Help

Hi I'm Jane I'm 54 and I love food
Over the past few years it seems so much harder to loose weight or just stay the same
Mostly I try to be healthy but no matter what I try I fail
My willpower is virtually non existent
Any advice welcome!

Replies

  • Try a reward for everyday you accomplish a goal. Set daily goals .
  • Surfnwaves
    Surfnwaves Posts: 8 Member
    Hi Jane
    I am 52 and started back at it last Feb, with the right diet goals and daily motivation you can achieve any goal you set.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Hi, I'm 53. It is a bit harder for most older women but it's not impossible. I've lost 30 lbs. Best advice I have is what worked for me (which may or may not work for you).

    Exercise - not only formal exercise programs but stay active. Don't sit too much. And choose exercises/activities that you enjoy or at least like. If you dread every minute of it you probably won't stick with it. There are so many choices! Don't be afraid to try different things until you find what's best for you.

    Be choosy with your carbs - Less sugary sweets and more high fiber grains and veggies.

    Eat foods you like - don't think you have to eat nothing but salad and chicken to lose weight. Get creative and try new things. Cook delicious meals that you can savor and enjoy.

    Be patient and kind to yourself - don't try to lose too quickly. Slow and steady wins the race! If you have a bad day (or several), don't beat yourself up and think you've ruined everything. You only fail if you quit, not if you stumble.
  • texasleahgirl
    texasleahgirl Posts: 96 Member
    I felt the same way. I just started by logging every single bite that went into my mouth without dieting or worrying about the calories. After about 3 weeks of doing that I was better able to determine what small changes to implement to start the scale moving down about 1/2 pound per week. For me, my willingness to sacrifice naturally grew from the process of logging food without dieting in the beginning.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Don't try to do it all at once. Making one or two small changes at a time will get you better long term success than trying to fix it all now and getting overwhelmed.

    Start by keeping track of everything you eat and your activity. Once you know where those are, you can see where to start. Maybe you need to reduce snacking, or add a serving of vegetables, or replace sugary drinks (that includes fruit juice!) with water or other zero calorie drinks. Pick one and stick with it. Once you feel comfortable, add something else in. Make sure as you make one change to reduce calories that you don't replace it with another source of calories.

    Add in some exercise as well. Even a 20 minute walk each day can do wonders for your body. Speed and time can increase as you work on it, but don't feel like you need to suddenly jump in to hours or intense workout. You'll burn out within a couple of weeks.

    Also try to avoid the pitfall of thinking you need to follow a specific diet or avoid all treats. People have found amazing success with things like vegetarian, low carb, etc ... but it all comes down to 1) creating a calorie deficit and 2) finding something that works for you: that you enjoy and will stick with long term. You don't have to feel hungry or deprived to lose weight. :smile:
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Picture the life you want to lead and how you want to feel - let that be your motivator.
    Of course, we'll help you here but ultimately that motivation will depend on how important your goals are to you.
    You can do this :)
  • edup1975
    edup1975 Posts: 486 Member
    Great comments and advice from everyone. Patience and slow and steady will help you achieve your goals. Use this app to log your foods you eat daily.