Old (well, 65 anyway) with fibromyalgia (chronic pain syndrome) + lots to lose: is there hope? :-)

Sorry about not replying in proper form, but I'm still finding out how this thing works. If someone could tell be how to do the @ thing I'd be very grateful. I tried copying one person's name then pasting it after an @ but what it then actually pasted was computer gobbledegook. (Would this have shown as gobbledegook or would the app have translated it back to the name?)

I also can't see how to reply to people directly, one at a time (any help with that, too, gratefully received) so I apologise in advance for this long reply to several people at once rather than replying directly to each one. I'll try to work out how to do it ASAP so as not write such a long post again.

But, till then: huge thanks to ObesityWarrior — there's a name that speaks of true determination! I can see you'd keep me up to scratch on hitting my macros
And thanks, too, to LindaRobertsAntinoro — not least for telling me I'm not the oldest person in town, making me feel much less of an outsider
More thanks due to GaleHawkins — I can see we're going to agree about keeping carbs low, and I'm hoping you can give me some guidance on that
And more thanks also to IWTBFCIN3 — is that your code name for some secret group that knows the magic words to make you lose weight without trying? If so, can I join your gang? Or are you just struggling as best you can like the rest of us? (I'm guessing it's the latter!)

In more detail to each:
ObesityWarrior: I can see that if you add me to your friends (and please do) you're going to be the one who doesn't take any whiney excuses for not hitting my goals. And I'm sure you're right about taking it a day at a time. I find some days it's easy to stay well under my goals whereas other days I find it much harder, and often miss. But I'm choosing to assume that my 'good' (below targets) days balance out the 'bad' ones, as long as there are a reasonable number of those too. And thank you for understanding that I may not be able to exercise as much as people claim is essential to weight loss. I'll try when I can, but if I can't it just means I have to be strict about meeting or exceeding my goals. I'm glad, too, that you're in the 100lb goal category too. It helps to know that others are struggling with the same issues and can give and receive help from a place of mutual understanding.

LindaRobertsAntiforno: so pleased to know I'm not the oldest one! Yes, do let's stay in touch. It's a great help to know there are others out there facing the particular challenge of trying to lose weight with a metabolism slowed somewhat by the years. And yes, sad to say, I agree I'm well past the possibility of looking good in a swimming costume. (I'm glad you like that term: I'm a Scot, and that's what we called such garments in my youth, and though it can sound a little old fashioned now even here, I still prefer the term probably because I flatter myself did look good in one way back then, in what today would be a (UK) size 8 or 10 (a US 4 or 6?).) And I ruefully accept that a more realistic goal now would be not having children on the beach point and snigger at the fat lady! Joking aside, I'd actually be very content if I lost enough weight to be able to buy a swimming cozzie (the shortened version of the phrase you like) in an ordinary shop, not just shops for the those who are, shall we say, more voluptuous? Those little skirt thingies on those cozzies for 'larger ladies' don't fool anyone, or cover anything either. And I would like to feel rather less embarrassed to disrobe for swimming on our local beach. But I developed a cunning plan for that last year: I bought Lycra (I think US has another name for that ubiquitous stretchy stuff?) capri-length exercise leggings in a snazzy sporty design, and an exercise top to match which between them cover my worst sins and which, together, could double as a swimming costume, being made of the same sort of fabric. And I found a filmy kaftan that very nearly matched them so that I could drift casually, fully-covered, down to the sea's edge before discreetly removing it and plunging (well, okay tip-toeing) into the surf. Brilliant plan, eh? Except that the Scottish weather defeated me. We had a terrible summer, much too cold to swim in the North Atlantic, even if protected from the cold by my internal layer of protection. But I'm hoping for much better weather this year so I can put my cunning plan into action, and, with luck and determination, won't be stretching that Lycra quite so much anyway.

GaleHawkins: Ankylosing Spondytis must really have added to the challenge of losing weight. I feel quite embarrassed, now, about moaning about my own chronic pain issues. As for the carbs, a do so agree: in the past when I've tried to lose weight, cutting back on the carbs has always worked better for me than calorie counting, and it's my own fault for not bearing that in mind, and going back to the over-eating of everything and not thinking properly about portion control. So eventually, though after quite a long time at a stable weight, I put weight back on. And I'm delighted to hear that your low carbs reduced your pain levels so much: I guess we both know that, after a daily 7-8 on the pain scale, a 2-3 seems like an impossible dream, and though still a pain every day, much easier to tolerate. I'm very pleased for you. And no IBS either! I'm very happy for you to have been able to get rid of that too. (It's not one of my problems, I'm glad to say, unless, that is, I'm under a particularly high level of stress for a prolonged period.) And selling your mobility vehicle as well: you really must feel like a changed man, and a poster 'boy' for your own diet. How low did you have to get your carbs down to for weight loss? I'm struggling a bit with that because to get my carbs down to <30 (which as a former Atkins dieter I worry is a little high, at least to begin a diet with) I am finding it hard to stay below 1,000 calories and also keep my fat levels down on that number of carbs. Normally I'd not be too bothered about fat levels, apart from avoiding trans fats completely. But I have a high cholesterol which, given my spectacularly high blood pressure (which I also need to lose weight to reduce) my doc is keen to get down before I drop dead at her feet next surgery visit. (She may be the one to drop dead of shock if she sees that same mega-high blood pressure result again.) However I have at least started taking some phytosterol tabs which have UK medical acceptance of their claim to knock 15% off your cholesterol levels if you take three a day for three weeks, which sounds well worth a try. So, given all that, do you have any advice on how I should set my macros? I'd be glad to have any you have to offer.

IWTBFCIN3: another 'oldie' to relate to — excellent! It seems there are more of us than I though, or datred hope. I worried it might be all 20- and 30- somethings who wanted to lose 6-7 pounds to look better in a skimpy bikini, the lucky things! I'd be very glad to think I could count you in as part of my support crew. Thank you.

Talking of which, I'm aware that I've been the one getting support from you guys, but I'd be very glad to return that in any way I can. So if you'd like to, I'd be delighted if you would add me to your friends list. Unfortunately I haven't (yet) worked out how to out out a friend request, so I'd be doubly glad if you could do whatever it is to add me to your own lists. Meanwhile if knowing there's someone out there who really appreciates that you took the trouble to respond to her first post (and had the stamina to read through it and this one too!), if that alone will help you, you should see the pounds positively committing harakiri next week. Because I do appreciate every one of your responses very much indeed. And if you do add me to your friends lists I'll do everything I can to support, nag, cajole, commiserate or whatever it is you need to help you reach your goals too. Promise.

Glad to meet you, Esme. I'll gladly accept that friend request once it pops up.
I've only been using MFP for just about two weeks, and only consistently over the last week so I'm still groping forward, finding out, or failing to find out, how this community bit works. (I still don't know how to make the quote bit work, or how to send a friend request, so you're one up on me there.) But I'm finding that using the app is making me measure, even if roughly, and record every single thing I eat which I'm finding a real help because as well as opening my eyes to how many calories I must have been consuming before, it's also making me more aware of what I'm eating now. No more conveniently forgetting that piece of toast and butter. And did you know that one little Thorntons chocolate, and probably every other make too, has 50 calories!

Esme140 wrote: »

Esme140 wrote: »

Hi Sleepyscribbler,

I'm not exactly sure what "quote bit" you're referencing.

Laughing at myself for not even seeing the Quote tool before. We'll figure this all out together, right?

Ooooh! I've worked out how the quote thing works: you tap on the "Quote thingy below the post you want to quote and it pastes it into a box to type into. All very simple. Except that on my iPad the box with the quote pasted in was invisibly below other messages so it took me a while to work out what was going on.

(I had to grin at the bit about not seeing the Quote tool; I saw it but had no idea how to use it! Yes, together we will work this out. Er … any idea how to add someone as a friend yet?)