Searching for Others with Similar Obstacles to Weight Loss in this Phase of Life

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fbb6505
fbb6505 Posts: 1 Member
Hi, I'm new to this whole process of keeping a food and exercise diary online and sharing my progress (or lack of) with others online. I want to succeed at this endeavor. My husband needs me to be in the best health possible to be the best companion and caretaker possible. Also, I want to enjoy my life: not have achy joints, body parts, a lack or mobility, a crabby attitude, or just be plain miserable because I didn't take care of myself physically and mentally. I know aging brings some of those things naturally, but I also know that the better physical and mental shape I am in, the more comfortably I will age.
I never had a weight gain problem or achy joint problem, not of it until I began going through menopause. Not only did weight just suddenly start building up, but I suddenly seemed to have little to no success losing that extra weight. As a result, I lost my motivation to keep trying to watch my diet as closely or make sure I did exercise on a regular basis. I just sort of ate what I thought was "healthy", not really paying attention to whether it was or not and I really cut back on the exercise part - exercise here and there, nothing consistent.
It caught up with me, I am now paying the price and I intend to turn this lack of commitment to my own health around. I am working on it and I will succeed. This is truly my motto and my goal: I am working on it and I will succeed. There is no room for failure.
Okay, enough about me, I hope there are others of you out there that are in a similar boat as I am and we can go forth on this journey together.
Much success and happiness to all!

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    It's definitely more challenging isn't it? It's like: "poof" you gained weight!
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,344 Member
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    My weight just seemed to pop on overnight and I am completely failing at losing it... So discouraged!
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    edited May 2016
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    My weight gain was not overnight, but the main thing is to stop the trend of gaining. Losing it is another battle .... and keeping it off, golden!!!
  • chippywelsh
    chippywelsh Posts: 23 Member
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    Hi, I'm 51 never previously had any health issues, ate anything etc. Now I have aching joints, gained 10lbs which I just cannot shift even though I'm eating less and less, hot sweats the works!
    But... Having tried all sorts of diets, I'm now strictly low carb, high fat and it's definitely helping. I find the way of eating quite easy to stick to as well. Less hot flushing and sleeping much better. Skin and hair good. Less aches and joint inflammation. Better mood and stability. A tiny bit of weightloss and clothes feel less tight. I'm going to stick with it and hope that in time the weight will start to go.
  • momanem35
    momanem35 Posts: 6 Member
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    I just turned 51, too!

    I've always been overweight. 6 years ago, they did a weight loss challenge and work, and I lost over 25 lbs in 3 months. In the 6 years since then, the 25 lbs have crept back on. So now we're doing another weight loss challenge, and I figured if I did it once, I could do it again. We're in the last 2 weeks right now, and I feel like I'm working harder than ever, tracking every calorie, and I still haven't been able to shed even 20 lbs! The weight is definitely "stickier" this time, and it's so frustrating knowing that despite doing everything I should, my body refuses to toe the line!

    As for exercising, I started on the treadmill, but had to switch to the elliptical after the first week, because the treadmill left me with debilitating hip pain! Which meant that for the first week or two, I was not working out as hard as I would have wanted because my glutes and quads weren't quite up to the challenge of the elliptical.

    I'm looking forward to the end of my challenge, not so I can stop, but so I can ease up a little with the insane workout regimen and maybe eat an extra 100-200 calories per day. I'm hoping by the end of the year I'll hit my target weight.
  • slimstrauss
    slimstrauss Posts: 209 Member
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    My weight goes up and down more times than a yoyo!! It's so frustrating and yet I've proved I can lose weight, but seems so hard at this stage of life. Wish the choc bar didn't love me so much
  • 123dola
    123dola Posts: 6 Member
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    Hi, I can so relate to everything you said and I want to lose 50-70 pounds in order to be healthy, have more energy, and feel better. I have struggled with my weight all my life. I love food and feel like I'm always hungry. I've been up and down on my weight but find I always go back to eating the foods I love in too high quantities and then gain back and regret. This time I am deciding this is a lifelong change, not a diet. I've seen my brother do this and he has kept the weight off for many years by monitoring and counting every day and just never stopping. I have tried to just eat good foods but find I still eat too large of portions and too often of even the good stuff so I still gain weight. At this point my plan is to exercise everyday, minimum a 30 minute walk and count/measure everything and stop eating once I hit my limit for the day. Right now I'm trying to figure out what that limit should be at my age (53) and lifestyle. My plan is to start with what this website suggests and then modify based on my results.
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,344 Member
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    I am tempted to just give up. I keep getting fatter and fatter... Not only is it seeming impossible to lose but I'm gaining now.
  • KudraM
    KudraM Posts: 73 Member
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    Anyone else taking HRTs? Im in my 40s but meno hit me early and so i must take HRTs. Because of this early meno weight is very very hard to drop. Doc said I could try to go off HRT to "reset" but of course the hot flashes will not be fun....but I would lose weight. :neutral:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    KudraM wrote: »
    Anyone else taking HRTs? Im in my 40s but meno hit me early and so i must take HRTs. Because of this early meno weight is very very hard to drop. Doc said I could try to go off HRT to "reset" but of course the hot flashes will not be fun....but I would lose weight. :neutral:

    I'm not on traditional HRT. I do use bio-identical progesterone cream.
  • TheGaudyMagpie
    TheGaudyMagpie Posts: 282 Member
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    I use traditional HRT and I found that it at least stopped the weight from settling around the waistline (though a lot of moved to my chest and butt -- I don't mind it as much there). I discovered that there were two other culprits last year when I was really struggling. One was the migraine preventive I was taking (nortriptyline), which was really fudging up my water retention. The other is that my gallbladder was going south. At least I suspect that was part of the problem as I had it out last month and lost ten pounds right away. I am on a very low fat diet right now and I seem to be still steadily losing, although I got my period out of nowhere after six months and so I have about a 1-1/2 gain this week that I suspect is water/bloat.

    I know HRT can interfere with weight loss, but be sure to also look at any other meds too.
  • KudraM
    KudraM Posts: 73 Member
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    Thanks. I used to be in bio-IDs but the creams did not work for me. I asked doc to drop my vivelle patch and progesterone a bit to see what happens. So far only morning hot flash or 2. I am also trying the IIFYM (if it fits yur macros) thing and it is interesting to say the least. I cant complain too much; when I'm consistent I lose about .5 lbs a week, but after 40 food is so hard to resist xD
  • dcdickerson2
    dcdickerson2 Posts: 65 Member
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    tmbg1 wrote: »
    I am tempted to just give up. I keep getting fatter and fatter... Not only is it seeming impossible to lose but I'm gaining now.
    Don't give up. I could have written any number of these posts, and definitely yours! I'm 65 and have struggled all my life with this and still am. Try this, and the point is to incorporate it into your overall habits of eating, so that you do this more often than not, rather than think it is a strategy to use temporarily:
    Fast for 12 hours. Any 12 hours. 7:00pm - 7:00am. Or 11:00 pm to 11:00am. Work at building up to 4 or 5 nights a week. If you are already doing that or reach that goal, do some longer ones up to 16 hours. Google Intermittent Fasting. Of course, combine this with healthy eating within a reasonable calorie limit. I've been doing this off and on for about four months, and all of a sudden I'm doing it more often than not, I'm not feeling as hungry/cravings so its easier to manage and I don't beat myself up if I mess up now and then. And suddenly, the scales are starting to show a slow weight loss that feels like it might be real and sustainable. I lost 50 pounds 10 years ago and about 15-20 crept back on, so I KNOW the frustration of continually trying and failing! Don't give up. Keep trying new things that are good for you and you have a good chance of finding the right combo for you. Give up and you don't get the chance! Sorry this was so long.

  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,344 Member
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    @dcdickerson2 that sounds like a good idea... I'm ready to try anything!!
  • Joannevee2016
    Joannevee2016 Posts: 13 Member
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    I need to not give up.
    I have put on lb in the pass on my backend. Now its the belly as well...Hard not to see and feel bloated. I find it hard to dress nicely. Keep going to stretchy pants.
    I'm looking for friends for support and ideals how to keep positive . I have great co workers. All in their thirty.