55-65 year old women's success?

gnu4liberty · March 2017

I am 65 and am in a wheelchair with MS. I lost 35 lbs so far. I am 5'9" and weigh 138.2 lbs. I keep under 1200 calories and eat sweet things if I want to. I am not in a hurry. My goal weight is 125.

trailgirl777 · March 2017

I used to hike when I was younger & it is my goal for losing weight & get strong enough to go hiking again. I found this book called 'rickety knees hiking guide' - tried a few of the easier trails! Proud but so far I want to go!

mk2fit · March 2017

Welcome @gnu4liberty and @trailgirl777. This is a great group!

brenn24179 · March 2017

I am 63, semi retired, I work couple hours a day for the school helping with the special need kids. I lost 40 lbs 4 years ago and have felt so much better. Still getting used to be retired, I think I have A personality so it is not so easy on me. Hubby still works. I do love going to the gym and thankful I am not working with a controlling bully personality that I use to work with. Retirement is definitely an adjustment. Working on finding different stuff to do, found a walking buddy recently which helped.

1Nana2many · March 2017

Welcome brenna24179! I know what you mean about retirement being an adjustment early on. It takes a little getting used to but hopefully like many here you will soon love it! My husband is also still working so I try to stay on his schedule and make sure I'm not laying around after he leaves for work. Glad you found someone to share your walks with!

mk2fit · March 2017

Ha, welcome @brenn24179. My husband and I retired at the end of the year. Woo hoo! We walk a lot together and cook a lot together as well. Also getting used to retirement. So far, so good

brenn24179 · March 2017

thanks, it is adjustment after working all these years. I love it when I have stuff to do, other days not so much. I guess it just takes time and I am grateful I can do what I want when I want. Kind of like kids leaving home, new phase of life again.

retirehappy · March 2017

I've been retired over two years now. I still have a ton of things on the what to do when I retire list. Here are some things on that list, feel free to steal ideas:
Travel
Reading all the books I missed out on while working
Going through the basement and closets and tossing things me no longer need/want/or used in last few years.
Walk more
Go to the gym and do strength training
Catch up with friends via internet or in person
Improve my diet by learning to cook new foods
Visit the federal, state, and regional parks in my state (lots of those in CO)
Volunteering
Learning to ride my bike using all the gears
Learn to Zumba
Make new friends like the neighbors I have barely waved at during my working years.
Spend time with my husband doing just about anything
Learning to use the digital camera I bought as my retirement gift to myself and hubby

And that is just a sample. I'd like to see what others are doing in retirement too.

Allgaun · March 2017

I'm a semi-retired 63 year old, now working 2 days a week at the library. I've been gaining slowly for about 15 years, starting when I left my retail job for a sit down office job. Finally I capped out at 216 at the end of 2016 (ironic numbers?) . I'm only 5'3" so I started the year pretty round

I've lost a little over 20 lbs so far. I haven't seen a change in clothing size, but I did notice more wrinkles and sags in my neck (gross) I log and weigh everything. BUT no real exercise yet, I tore my meniscus in Nov. and just had surgery last week. Limping and pain limit exercise! I do plan on walking and riding my bike as soon as I have the doctors clearance, and the stitches out.

I did see a great sale at "Chicos" on line last week and I ordered 4 new tops, something like $14-$16 each. I was thrilled to get them and I did order in my lower size, but now I'm thinking I shouldn't buy anything more until I need to, hopefully I will be in a smaller size.

1Nana2many · March 2017

Welcome Allgaun! Just remember, even if you're not quite seeing the changes yet, they are still happening! I started 2016 at 244.7 pounds and mostly just staying within my calorie limit got me down to 161.5 in a little over a year. I understand your reluctance to buy new clothes when you know you want to keep going down in size! Since I am retired, I didn't have to worry about being too fashionable. I recently went down another size in jeans and took the advice of others on MFP and went to Goodwill and picked up a couple pairs of jeans for $7.00 a pair. I have made liberal use of an adjustable belt quite a lot during my weight-loss. I will also admit that the first really noticeable thing for me was when my shirts hung from my bust instead of draping over my belly! I don't look like I did when I was thirty or even forty, but I am thinner than and more importantly, healthier than I was at those ages! My blood pressure is normal for the first time in a couple decades without medication! Hang in there! You are worth the effort!

Allgaun · March 2017

1Nana2many wrote: »

Welcome Allgaun! Just remember, even if you're not quite seeing the changes yet, they are still happening! I started 2016 at 244.7 pounds and mostly just staying within my calorie limit got me down to 161.5 in a little over a year. I understand your reluctance to buy new clothes when you know you want to keep going down in size! Since I am retired, I didn't have to worry about being too fashionable. I recently went down another size in jeans and took the advice of others on MFP and went to Goodwill and picked up a couple pairs of jeans for $7.00 a pair. I have made liberal use of an adjustable belt quite a lot during my weight-loss. I will also admit that the first really noticeable thing for me was when my shirts hung from my bust instead of draping over my belly! I don't look like I did when I was thirty or even forty, but I am thinner than and more importantly, healthier than I was at those ages! My blood pressure is normal for the first time in a couple decades without medication! Hang in there! You are worth the effort!

I have noticed the same thing, my 40DD's now overhang my belly, where the belly was winning in December. The weird thing is no one has noticed, except my soon to be ex. He has commented that maybe if I just tried while we were married (and not in the middle of a divorce, after 40 years) he would have found me attractive. My feeling? You have repeatedly cheated on me for YEARS. I forgave you once and told you flat out NEVER AGAIN! Basically because I did not find out he had cheated until 5 years later and he swore that it had only happened once. Your spouse cheats and admits and you check because no one wants to be a fool...and you catch him 2 more times?

No

So now it is all about what makes me happy. I used to say that you had to lose 20 lbs before anyone notices...but it is not happening.

Allgaun · March 2017

I should also say, the only other time I was really committed to loosing I was about 160 and went down to 125...that was when he "first" cheated. At least the first time he was caught. I am so glad it is ending, I KNOW I deserve better

cory17 · March 2017

@allgaun - You deserve the best! Honesty, happiness& peace, NO excuses. (How did you catch him?) It's good to put yourself first (just like on the airlines).

Allgaun · March 2017

Receipts, he likes to hold on to receipts. Should have tossed the ones from the drug store.

1Nana2many · March 2017

@Allgaun I am reluctant to comment at all on your marriage as I am sure are many here. That said, in my humble opinion, the flaw is in the cheater, not in the person he/she cheated on, though I do believe it takes two to make a marriage and two to break a marriage. If a spouse is committed to their relationship, no body change would make them cheat. Because I want you to succeed on becoming a healthier you and you have already made the decision to divorce your spouse, my advice would be this: make sure you are losing weight for you, not him. If you are truly making a fresh start, make it. Don't dwell on wasted time, past choices you regret, none of that. Choose instead to be happy in exploring your new reality. If you must communicate with your ex because of children, make it clear that that relationship is over and you now have a new one based on your children's well being. If comments about what you did or didn't do in the past are made again, tell him he is no longer allowed to make comments about your person, past or present. Don't get angry, just shut it down and don't participate. Tell him you want your children to have a healthy, guilt-free relationship with both of you because they are not getting divorced, you are. I say this from the perspective of a teen who's parents separated for three years, then got back together. It's no fun being in the middle. Let them love you both. Stepping away from the soapbox now...

Now for the real reason you and we all are here! Remember this: You have value! You are worth showing up to be your best you for you every single day! Make every day a new start! Do things every day to move forward into your healthier life. Move a little more today then you did yesterday. Walk a little farther. Breathe a little deeper. Smell those Spring flowers as they emerge! See the world with some fresh eyes. It doesn't matter your age, you have possibilities! You are in charge of the changes you can make! Today is as good a day as any to step forward into the new lighter healthier you! Wishing you the best!

trailgirl777 · March 2017

I think weight loss & becoming healthier is about so much more than just diet & exercise. There is a huge emotional & mental aspect that throws up barriers & makes it more challenging. You overcome something to find another. You think your never going to win- then you look at where you started & you realize you have already won some of the battles. This journey is sometimes hard & sometimes easy. If I don't lose another ounce I'm healthier now than at the beginning. Being a part of what others overcome helps make mine easier too.

Allgaun · March 2017

I am doing this for me, as I see it I already am losing 225 lbs of ugly in one step!

I just want to have as long a life as possible, as healthy as possible.

1Nana2many · March 2017

trailgirl777 wrote: »

I think weight loss & becoming healthier is about so much more than just diet & exercise. There is a huge emotional & mental aspect that throws up barriers & makes it more challenging. You overcome something to find another. You think your never going to win- then you look at where you started & you realize you have already won some of the battles. This journey is sometimes hard & sometimes easy. If I don't lose another ounce I'm healthier now than at the beginning. Being a part of what others overcome helps make mine easier too.

Agree with you wholeheartedly! I personally think the mental health side of it is huge! Knowing that you are not alone as you go through this does help a lot.

mk2fit · March 2017

The mental health thing came hand in hand with the physical health thing, at least for me. As I was losing those nasty 70ish pounds, I felt better and better both physically and mentally! Exercise became a daily habit as did watching what I (and my husband) was eating. We have learned so much in this journey. Plan ahead for a weekly menu, spend a day doing food prep. Crawl, walk, run! (Having some good friends here helps a lot, too)

coolbluecris · March 2017

1Nana2many wrote: »

trailgirl777 wrote: »

I think weight loss & becoming healthier is about so much more than just diet & exercise. There is a huge emotional & mental aspect that throws up barriers & makes it more challenging. You overcome something to find another. You think your never going to win- then you look at where you started & you realize you have already won some of the battles. This journey is sometimes hard & sometimes easy. If I don't lose another ounce I'm healthier now than at the beginning. Being a part of what others overcome helps make mine easier too.

Agree with you wholeheartedly! I personally think the mental health side of it is huge! Knowing that you are not alone as you go through this does help a lot.

This week I discovered OA. It's simply amazing. I wish I'd known about them years ago. They help the whole person. The podcasts are very freeing to me. No judgment please, I'm just sharing. I have 75 pounds to lose. I finally feel it is possible.

If you're interested the podcasts here:
https://oa.org/podcasts/

55-65 year old women's success?

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