Getting fit at 50+

welcome aboard youngster. like was said. log everything. get yourself an activity tracker. i won't say which one io use (fitbit) i found making everything from scratch (mostly) gives me greater control. pre logging meals also gives you a chance to cut if it looks like a bad hair day for calories. there are good tips on meal prepping ahead here as well.

lwr731 wrote: »

Welcome to MFP. Many of us here are 50+, and I can certainly relate to your challenges. Most people have osteoarthritis to some extent once we leave our 20s. You are correct that losing weight may lessen the stress on your joints. It became difficult for me to lose weight after menopause, and in fact, I gained a lot. The best thing for me has been to count calories by logging my foods here on MFP. I also exercise, both cardio and strength. I started out on the treadmill at only a slight incline (maybe 2%) at a slow pace (3 mph), and I gradually increase. It feels good to make progress. I still have weight to lose, and sometimes it is hard to find motivation. I would think that shift work would make meal planning difficult, but it helps me to prep several meals at the beginning of the week. Good luck!

I am peri-menopausal (random months between periods x 1 year, don't know if I will or will not have any more), and I'm actually finding it easier to lose weight now because I'm not having the same hormonal swings (I'm probably having hormone swings but they are different ones).

Because I'm starting at a high weight and am going fairly slowly, I'm allowed 1670 calories a day. I have multiple orthopedic issues and have not been doing any exercise this time around, but have lost 27 lbs so far since February. I think part of what stalled me out previously was eating back exercise calories.

One thing that is working for me is Trader Joe's chicken breakfast sausages, at 130 cals/3 sausage, or their maple chicken sausages (135 cals/3 sausages), and 2 large eggs for breakfast. These two items give me a big protein surge at the start of the day and together are only 283 calories. To that I add a serving of whatever fruit is in season (right now that's strawberries, which are good for fiber/calorie ratio) and a hot caffeinated beverage, so if I don't put cream in the beverage (50 cals/TBSP) that generally tops out as a well-balanced meal for <350 cals.

For me, this 'standard breakfast' gives me protein to carry me through the morning without crashing and leaves me a lot of calories to work with for the remainder of the day. It would get repetitive if I didn't vary the fruits and tea flavors, but it's worked well for me for the past 4 months.

Note there's no bread in this breakfast. I'm old enough to remember the folk wisdom of my grandparents, who grew up before the 'four food groups' and other governmental dietary advice. Their folk-wisdom was that bread and potatoes are what make you fat--in modern terms, excess carbohydrates. If you spend some time to look at bread, even 'whole grain', you'll usually find that its calorie/macronutrient ratio is less favorable than something else, like a strawberry or a kiwi or something. I consider all grain products a 'treat' item which I am only allowed to have if I specifically budgeted for it ahead of time.

Nothing is forbidden--its just that grain items have to be a conscious decision, not just a reflex that the definition of lunch = a sandwich and therefore bread.

Well, IM starting over again. Going to lose weight this time hopefully with the right tools. 58 year old. In the past, I start out with an elliptical machine. Then get advice of how to lose more by listening to "professionals". I do what they indicate. Then I get hurt: Shoulder, elbow, back injuries which make me stop exercising. Then I recover and start over again. This time starting over again with hopefully the right tools.

You're not alone, Kimmy. I'm 57, and was diagnosed last year with osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disk desease, and bulging disks in my back. On top of my high blood pressure and TIAs, my doctor has limited my exercise or walking to ten minutes a day total. My physical limitations, along with taking care of an adult mentally disabled daughter, has really put the pounds on. Like, who has time to think of eating healthy when you're trying to manage your pain and cater to a disabled daughter, right? LOL

But I've realized things are not going to get better anytime soon, unless I do something to help. I've been using MFP for a week and it really helps! My goal is to lose 140lbs. My daughter only wants to eat fast food, which is totally not good, but by logging in what I'm going to eat BEFORE going out, it helps keep me on track and at or under my calorie allowance. I plan to only weighing in once a week, and this week says I've lost 10 lbs. I'm not buying it, as I weighed in at a different time of day this time, the one I'm planning on weighing in from now on. I'm also going to sign up for a Tai Chi class given by my park district. I'm hoping it will help with my flexibility and back pain.

Everyone has had some really good suggestions, and I loved reading them. My suggestion is making logging in to MFP part of your routine. If you don't have time in the morning, then make it a habit to do it after dinner in the evening. I think it would help keep you honest about what you're eating. Shift work makes it difficult to eat properly, I know. Planning your meals and shopping once a week sounds like it would be the best for you. Keeping healthy snacks around the house and car, in your desk or locker, would be of a benefit. Nuts, seeds, raisins, dried fruit. Ziploc has snack-sized bags that you can put a pre-measured amount of snacks into to keep in your purse, etc. You can make your own 100-calorie snack bags this way, and use things you enjoy eating. This is not a diet, this is a new way of life, right? It's healthy eating, not "diet" eating. You can do it! Keep those snack bags around to help during those times when you're tired and feel defeated. ((((hugs)))) We can do this together, right?