My daughter scoffed at...

Just watch the sunken face look, at our age this seems to be a bigger deal the lower in weight we go. I don't look the same at a weight that looked great on me when i was in my 20's and 30's.
Last year i got down to a lowish weight, and a few people mentioned i had that sallow sunken look in my face, haggard even Something i did not notice, but apparently everyone else did!

I'm 5'8 and anything under 143ishlbs does not look great on me.

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Christine_72 wrote: »

Just watch the sunken face look, at our age this seems to be a bigger deal the lower in weight we go. I don't look the same at a weight that looked great on me when i was in my 20's and 30's.
Last year i got down to a lowish weight, and a few people mentioned i had that sallow sunken look in my face, haggard even Something i did not notice, but apparently everyone else did!

I'm 5'8 and anything under 143ishlbs does not look great on me.

I had this effect, but FWIW it didn't last. I observed it, and its reversal, as did friends. I don't know whether it had to do with the weight loss process itself (i.e., physical stresses, though I lost at a reasonable rate & very slowly at the last), or glycogen replenishment/skin shrinkage/?? later, or what. This was at 5'5", around 120 pounds (boyish build), age 60, quite active exerciser. Took maybe 2-3 months for face improvements? (Don't recall for sure.)

This has been my experience as well. That look definitely improves.

First thing in the morning is still a little rough, though!

I'm 5'1" and down to 116 pounds and want to get to 110. I passed that look around 125, and I've taken maintenance breaks for a while to work on my running. My face has adjusted over that time.

Now, I'm not going to lie. I look older than I did before I lost weight, but that's because I don't have fat giving my face a youthful roundness. But I don't look sunken.

Your goal is not unrealistic. Age has nothing to do with the ability to lose weight. Your daughter seems genuinely concerned and worried that you will be crushed because she thinks you've set your goals too high. Reassure her that fitness and a healthy weight are more important as we age and you will stay flexible in your goals. That should calm her fears.

I'm 57 and my original goal was 148 because I am muscular. I actually prefer 140 because I'm so much lighter on my feet. Having started at over 245, I know my original goal was a bit unrealistic albeit healthy. I surpassed that goal in a healthy way and am happy where I'm currently at.

If it feels ok for you,you absolutely can do it. Maybe you feel diffrently after a while. I'm 52 yrs old, 5'3 (160 cm) and now 143lb(65 kg) I am at maintance and do heavy strengthlifting 3-4 times a week. I don't want to be skinny,but fit. That's a big difference for me. Good luck with your loss

snickerscharlie wrote: »

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I don't know whether I look older or not - I asked one (frank) friend that, and she didn't think it made a difference either way.

However, I know I move younger: I'd gotten to the point where I kind of lumbered along, shifting my weight from side to side to walk. With something like 11-12" less fat around my hips, I have a lot more mobility and walk more normally, plus have more spring in my step. While I can't see myself while walking (except reflected in the occasional store window), I'm quite confident it has a less "elderly" look.

Well, I walked with a cane before I lost weight. If that wasn't aging, I don't know what was!

My hips are 14 inches smaller, so I am indeed moving younger and much more quickly than before.

I used to dye my hair funky colors, and I think that was an effort to distract from my weight. I've let it grow out to its natural salt and pepper color now. It's funny, I get a lot of compliments on it from young kids. Apparently, gray is "in" now? Who knew?

I pretend my grey streaks are highlights.

And yes, I walked with a cane, too, before losing the weight. Granted, part of that was due to a severe ankle fracture 5 years ago, but once I dropped the weight, the cane went into the back corner of my closet and is now collecting dust.

Does my face look "shrunken," though?

Don't know, don't care. I'm waaaaaaay healthier and a lot more mobile than I was with 75 additional pounds on me.

I have two very prominent gray streaks, and there have been people who have asked me where I had them "done".

My niece got a gray streak put into her hair. She's 22.

leanjogreen18 wrote: »

my 125 lb goal weight.

I'm 5'4" 50 and I have 75 lbs to still lose. She seemed to indicate that my goal weight was way too low for me. It's in the middle of the bmi chart and I haven't weighed that since I was in my early 30s. She thinks at my age I would have trouble getting down that low and suggested I set it closer to the upper bmi her recommendation was 140.

If it matters my daughter is 5'5 approx 120 and a marathoner and does crossfit. She doesn't count calories just watches her weight with a 5 lb range.

Is she right is 125 an unrealistic goal for my age?

ETA - she wasn't mean about it just sincerely concerned that I have my expectations up too high.

It's not necessarily unrealistic, but you should also keep an open mind. A lot is going to depend on your natural build, how much muscle mass you carry, etc.

My wife for example is 5'2"...she has an athletic build and is fairly muscular...she's right around 20% BF sitting at the high end of BMI (130-135). At 120ish (basically the middle), she's very lean to the point where she has difficulty maintaining that level of leanness...below that, she would really start to look gaunt and sick even though she'd technically still be in a healthy BMI range.

BMI is a range in order to accommodate for various builds, not so that one can just pick and choose some number within that range. Someone who isn't naturally of a petite build for example will likely look ill at the lower end of BMI simply because of their build.

I'm 62 and have probably been yoyoing the same 20 pounds for over 40 years. Age has nothing to do with it. It was hard for me at every age, but I always got back down to 120-125 at 5'2". Maybe that's "maintaining" but I'm aiming for a 3 pound swing, not 20! OP you can totally do it and once you get close to your goal, fine tune.

Do it just to spite her.....

leanjogreen18 wrote: »

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

At 5'4", 125 is a healthy weight. Americans tend to think that healthy is too little. Maybe it's just projection.

She doesn't disagree its a healthy weight, she thinks as a 50 yr old with 75 more lbs to lose that its an unrealistic goal. But as some have mentioned here it is not so I'm still shooting for it:).

You are 50 not 95. There is no problem with you loosing that much.