55-65 year old women's success?

Candicer I am surprised your doctor recommended the HCG DIET. Any weight loss program where you lose weight very rapidly is a disaster waiting to happen. My son did the HCG diet a few years ago and he gained all the weight he lost back in a very short time because no one can keep eating at that kind of deficit for very long. That's why I cut calories, but lost my weight very slowly so that I could keep eating like this for the rest of my life. Gaining and losing, losing and gaining is not good for your health either.

Add me ladies I'm new here just a month and am loving the support, 58 years old and going strong

Just finished the 10-day Clean Eating Challenge. Lost 3 lbs. it actually has me cooking again. I'm sticking to it. Three down; 100 to go...

Great thread! I look forward to the day when I can post my success story and pics. In the meantime I am looking for friends over 50 to exchange support on MFP. This time around I am prioritizing exercise and consistent logging. Feel free to send me a friend request. Thanks - lapierrecyclist

Ok, so how many times am I going to have to loose these some of the same pounds and the extras I have welcomed to the party. Well shut the front door, that party is over at 62 I have been dragging myself around at the peak 227 pounds. I am 5' for crying out load it is not like I am happy this way. I love sweets, cakes cookies candies all the way to diabetes. Played with MFP like it was a game I could play if I wanted . How often I haven't done something I would have enjoyed but it was too much walking or gone to sit to find a seat too tight... So now no more sleeping in I set an alarm for everyday. I MFP and Silver Sneakers 2 times a week, 4 times I do Aquafit and one time Zumba gold. I will give myself one more week to get really comfortable with these then begin some treadmill time. My aim is to get to the point I can join regular Zumba it looks like such a blast. Also, I want to be able to get through a good long walk, without breathing back and legs issues getting in the way, but I will get there in time. So far,10 pounds down and every day I look forward to being under 200 pounds again but my first goal is 180 pounds, it would be great if I could achieve it by the New Year. As I reach each goal I will choose another.

To behnybaby & krenwren; welcome to our group!! I just turned 65, so I know how hard it is to try and lose those extra lbs that snuck up on me (they seemed to stick like glue). Anyway, what worked for me was cutting back on highly processed food (can't avoid all of it) and sugar (I love cookies, etc. too; I just treat myself to abt a TBS (or so) to Nestle' dark choc chips after dinner). I only wanted to lose abt sever or eight lbs and ended up losing 12 (in abt 2.5 months). Like the old saying; "in all things, moderation." It can be done; if you mess up, forget abt it and get back on the wagon. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

I read this thread every day, and I keep thinking I have posted here, but it seems not. I love reading all your stories and you have all helped to keep me motivated. I hope to participate in this thread in the future.

Anyway, I posted this looong story in a "women 40 years and up" motivational thread today, and thought I would re-post it here to introduce myself.

I'm a month away from turning 60. I'm 5'6.5" and started trying to lose weight somewhere around late spring of 2014 when I weighed an all-time high of 230 pounds. I ate less calories than I had been eating, but was still eating in an unhealthy way, consuming very little protein, lots of pasta, just unhealthy. I spent a great deal of time being in a state of gnawing hunger that would cause me to not be able to go to or stay asleep - hunger would wake me up, then I would get up at 3 in the morning and eat. I "dieted" some days, not others, so my weight loss was slow, and I felt bad physically, but I managed to lose 21 pounds.

I found MFP in mid-April and everything changed. I have logged in every day and logged everything I have consumed since then. I started reading the Success Stories thread every single morning, and now have several other threads that I find motivational bookmarked and read those too. I bought a food scale a couple of weeks after starting here, and started using it religiously about a month later - took me a while to get into that habit, but now I weigh almost everything - no more measuring spoons and cups. I found that I am rubbish at estimating portion sizes, although I am getting better.

I started walking in the pool in July, but had to curtail that after a couple of weeks due to hurting my knees. I then started walking around my neighborhood at the beginning of August for 30 or so minutes a day, and was doing that faithfully, except for a few days with hurt knees and my other chronic health issues, until a week ago when I was semi-attacked by a big dog in the neighborhood. The dog didn't bite me, but charged me and head-butted me - no injuries, but it has really freaked me out so I'm taking a short break. Other than that, I have done no exercise of any kind, so my weight loss is basically by lowering my calories alone.

As of Thursday, I'm down a total of 51 pounds, 30 of those since starting MFP. I have 44 pounds left to my goal, but I'll decide if I want to go that low when I get closer. I am rarely hungry - I get hungry around meal times, which is what it should be - no more ravenous hunger. As I've progressed in this, I find that it is just as important to me to meet my nutritional requirements as it is to lose weight, so I structure my menu around that fact. I have IBS and can't eat many vegetables (no salads), so I eat a lot of baked chicken, sandwiches, greek yogurt, avocados and make sure I get my fiber and calcium in, and I take a multi-vitamin every day. I count EVERYTHING, even one Altoid, Tums and my multi-vitamin. I drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day, and, when I want a treat, such as fast food or sweets, I either plan or adjust my daily menu around them so they fit into my calories and macros/micros. I still eat fast food, but I don't get sides or soft drinks anymore - I get unsweetened iced tea and just a sandwich. I get a donut about once a week, and eat ice cream about once a week too.

As so many people here say, if I can do it, anybody can do it. I had given up completely, so this is actually still kind of a surprise to me that I have lost this much weight. But, at this point, I have no doubts I will succeed in reaching my final goal. And then the hard part begins - maintaining.

Good luck to all! You can do it!!!

What a great post @LaceyBirds, I am truly inspired! I have been stuck for months, here it is September and my January goal was 30 pounds. I am down six. . I know I have not been "honest" with my diary work and know it's the key to success so I press on. Thanks again for your inspirational story!

I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic several years ago. Haven't had to take any meds, but my fasting blood sugar was usually between 100 and 120. I have lost 19 pounds with MFP and this morning my blood sugar was 82! Amazing what losing weight and exercise can do!

I am 52 and just getting started back with MFP. Most of my friends have either dropped off or quit since I was last on. I'd love to make some new friends for support. Please add me if you wish

Welcome dlmciver! I have been on MFP for about 18 months and have lost 54 pounds over that time. I am on maintenance now. I just discovered this thread and I love it! What a fantastic group of women. We can all inspire and support each other because we are at the same place in life. I, like so many, have lost and gained weight many times before. I retired two years ago and decided then that getting healthy needed to be my top priority. It feels amazing and I love that so many women close to my age are doing the same thing. We have experience in losing weight and experience in life. There's a lot of wisdom here. We all need each other.

Thanks for all your comments and help... I have started gentle walking - although not yet logging it and am slowly starting to lose weight. Taken cal allowance to 1700 to see if that makes a difference.

I'm 58 and been working out with a professional trainer twice a week, walking on my own, and logging for three weeks. Results = a gain of one pound and and injury. I'm going to see an Airrosti practitioner today and am so ready to find out how to correct my knee problem. This challenge is just what I need to keep going in the face of three weeks of very hard work a bit of a disappointment. My trainer is very good and not to say there were not any successes yet, I'm probably stronger and am learning a lot of great exercises etc... It may be that I'm 58 and just eating too many calories. I'll make my log public if anyone cares to look at what may be causing no loss. Also, my trainer does not weigh or re-measure me till the six week mark so I may have lost some inches but do not know that data. Thanks for the support

Selestite, how do your clothes fit (are they looser)??? If so, you have probably lost some inches. Also, one pound of muscle takes up less room than one pound of fat (which may account for the gain). Also, you may have to change your macros (and not just accept the ones MFP sets up for you); and watch how much sugar you are actually eating (naturally occurring & added). Good luck.

Hi all, I have restarted MFP a few days ago, and previously did not really record everything I ate. I am going to attempt to be faithful to MFP, and all the posts I have read on this thread so far have been really helpful. I had lost about 30 pounds prior but gained back 20, but it seems like I have gained 40 because it has all landed in my upper abdomen and no clothes are fitting. I feel awful, and really want to get healthier. I want to lose about 40-50 pounds and would love to connect with some other MFP folks so we could chat and support one another. I am 55 turning 56 next month. Looking forward to a healthier me! Cheers