55-65 year old women's success?

@krenwren, I would start w/limiting; going "cold turkey" sometimes has tendency to backfire and you end up binging. Also, you may want to track how much sugar (white carbs are high in it) you are actually eating. Good luck & keep us posyed!

Hello all! Very interesting posts. I am 57 years old and had kept the same weight for about 5 years until last year when I gained 7 pounds, currently at 164, need to go down to 140. I eat a good diet and exercise at least 3 times a week. I feel that my metabolism went on vacation and never came back. My doctor have cheched tyroid, cortisol levels, etc, and everything is normal. I walk 1 hr on the treadmill and do zumba. I just started yoga (3 clases already) hoping it will help.

@krenwren, I didn't at first; I limited all sugar to between 45 & 60 gm a day. I have gone back to adding low sugar fruits (Fuji & Gala apples are both low in sugar & cals), but trying to keep the added sugars low as possible. There are sites that list the amt of sugar in foods--check them out. White potatoes & white bread are the worst; also watch your ingredients for added sugars. You may have to experiment to see what works for you. BTW, I still enjoy cake, cookies, etc., only in limited amounts. Haven't put any weight back on (in fact I lost some) even though I'm not exercising. When they operated on my wrist they put a plate & a pin in it; the pin is still in & won't come out until they take the cast off on the 22nd. The pin has a knob on the outside that presses against the cast & is very uncomfortable. Needless to say, my muscle s have turned to mush! May be able to re-gain some mass once I get back to exercising.

krenwren wrote: »

@griffinca2 I know you have mentioned the sugar issue, do you separate out naturally occurring sugars? I am trying to substitute fruit for snacks.

I'm not who you asked, but FWIW as a data point: I go over MFP's default sugar allowance every day, and most days the only "added sugar" I eat is 1T of all-fruit spread (30 cals) that has some concentrated fruit juice in it. The rest of the sugar comes from fruit and dairy products. I'm seeing no ill effects. I've lost 60 pounds since April 2015 (am very close to goal weight), and my lipid panel results have gone from quite bad to firmly in the normal range (actual numbers are on my profile).

Others' mileage may vary.

P.S. I do eat cake or what-have-you occasionally. I kind of worked my way out of cravings for hyper-sweet foods (candy, etc.) by eating more fruit, and now just don't find sugar-y things wonderful enough to include in my eating every day. I don't think there's anything wrong with eating them, for those who favor them, as long as the total nutrition picture is good.

@krenwren - one of my favorite sweet treats is a cup of vanilla yogurt - non-fat but either plain or Greek - with a cup of frozen cherries (make sure they don't have added sugar). Other frozen fruits work, too, but cherries, for some reason, never freeze hardhardhard. And when you mix them into Greek nonfat yogurt, some of the yogurt freezes into an almost ice-cream texture. It's a huge serving for about 100 to 130 cals for the yogurt plus about 80 for the cherries.

If it's sweetness you crave, yogurt with orange flavored "Milk Magic" or other brands of milk flavoring tastes like a Dreamsicle. And the chocolate flavor in coffee is a no-cal mocha.

Woo hoo @airangel59!!! Great job! You are right, one step, day, pound at a time and it IS doable! Now what do we do with the spare skin? (hahaha)

Congrats on your retirement! You can do it, and you have the right attitude--not depriving yourself. It is abt one day at a time and a lifestyle not a diet with an end date. BTW, we are all here for you!!

Welcome @1Nana2many, this thread has been so helpful for my journey too. Great bunch of folks with a lot of great success! I hope I can tell my success story later this year!

Hello ladies, I'm 47 and am just starting menopause. Those hot flashes are a delight aren't they?

I would like to thank each of you for sharing your experiences so eloquently and many times with a nice touch of humour! There are some points to ponder as I go through menopause and things to consider for long term health that I would not have understood had I not read this post.

Many thanks!

Hello ladies - I am actually 32 - BUT HEAR ME OUT lol :-)

I am a breast cancer survivor of 5 years, and about 2 years ago I had my ovaries removed - throwing me into surgical Menopause. Every since then it has been a roller coaster. What used to work for me as far as food choices and exercise, doesn't seem to make a dent anymore. I have put on 30 lbs in those two years - despite running a few half marathons and one full marathon - and strength training 2-3 times a week consistently.
I feel like I am starting all over again - and I truly believe that the hormone imbalance is to blame.
But I am trying not to get discouraged, and reading this thread has helped me.
There is a way to get rid of this weight, I just have to find the right post-menopausal path!
Thanks ladies - best wishes to all!

Jess, You are very welcome here! Try watching your sugar intake (both natural & added--especially the added), and add weight training to your running program.

griffinca2 wrote: »

Jess, You are very welcome here! Try watching your sugar intake (both natural & added--especially the added), and add weight training to your running program.

Seconding the weight loss training and adding, make sure you get enough protein AND fat. Let the carbs fill in the rest. You need some fat to burn fat and transport most vitamins throughout your body.

I have a breast cancer survivor sister and my best friend has made it through twice, and had to have a hysterectomy to up her survival rate odds. I understand how very difficult your journey has been.

All the best in your efforts to stay fit and healthy.

To Calm and Peaceful. I think it is normal to start many times. Life gets in the way. Something clicked for me last May and I have not missed a day and am down 35 lbs. Do not get discouraged and give yourself positive messages.( it really works) I read 3-4 autobiographies on peoples weight loss journeys before beginning and that inspired me. Take it one day at a time. "Just for today, I'm going to log all of my food." If you look at the whole it can be overwhelming. Good luck. Stay reading all the Success Stories!!

@calmandpeaceful : It can be very difficult to get started and stay motivated. My personal opinion is that we find it so much easier to put everyone else's needs and wants ahead of our own. We apply the "some day" theory to our own needs and wants. And about half the time we're too tired to think about what we need at the end of the day. When it comes to weight loss and our personal health, we really need to reverse this thought process. We need to put a value on ourselves. I do know from walking this journey before how much better I feel when I am taking better care of myself. I have more energy to give to the ones I love when I feel better about myself. That being said, when I get tired of trying to figure out the healthy thing to eat, I have to remind myself that I AM WORTH IT! I try really hard to find foods I love and work the treats into my calories, not just throw the whole thing out the window and eat the chips. If I can work in a few chips or a little sugary treat now and then, then I still am eating the things I love AND staying on my plan. I don't have to have half a bag. I DO have to measure and weigh every bite I put in my mouth and MFP, along with the APP on my cell phone make it possible for me to do it at home and away. I am not perfect and I'm really just getting started again on my weight loss journey, but I am determined to keep moving forward on this path every day. Every day is a new day. Forgive yourself for yesterday's imperfections and start again. YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT! You CAN do it!

Don't give up. It's keeping at it each day. I lost 30 lbs five years ago and gained half back, had my thyroid removed a oouple of years ago and it's taken a bit to find the right meds/dose. I do exercise at least 6 days a week and that just helps me feel better. My goal is to lose my 5 lb holiday gain. MFP has made me aware of what works for my body and the meaning of calories. My journey started with WW and counting points, I prefer MFP.