I am facing a Challenge!

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nimy24
nimy24 Posts: 11 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi
10 years ago I lost 50 lbs and maintained it for 7 years then I regressed and have gained 30 lbs since! I can't get into any of my clothes and that's depressing! So I have started logging my food again and being more active but I do realize that I am 10 years older now and cannot lose weight as fast as I could then I need support and encouragement from anyone who is in my position or otherwise please

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  • nimy24
    nimy24 Posts: 11 Member
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    I meant 10 years ago I didn't have knee issues while walking and used to walk much faster then I do now! Also the body changes after menopause and the incentive is not as strong! The kids were younger so I was more active running around now they are off to university and there is less to do everything kind of changed it's a struggle the weight just sits on the belly! Where did it all come from? And when??! And how to get rid of it?? It seems challenging
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,467 Member
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    Ok. You're still down 20.

    Calculate what you think is a modest calorie deficit, weigh and measure what you eat, keep a food journal and test your program with regular weigh ins. If you aren't losing, make small adjustments.

    It's wonderful when we can add some activity that we like and lose. It's like magic.

    A calorie deficit over time will work. Watch out though, few people want to allow for the time.

    There are lots of benefits to exercise. But it's not so great as a weight loss strategy. Walk as much as you can. Take it easy. Look on YouTube for some basic low impact workouts. Go slow. You can do this.
  • nimy24
    nimy24 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks I will look on YouTube for low impact workouts!
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    I found it easier to lose weight quickly when I was younger than I do now. I think it's HELPFUL to set realistic expectations. For me it's not just that I can't exercise with the same abandon I could at one time, I can't seem to tolerate feeling hungry the way I used to. Or maybe my feelings of hunger are stronger. I agree with you that menopause brings change in our natural ability to match calorie input and output.

    I switched to 0.5lb/week calorie goal despite having 30+lbs to lose and swear that was one of the biggest factors in my success.
  • kevinjpost
    kevinjpost Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm 54 and have the same challenges. I lost a bunch of weight ( almost 50 lbs ). I got really good at maintaining my weight by keeping the junk out of the house and by keeping track of what I ate. My wife joined me in dieting and lost weight also.

    The trouble started (weight gain) when my kids returned from school for the summer. They have no need to diet and they're active. My Mrs. started buying the 'junk' for them because they didn't like the healthier options; chips, cookies, ice cream, muffins. Consequently, I fell off the wagon gaining half of the weight back (24 lbs) in just a few months. Still... it is MY fault.

    What I learned... I need to keep score! The oatmeal/raisin cookies she brought home regularly were 400 calories each. During grilling season one meal of a thick ribeye, baked potatoe followed by the ever-present ice cream and a couple of cold beers, all tallied, equaled almost as many calories as I had been eating in two days. I ignored this, kept making excuses and stopped keeping score.

    I can't lie to myself. Telling myself, "I'll eat less this week to make up for it." is a non-starter. I never ate less despite the promises I made to myself. I even cheated myself by logging smaller portions of food than I was actually eating. I can lie to the MyFitness Pal app all I like. It doesn't alter the reality of the weight gain shown each time I stepped onto the scale. I was only cheating myself.

    The formula for weight loss is pretty simple for me. I have to burn more calories than I eat. Unless I do that faithfully and continually, I won't lose weight and will likely gain weight.

    I've started actively dieting with a focus on keeping score by tracking calories honestly. I don't make excuses for eating foods I shouldn't eat. I've already lost 12 lbs with no change in exercise. I walk the dogs, mow the lawn and sit on my *kitten* a lot.

    My next promise to myself is to get into an exercise/fitness routine without making excuses to skip. (This ought to be good, right.) At 54, I am much less active than I was at 34 or 44 but I have more aches and pains. I have some arthritic joints and minor back troubles. I don't sleep as well now. I've spoken with my doctor who told me to be more active and add stretching exercise like Yoga. I laughed at the notion of me in a Yoga studio with a bunch of skinny women. (He didn't laugh.) He said something that dunk in... "If you're having trouble now at 54, what will you do at 64, 74 or 84? It will only get harder."

    I bought a yoga mat and learned some exercises to do at home though I am still find myself making excuses for not doing them. I'm trying to find a solution to motivation because I'm only cheating myself. Unfortunately, Netflix is still winning.
  • nimy24
    nimy24 Posts: 11 Member
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    Lol! We are in the same boat! I am 52 and my one knee has arthritis as well! I loved yoga 10 years ago when I lost 50 lbs but now doing downward dog kills my left arm which has tendinitis! And it's impossible to do yoga without the downward dog!!! I have an exercise mat at home as well but have no incentive! I brought my stationary bike in my living room in front of the tv which is accumulating dust at the moment!! I have lost 9 lbs in 2 months! The progress is so slow that it gets very hard to not cheat! The day I do cheat next day my scale goes up!!!:((( it's a struggle!
  • nimy24
    nimy24 Posts: 11 Member
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    I love sewing knitting crocheting I have millions of hobbies! And I am a professional singer as well! But the problem is all these actives don't burn calories! While sewing/ knitting/ crocheting I am sitting on my chair and when I go for my gigs it's usually parties weddings etc and the food they serve there is 1000 calories! So none of these activities really help me at all! What I need is to use my legs not hands to lose weight! And this is challenging as you age as your bones hurt and have tendinitis which limits what you can and can't do! Yes I do log every day and that keeps me on my track as to how much I am consuming and I make a point to go for a 50 minute walk everyday other then that I chill lol!
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Well, I'm 57, gained the dreaded Menopause Middle, and MFP has worked for me. I just adopted the mind set that every time I get the logging right, I've accomplished something. As a professional singer, I'm sure you've developed the discipline to do things well. SO, apply that determination and creativity to losing weight. I, too, am a sedentary knitter and quilter, but this is really a matter of not eating more calories than you burn. (The good thing about knitting is if you don't want to get your yarn dirty, you aren't snacking.) I've been going to a lot of backyard barbecues this summer. I eat one small serving of chicken or whatever they're grilling, some potato salad, and am usually under my calorie goal - especially if I know what's being served and can pre-log it before I go. Why not eat small meals throughout the day to save up some calories for the gig? Or, eat your dinner at home and don't have anything but water or diet soda while you're there? (That's doable, you know it is!) Good for you for taking that daily walk, by the way. Nine pound loss in two months is something to be proud of. That's one pound down per week, which is perfectly respectable! Keep going!!
  • nimy24
    nimy24 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks! I didn't see it that way now that you mentioned! My worse time is at night when I am done all my chores and sit down to watch tv! Then I want to snack! I think of food!! Otherwise whole day I am too busy to think about food. I am trying very hard to not snack unhealthy stuff but sometimes I slip and that sets me back literally! Because next day I gain a pound! And I know why:((((

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