55-65 year old women's success?

odirish wrote: »

Hi I belong to this group but I'm mostly a lurker. I have been beating myself up trying to lose this weight. I am currently at 193 and my goal is 145/150. I have problems sticking to any sort of diet. I have no willpower. I lift weights (for 18 years now) but diet is 90% of the success. I don't really have any questions, I'd just like to follow along. But

You're where I started, including goal range - except that I started at 213 lbs. What helped me get going was a doc's suggestion to cut out all white carbs, going to brown rice, whole-grain bread and such. Granted, one of the biggest results was an end to snacking on candy, chips and cake. But it worked for me, and maybe it could help you. Best of luck!

I am glad I found this thread. I was about to give up. I am trying the lose the same 25 pounds since my hysterectomy 10 years ago. I am 5'5.5 and a 155 lbs. My doctor says that I am obese. I am also 56 years old. I will be reading updates on this group. I need the encouragement. I just switched to a low calorie plant based diet two weeks ago, doing it slowly but plan to be 100 percent plant based by the end of July.

Thank you for all of these postings.

snerggly wrote: »

I am glad I found this thread. I was about to give up. I am trying the lose the same 25 pounds since my hysterectomy 10 years ago. I am 5'5.5 and a 155 lbs. My doctor says that I am obese. I am also 56 years old. I will be reading updates on this group. I need the encouragement. I just switched to a low calorie plant based diet two weeks ago, doing it slowly but plan to be 100 percent plant based by the end of July.

Thank you for all of these postings.

Seconding what @griffinca2 said: At 5'5.5", and 155 pounds, your body mass index (BMI) is 25.4. The obese range of BMI starts at 30 and goes up from there.

BMI 25-29.9 is the overweight range.

Unless there's something remarkably unusual about your body configuration that your doctor sees but we don't, you're only a small amount above the normal weight range (BMI 18.5-24.9). At your height, the normal range in pounds would be 113-152 pounds.

You can do this! I'm 60 y/o, and lost 60+ pounds in less than a year, mostly during 2015, now in maintenance mode at 120 plus or minus 3 pounds (I'm 5'5", with a narrow build).

@snerggly I agree with the other ladies. You are nowhere near obese. I topped out at 190# and I am 5'7". I was this close to being obese but my BMI was 29. Lost all of that extra weight and have been at maintenance for a little over a year. Anyway, you have come to the right place. Lots of us have been there, done that and are here to offer whatever advice you want (and maybe some you don't). Best wishes on your journey. You CAN do this!

@Cheryl7777, great walk! Best wishes on your recovery. Do not let that gain get you down. It is all a part of what is happening.

I am 66 years old and having such a terrible time. I know I sabotage myself at times by not doing what I need to. I also cave in to my husbands wanting to eat out. I buy healthy food but he brings in the fantastic sweets. I am really looking for help to help me out with my own faults. I have no real encouragement. I feel awful and when I had lost weight I felt great. I now do the yo-yo effect. Had gotten down to 517 but now am at 175Everyone on here seems to be doing well. Sometimes I just want to cry. Suggestions from you wonderful people would be greatly appreciated.

maryandron, ilikegardens is right, put it in the pantry and out of sight (it's hard I know). Just small changes that you can maintain the rest of your life; and if you slip up, forget about it and start over--just don't give up. I'm 65 (be 66 is Sep) and lost 11 lbs last year. Fell and broke my wrist in Dec and had to eat whatever my husband fixed for me (did this and didn't gain). Just tried not to overeat; if he gave me too much, I had him put it up. I still eat cake, cookies, pizza, etc. (I even ate a doughnut Sun), just see them as a treat to have occasionally. We're here for you (so rant away if you need to); take care!

FRUSTRATING BUTTONS!! To continue, instead of ordering the quarter pounder and large fires, I now order a regular cheeseburger and small fries. As soon as I get to the table I divide the fries in half and either throw half of them away or share them with someone else. I still feel like I had a treat food, but I didn't ingest 800 calories while doing so. I still want to kick myself for not figuring out that I could eat a lower calorie meal

Clear the counters in the kitchen. Don't leave food sitting out to be seen every time you walk through. Especially the high-calorie stuff!

Tell your husband that you love him and you'd really appreciate his support in this. Tell him you really want to succeed so you will be around and in healthy shape and not a heart attack statistic. He doesn't have to diet with you, but simply ask him not to push food at you because it's difficult for you to change your habits. There are some who will bash me for telling you this and I want you to know right now that I am not blaming your spouse. I just think it's important that you share your goals and let him know your struggles so he can't say he is unaware.

You and only you can decide what you are putting in your mouth. You have to learn to make healthy choices at every meal. You have to balance out your calories to stay within your calorie goals. If you mess up and you will, you have to wake up tomorrow and start fresh with your goals in mind. Put yesterday behind you and move forward every single day. Don't beat yourself up, just start again. You are never a failure if you just keep trying. If you've got to have a sweet treat, try having 1/4 of what you once might have eaten so you don't feel deprived. One or two bites taste just as good as three doughnuts! Weigh it, log it, be honest with yourself. If it's easier to keep your diary private to keep you honest with yourself, do it. It's a tool for you to use to know what and how much you are eating. That is it's soul purpose. Don't let anyone harass you into sharing if you don't feel comfortable doing so. Even though I am doing well, I still don't trust myself not to overeat and so I rarely input any exercise because I don't want to see those extra calories available to me.

Don't politely accept any food offered because someone is trying to push you to eat it. I have discovered that since I only get so many calories per day, I am going to pick how I spend those calories! You have to learn what foods keep you feeling fuller longer. I figured out a long time ago that if I drank a glass of milk every morning I wasn't starving by 10:00am so I have my glass of milk and cup of yogurt every day for breakfast. For whatever reason, that's the one meal I don't mind eating the same thing for every day. I usually start getting hungry again just before lunch when I stick with my high-protein breakfast.

Get in touch with what a real serving size is. Stick to your daily calorie goal. When you're out of calories, you're done eating. Make smart choices so you don't run out of food before you run out of day. There will always be foods to tempt you. Have a taste, not a ton of calories. It really, really is about eating fewer calories than you burn every day to lose weight. Are you eating out of boredom or because you are actually hungry? I struggle with this.

I will preach it again and again: VALUE YOURSELF enough to believe that YOU ARE WORTH THIS EFFORT!
Stepping away from the soapbox now...just know this: You CAN do this, just show up every day and begin as if it's the first day because it is.

Totally agree w/mk2loser & 1Nana2many!!

rockyniki wrote: »

I'm so happy someone told me about this group. I am 61-years-old. I have struggled with my weight for several years now. Gone are the days of 125 lb. when I thought I was overweight!!:) I am now 175 lb. and struggling to lose the first 5. I am on medication for anxiety known for adding weight and it does seem like I gained 15 lb. overnight after starting the med, but it has helped my anxiety tremendously. So, my goal is to lose 40 lb. I go to the gym 3 times a week on average, which I know is not enough. Some days I log my food, others, not so much. I really need support and motivators. I truly feel that by being on MVP and finding this group I am going to succeed at reaching my goal and I will be meeting some terrific people in the process.

For me, I think the biggest help really was to log my eating, consistently and as accurately as possible (weighing food is best, and quicker than measuring once you learn the tricks). Log even if you go over your calorie goal. That way, you know where you stand.

You can go back over your diary, and if there was a day that didn't hit your goals, think about why, and make a plan for next time. (For example, I've learned that potlucks or buffets are tough for me, and that I'm more likely to eat over goal on days when I don't get enough sleep, so I work on improving in those scenarios.)

Over time, reviewing my diary helped me identify the foods that 'cost' more calories than they were worth in tastiness, satisfaction or nutrition, and replace them with others that better met my goals.

And gym 3 times a week is great - do what's manageable and enjoyable, so you stick with it. Exercising will help you hold onto strength and muscle while you lose fat, help with mood, and let you eat a bit more while losing at any given rate. You have a great start on your exercise routine - that's wonderful!

I started at age 59 (now 60), have lost 60+ pounds since April 2015, and am now at goal weight (120). You can get to your goal, too - slow & steady wins this race, like so many others!