63 and overweight sick to death of it

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hannamaye
hannamaye Posts: 9
in Introduce Yourself
Hello Everyone,

I just thought I would take a moment and introduce myself. I am 63 yrs old and overweight. Have arthritis in all my joints and diabetes and heart disease in the family.

Most of my life I have been a normal healthy weight but since menopause started in my 40s seems the weight came on a few pounds every year.

I have half heartily tried to lose weight before but it was always too complicated.

But two surgery's last year and a potential one in the future said oh no. Time to get this off and give my joints a rest. I am sick of not being able to move like I use to. Even bending over is a chore.

This program myfitnesspal is about as great as there is. I love it and really believe this will be a success because I am not eating diet food. Just being aware of what I eat and how much.

Very excited about this. Thanks to whoever came up with this. I love that I can use it on my smartphone too so I am never left wondering.

Replies

  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
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    I love it and really believe this will be a success because I am not eating diet food. Just being aware of what I eat and how much.

    This is what will make a difference and enable you to be successful in the LONG term too.
    Good luck in your journey....I'm a little younger than you, and mostly lost the weight before I found MFP, but I love it, and being able to be more aware of my diet, exercise, and "meeting" new people.
    Kaye
  • wbutterfras
    wbutterfras Posts: 34
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    Congratulations on making the first step. The community here is great and very supportive. See if you have some friends or family who are willing to give this a try too. Even if they're not trying to loose weight, they can still pay attention to what they eat. Feel free to add me if you like; having some buddies on here really helps!
  • kerriknox
    kerriknox Posts: 276 Member
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    Welcome. This site is fantastic. I haven't lost much but I think that is also due to me just finishing breastfeeding so my calories burned dropped drastically. BUT I am eating way healthier and exercising more. The people here are so encouraging and help to hold you accountable. You'll really enjoy it.
  • dosesr4winners20
    dosesr4winners20 Posts: 362
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    You've come to the right place for support! Feel free to add me if you'd like! <3 christina
  • grmpy1
    grmpy1 Posts: 462 Member
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    Good Luck with your lifestyle change. No diets for me. I have been here a few weeks now and the difference in this and dieting makes it so much easier to follow.

    Feel free to add me as a friend, the more the merrier!:happy:

    Denise
  • fitzie63
    fitzie63 Posts: 508 Member
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    You CAN do this and you WILL succeed. I'm 73 and am 2 lbs. from goal. I've copied and pasted the tips I send to new MFP friends here for you:
    ""Welcome to my world of heart-healthy living. Unless you've already done so: get a digital food scale (best prices: WalMart). Keep a small plastic container on top of it. Keep a set of individual measuring spoons & individual measuring cups and a small, straight blade spatula. Level off ALL EXCESS QUANTITIES. Either weigh or measure & record every single item that goes in your mouth faithfully. Remember, you WILL BE SUCCESSFUL if you (1) design your own program; (2) if and when YOU are "ready"; (3) tell those loving & well-meaning friends & family, when they say that just one little amount, just this time, etc. you can ignore your program~~~let them know you're allergic to that food/drink. You do not have to tell them you break out in FAT. Never lay a guilt trip upon yourself for any reason at all. You're a WINNER and you will be successful~~~when you stay on track: one meal at a time/one day at a time. Your reward: a heart-healthy body.

    If you have not done so, you need to have someone take a FULL LENGTH photo of yourself without delay. You need that so, when you've lost your excess weight, you can see the remarkable difference. I have my FAT PICTURE posted on the refrigerator to remind myself to never go back to that unhealthy state ever again."
  • mimi2kk
    mimi2kk Posts: 75 Member
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    Welcome to MFP! It is a great site and you will learns volumes about yourself and your eating habits. I had wanted to lose weight and improve my fitness for a long time but had convinced myself I couldn't do it at my age. . .boy, was I wrong! MFP makes it so much easier by keeping me accountable. You can do it, too. Glad you're here! Feel free to add me as a friend.
  • djkymba
    djkymba Posts: 174
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    Welcome! I'm sort of new here too but it's really helping me with motivation! I have arthritis too in my feet and knees, maybe we can help give each other support for low-impact exercise. Glad you are here! We can do this!!
  • hannamaye
    hannamaye Posts: 9
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    Thanks for the warm welcome. I am aiming for just 1 lb a week to lose. I figure if I keep it reasonable I won't be disappointed. I have gained this weight over 20 years so I don't plan to get rid of it in a couple of weeks. :laugh:

    I am a mother, grandmother and this year a great grandmother twice over. I want to be able to enjoy those babies.

    Thanks for all the suggestions, I am off to take a picture as much as I hate to.

    My daughter is also on myfitnesspal as a matter of fact she is the one who told me about it for my phone.

    I look forward to good friends and much success.
  • fordfan67
    fordfan67 Posts: 12
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    Hi, hannamaye--welcome!

    I started this past Monday (July 18), so I'm a newby, too. I agree with fitzie63 that you must weight and mesasure everything. And mind your BLTs: Bites, Licks, and Tastes--every calorie counts!

    I wish you luck along your journey. . .
  • sooby1
    sooby1 Posts: 8
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    I have arthritis and know how you feel. I am doing some physio for my knees and hope it will help. Only been on the site for a couple of weeks and have had great support. Add me as a friend if you like :smile:

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