55-65 year old women's success?

trina1049 wrote: »

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

trina1049 wrote: »

mk2loser wrote: »

Oh, wow. Moderation worked for me and I am Mrs. Compulsive. Maybe I took the moderation into my compulsions. Whatever, it worked for me. Have managed to lose 70#. Maybe because I have overdone the exercise side of things. OK, never mind

I'll chime in with a vote for moderation as well -- that and working the calories in / calories out numbers. Once I figured out how the numbers worked I was able to successfully lose weight. I eat anything I want; I just have to be careful about my sodium intake, which is a pain, but doable.

For me, exercise is an important component as well. Staying active keeps me healthy along with calorie counting. I'm sleeping so much better when I make sure that I'm active all day. The more you do the better you feel.

Sounds just like my plan. And it works. I have lost 40 lbs at 68 years old. Just by cutting amount eaten and increasing activity. It can be done.

Hey, V! Yup, I'm 66 and down over 50 lbs. Portion control is key for me, so that's another component to losing weight and staying healthy. It's so simply elegant -- yet people make it so complicated, I think. You have to measure your calories, control your portions, and exercise for optimum health. OK, done preachin' LOL!

Amen, sister. Good job. Some people use age as an excuse ( not talking about people with REAL health issues). I am not giving in to old age until it is forced on me.

So encouraging to hear success
Stories! I really need to make healthy life changes. For some reason this time feels different. Was off all week and went on a major cleaning binge. The most activity I've had in a long time. Maybe just the jump start I needed to being more active along with tracking food.

Thanks to everyone For motivation and support

Amy, Believe it or not, the weights will get you where you need to go! Cardio (no more than 15 - 30 min) is good for your heart, but lifting the weights will help to build muscle (p.s. you won't get big), which burns calories, and will help somewhat w/the sagging skin. That, and it is good for your bones to boot! I weight train three days a week w/abt 20 min of cardio after my weight session (and I'm 65).

Once the weight is down. For maintaining it, I wouldn't usually bother too much recording.

Eleted wrote: »

Good morning. Has anyone experienced low blood pressure after losing weight? Ive lost 30 lbs and my normally lower pressure went down even more and its been frustrating with light headedness!!!

Be sure you are drinking enough fluids (and remember that some beverages are slightly diuretic, so hydrate with water as much as possible). If sodium is not a problem, make sure you don't go too low on salt, as it will help hold onto fluids and increase your blood volume. Best to get checked out by your doc, too.

Thanks you guys. I visited my doctor right away but wondered if this was common. He said the same. Appreciate the advice very much!!!

What a brilliant group i am 56 and lost 28lbs 2 yrs ago and have put it all back on so trying again , sometimes i feel whats the point at my age but after reading all the posts know its hard but can be done

And look at it as a lifestyle; make changes you can live with--if you hate broccoli then don't eat it. Exchange canned veggies (keep some for emergency dinners) and use frozen (keep better than fresh) and start watching your starchy carbs and sugar. I still eat bread and potatoes, etc., just don't eat as much as I used to. I'm 65 and lost 12 lbs doing this.

I am 55 and have been losing very slowly, but steady! Slow and steady wins the race! I am down 30 lbs in 6 months. Even tho the 'after' pic is older, I am only about 15-20 lbs from where I need to be.

@tallee You look awesome! Congrats on your loss. And @griffinca2 and @retirehappy are right, you have to make it a lifestyle change slowly and one change at a time. We may be old but we can lose the weight. I've lost 50 lbs over the last year and a half slowly but consistently. It's all calories in / calories out. Control your portion sizes, move more, and commit to it. Include weight training and some cardio and you're golden.

tallee wrote: »

I am 55 and have been losing very slowly, but steady! Slow and steady wins the race! I am down 30 lbs in 6 months. Even tho the 'after' pic is older, I am only about 15-20 lbs from where I need to be.

You don't look like you need to lose that much I love how confident and self assured you appear in that photo. Congrats on a job well done.

OK, I know no one really needs to see an under-dressed almost 60-year-old woman. OTOH, other people's honesty has helped me along the way, so I'm going to share (slightly scary) pictures.

I started this weight loss effort on 4/17/2015, at 183 pounds. I've been overweight to obese essentially all of my adult life. I'm 5'5" (5'6" before osteopenia) and have had bilateral mastectomies so completely flat, and may be more muscular than some because I've been quite active for a dozen years. I mention these things because both may affect how to think about my weight compared with others.

There are several photos. The ones without weight/date labels are from around 2003 (before picture), which is a long time ago, but at a weight close to my starting weight this year, mid-180s; and 8/20/15 (wearing the exact same clothes as 2003), 148.5 pounds. These don't look all that different to me - but notice the difference in how the red shorts fit!

The fully dressed ones with weight labels are from 6/24/15 and around 7/25/2015.

The last set (severely underdressed for the sake of honesty to other women my own age) are today, 11/13/15, at 129.2 pounds. I hope to lose another few pounds to get rid of some midsection fat that will limit the ability for the loose skin to shrink, and so I can start maintenance at the low end of a maintenance range. I'm trying to lose very slowly right now, 0.5 lbs/week or less.

Oh, and if anyone cares, I'm hypothyroid (but medicated) and menopausal (since chemotherapy 15 years ago), and I've been vegetarian since 1974.

Totally amazing; agree, well done!!

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

sus5n wrote: »

Hi everyone! I'm new here. I'm 60 and have been using My Fitness Paul since July. Would like to lose 80 lb. Have lost 13. It's coming off sooo slowly. But I'm starting a Personal Trainer course at my work and I'm hoping the activity will speed up the weight loss. I'm doing 1000 cal a day - difficult, but it seems like that's what it takes to lose anything!

Nice to have you. It is a little harder to lose as we age but it can be done. I have lost 40 lbs in the last 3 years with watching my calories in and upping my activities. Mainly walking. I do minimum of 10,000 steps a day with a Y spin or cardio class thrown in occasionally.

I love that I get so many compliments now and feel so much better. I just want to be healthier for my golden years. I am 68 but do not feel it. I am 6 lbs below my goal weight and am on maintenance since May 31.

Good luck and you have come to the right place for encouragement.

Congratulations!!!! Good for you!!

Can your doc recommend an exercise program for you? Cardiac rehab perhaps. Does your community have classes for older adults that you could try? Food is the biggest factor but exercise will help you feel less tired and more empowered. Does your doc have an nurse practitioner or nurse that can help you with your goals???