49(almost)F about 48lbs to loose- keep lapsing in logging food, could use a buddy

Hi there. I am 48. I exercise consistently but its a big thumbs down for eating right and logging. I have at least 50lbs to lose, but am currently working on 5lbs at a time. Baby steps!! I am going one week at a time with logging. Started this past thursday. LOL! Could definitely use a buddy!

Hi, I'm 56 and have 50Ibs to lose, my health is beginning to suffer, my confidence is at an all time low. I started on plan today, I intend to log in each day, and just take it very slowly. I'm still working,have a wonderful husband and a good life.
Please feel free to add me. xx

I also am almost 50 (in April!), and I had 55 lbs to lose. I have 20 more to go, and I would love to be friends and help to motivate you, and have you help me, too

I'm not really one for actually checking up on people and bugging them, but I try to be supportive and encouraging - and offer an occasional gentle kick in the butt if I think someone really needs one. So feel free to send me a request if that's the kind of support you'd like!

I turned 50 in October, and in January this year I decided to do something about my weight (again). I have a friend who lost a fair amount of weight, along with his wife, using MFP and he had mentioned it in the past. This year, I was finally ready to give it a go. I had at least 67lbs to lose (aiming to get from 217 to 150 initially and then re-evaluate), and I'm down 32 so far. Yes, it is slow... but it still averages out at just over 1lb a week, so I should be well on my way to my initial goal by the end of the year. I got down from obese to overweight about a week ago, and that felt so great!

You really have to just decide to do it, and stick with it... no one else can make you keep logging, exercising, or whatever it is you want to do, it has to come from you. And some days you get tired of it, but you have to keep doing it anyway because you know it works. I found weighing and logging to be very tedious at first, but now I'm used to it and it's just one more thing I have to do as a regular part of my day.

Setting smaller milestones helps - don't think "I have to lose 48lbs, it'll take forever!!", think "I can lose 10lbs" or "I can lose 5lbs", whatever feels like an achievable goal to you. Don't set a time limit on it, just steadily work towards it and don't give up. Even if your weight goes up a bit, or you have a day of poor food choices - get back on that wagon and keep trying. Also consider setting non-weight goals, like being able to walk for a certain amount of time, getting in a certain number of steps per day, or fitting into a particular outfit. Any way of gauging progress besides the number on the scale is really helpful! And when you get there, set new goals to work towards.

One thing I've found that seems to be really helping me is to schedule regular breaks. I'll eat at a deficit for around 8-10 weeks, and then take two weeks where I eat at maintenance levels. It gives me a chance to breathe, assess my progress, and refocus. Then I get back on the deficit and keep at it for another 8-10 weeks. "Diet fatigue" can set in after a while and logging/weighing can get sloppy, and I find that taking a deliberate break helps me with that.

You mentioned "treats creeping in" in your OP - are you cutting out a lot of foods from your diet? If you're being too restrictive or denying yourself things you love to eat, that could be making it very hard for you to stick to your calorie goals. You need to be able to do this for life, not just until the weight is gone and then go back to how you were eating before.

Try not to think of foods as "good" or "bad", and try to fit in something you think of as a treat when you can. For instance, I love chocolate and will have a square or two of some really dark stuff or a low-fat Fudgsicle bar, and I also allow myself to have things like pizza and donuts a couple of times a month. I fit them into my goal when I can, but if I really want something and it'll put me over then I make a decision on whether to just have it anyway! Then I log it and carry on - I don't try to eat less the next day to "make up for it", that could lead to problems down the road. I accept that this is a lifetime journey and there will be times when I'll eat more than my goal, but that overall I can keep to an appropriate intake.

You've taken a great step by getting back in here and starting over with something you know works for you - you just need to stick with it and give it time. Committing to logging regularly is a good first goal, then you can start making small changes. You can do it!

astartef wrote: »

and you are so right, it is only me that can do it, I do like your idea of scheduled breaks, because i have to confess I am currently in the early days enthusiasm/obsession and I know that wanes, so a planned break, especially around a particular event/holiday, is a really good idea.

I planned my first one around my hubby's birthday because I knew he'd want to go out for a meal and have various treats!

This post by SideSteel was what started me off on the idea of taking regular breaks, and it seems to be working well so far.

The one day at a time thing is what I need to internalise I was overwhelmed yesterday at the thoughts of having to loose 48lbs..it seems like forever.

Yep, definitely break it down into less scary chunks!