - joined yesterday, 55, been working on losing weight since the end of February. Things were progressing pretty steadily at about 1 lb/week loss, but I've been completely stalled for the past 2-3 weeks. I do wonder if it is related to the fact that I took up a 'Couch to 5K' running program at about the same time. Although I take regular brisk walks, I'm now adding bursts of running/jogging into it. Wondering if I'm a) building up muscle, so still losing fat but it isn't being reflected on the scale, or b) not eating enough because of the additional calories burned. Anyway, my mother always told me it is easier to lose weight when you're young; wish I'd listened.

But it can be done, I'm sure of that.

55-65 year old women's success?

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