55-65 year old women's success?

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  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    Hi ladies, I'm a couple of years away from 55, but I thought this might be a good place to ask. I'm 51, SW was 204, CW is 186 and GW is approx. 145. For those of you who have lost weight at roughly this age and roughly the amount that I would like to lose (max. 60 lbs), has loose skin been a real issue?
  • PhylinAZ
    PhylinAZ Posts: 15 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Hi everyone! I am so encouraged and inspired by the messages I read here.

    I am 64, 161 lbs, 5'9". I began using MFP last year and lost 15 lbs using the Zone diet. I have 15 more pounds to go. I'm eating 1200 calories (ocassionally a little more or less). So far I am losing about 2-3 pounds a month. I do a lot of cooking at home to control the quality of food I eat. I try to eat six cups of veggies and two of fruit each day. Except for bread and pasta, I steer away from eating processed foods, HFCS, fast food (well, once in awhile) and soda. I go to restaurants infrequently because they often use processed ingredients and deep fry everything. I still have a small glass of wine daily. In all, I am just ordinary human who never met a frozen custard she didn't love.

    I have RA, so weight lifting doesn't work for me. I do manage to walk 6,000 steps a day, three days a week. Two days a week, I go to the rec center pool and do Classical Stretch style exercises in the water.

    I am hope after losing 30 pounds that I will able to take less blood pressure and cholesterol meds. I also hope the weight loss will mean less pain in my knee joints, feet and back.

    I am so glad that I found all of you. I wish everyone here good luck in their quest for weight loss and good health.

    Glad to be here!
    P :)
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    1Nana, thanks for sharing! And definitely, I'd rather get to a healthy weight and have to deal with some loose skin, than stay overweight. I guess I'm just trying to get a feeling for what to expect in terms of skin.
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    Thank you, luluinca! I think you look great!

    I've been strength training and eventually would like to get into heavier lifting, but I have a 2 week vacation coming up and don't really want to start before that. I've even thought of stopping to eat at a deficit once I've lost 20 or 25 lbs and maintain and try to build up more strength and muscle before I go into a deficit again to lose more. Don't know yet. But it is very encouraging to see that others have lost this amount of weight without considerable loose skin.

    For the first time in my life I feel good about my chances of getting rid of this weight!
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    @LovesDogsAndBooks I took maintenance breaks about twice a year while I was losing weight, generally for a couple of weeks. It really helped me adhere to the deficit the rest of the time and I think it was good for my strength training. Most people who are more knowledgeable than I say that losing weight slowly is the best way to lose it. It takes patience but when you think about the fact that you're creating habits for the rest of your life it really makes sense.

    Good luck on the strength training, I love it and although I know it's not for everyone, some people say it's mind numbingly boring, it's worked great for me and I truly do enjoy it. I also do a 30 min StairMaster program 4 times a week and walk/run a couple of days. During the summer I swim in our backyard pool but I wouldn't say I burn a lot of calories doing it.........love it though.

    Anyway, I love your positive attitude and wish you the best!
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    I'm not in a hurry with losing this weight, I also think it's better to lose it slowly rather than too fast. What you're saying is just confirming what I thought I might do, taking maintenance breaks. So far I've lost 18 lbs and even though I do cardio and strength training, I feel I'm not building up much endurance and muscle because I eat at a deficit. These breaks might help me do that. The only concern I have is that it might be difficult to go back to the deficit once you've been at maintenance. Don't mean to hijack you here, but you were okay with that?
  • azsundancer
    azsundancer Posts: 1,140 Member
    edited June 2017
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    @luluinca You look incredible!!

    *You inspire me to pick up some weights...ASAP.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    @azundancer...........thanks, I appreciate the compliment. I'm enjoying it so I just keep going, getting stronger all the time which does surprise me at my age.....LOL

    @LovesDogsAndBooks, that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself I guess. I think if you truly stick to maintenance and not go crazy eating the things that got us all "fat" you'll be okay. I really just added a little more lean protein, an extra healthy snack and didn't really increase the usual treats I gave myself anyway. I don't normally stay away from foods unless they're truly trigger foods for me, and then I avoid them at all costs even in maintenance. Maybe you don't have any of those, if you're lucky.

    One thing I did this year after maintaining for a year was also switch up my exercise routine so it went hand in hand with the deficit.........sort of re-created some goals for myself, if that makes sense.

    Generally when I'm on vacation, or away from home for awhile, I don't really log but try to stay mindful and not go crazy eating everything in sight because I'm on vacation. I keep my portions small and try to exercise whenever it's feasible. I try to focus on the fun and not the food or drink.
  • azsundancer
    azsundancer Posts: 1,140 Member
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    @luluinca Your welcome! Is there a specific strength training program you do?
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    @luluinca, well, I don't intend to go crazy on vacation, however, it'll be my first test, so I hope I can stay on track!
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    @azsundancer, I've had a few trainers over the last 3.5 years who helped me, and have an online trainer now who I worked with for about 10 weeks in person before we went to an online program. I've also done "New Rules of Lifting for Women", "Strong Curves" and "Strong Lifts" with and without trainers. The 5 big compound lifts are the most important but sometimes you need to work up to them gradually with some body weight and dumbbell accessory exercises. The most important compound lifts are.......Squats, Dead Lifts, Over Head Press (shoulder press), Bench Press and Bent Over Row. These use all of your large muscles and lots of stabilizing muscles but you have to make sure you're doing them correctly using the right form.

    I'm doing something different now, incorporating those still but doing a 4 day split with a lot of accessory stuff which I love because sometimes even I get bored with the 5 main lifts. I also do a warmup everyday and a shoulder rehab 10 min session as a warmup because I had frozen shoulder last year which was quite debilitating and I don't want it again......LOL

  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    @luluinca, well, I don't intend to go crazy on vacation, however, it'll be my first test, so I hope I can stay on track!

    You will!
  • azsundancer
    azsundancer Posts: 1,140 Member
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    luluinca wrote: »
    @azsundancer, I've had a few trainers over the last 3.5 years who helped me, and have an online trainer now who I worked with for about 10 weeks in person before we went to an online program. I've also done "New Rules of Lifting for Women", "Strong Curves" and "Strong Lifts" with and without trainers. The 5 big compound lifts are the most important but sometimes you need to work up to them gradually with some body weight and dumbbell accessory exercises. The most important compound lifts are.......Squats, Dead Lifts, Over Head Press (shoulder press), Bench Press and Bent Over Row. These use all of your large muscles and lots of stabilizing muscles but you have to make sure you're doing them correctly using the right form.

    I'm doing something different now, incorporating those still but doing a 4 day split with a lot of accessory stuff which I love because sometimes even I get bored with the 5 main lifts. I also do a warmup everyday and a shoulder rehab 10 min session as a warmup because I had frozen shoulder last year which was quite debilitating and I don't want it again......LOL

    @luluinca Thank you for your detailed past and present programs! I will be sure to look for a workout program that incorporates the 5 big compound lifts you stated.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,365 Member
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    Today at the gym, I signed up for group personal training classes for only $10 more/month. They actually got rid of all the regular free classes & I really miss them & started this program. Nutrition help is also included. I meet up Monday & go from there
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
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    @Evamutt, Excellent; sounds like a good plan!! Good luck and let us know abt your progress.
  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
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    hey group- I too agree that it is worth it to keep our bodies and our minds strong and healthy- I am trying to eat healthy- eat more fruits and veggies- less processed snacks etc- and I love walking/ light jogging . I also do simple youtube exercise videos- I am seeing a little definitionin my arms and legs- now I have NO double chin(lol) and I am now working on this waist line- they say that the weight or fat in your waist in most dangerous
  • mk2fit
    mk2fit Posts: 730 Member
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    @debtay123 I, too, tend to keep my weight around my waist. When I was big, oh boy! It is also the easiest fat to lose. Keep exercising and eating those veggies. I run, walk and exercise along with peeps on youtube as well. You've got this!
  • beaglady
    beaglady Posts: 1,362 Member
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    Hi all,

    I'm 58 and have been logging on MFP since July 2016, with 40# total gone. My final goal changes, but is somewhere between 25-50# yet to go. I have no intention of being 'old' in any way except by the calendar.

    My struggle is to be more active, since I have an desk job and 50 minute commute, but I walk on the treadmill at lunchtime, outside a couple times a week, as well as a Zumba class on Tuesdays and exercising/treading water in the pool once or twice a week. Just got a book of kettlebell exercises I can do at home a couple times a week. We have a big garden, and I have chickens, so lift 50# feed bags a couple times a week.

    I'm pretty healthy, although I had Lyme disease about 5 years ago, which kept me inactive for about a year, and helped add fat. I still feel stiff and less flexible than I remember being before - may or may not be related. It might be plain old arthritis.

    I always thought of myself as kind of bad-kitten and am trying to keep my body from contradicting that.

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