55-65 year old women's success?
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Cynthia, Agree w/GottaBurn!!1
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Hi 55-65 yo ladies! I just joined a few days ago and think that I will find support here. I'm 55 and saw the scale as well as my cholesterol go up over the last five years. I have counted calories in the past and had success loosing weight at 1600-1800 cal/day without being too hungry. I hope that it will work again for me. I am somewhat active as I like to ride my bike and hike. Is anyone else on the same regimen? I would love to hear how it is going for them.
Also, how much do we really have to pay attention to the macros? I am mostly vegetarian, so my "good" carbs tend to be high, I do eat a little fish and chicken, maybe I should add more meat but trying to fight the cholesterol issue.
I will also be needing knee surgery at some point, and would like to hear about that. I know that being lighter will help with all of that.4 -
Hi 55-65 yo ladies! I just joined a few days ago and think that I will find support here. I'm 55 and saw the scale as well as my cholesterol go up over the last five years. I have counted calories in the past and had success loosing weight at 1600-1800 cal/day without being too hungry. I hope that it will work again for me. I am somewhat active as I like to ride my bike and hike. Is anyone else on the same regimen? I would love to hear how it is going for them.
Also, how much do we really have to pay attention to the macros? I am mostly vegetarian, so my "good" carbs tend to be high, I do eat a little fish and chicken, maybe I should add more meat but trying to fight the cholesterol issue.
I will also be needing knee surgery at some point, and would like to hear about that. I know that being lighter will help with all of that.
Hi brig and welcome!
I'm also 55 and completely ovo-lacto vegetarian. When I'm very active (I'm in the midst of an experiment where I'm only moderately active compared to my norm), my carbs are very high, and I find that they have no affect whatsoever.
I have had cholesterol issues, but manage them with diet. I eat low fat (keep to around 50 grams a day), keep my proteins lean (so low fat dairy), and avoid saturated fat. I limit whole eggs since I have familial hypercholesterolemia. I get my fat mostly from avocado, nuts, flax meal, and olive oil. I get in a LOT of fiber. Additionally, I stay active. All of these factors combine to help fight high cholesterol.
Your success at losing weight eating at a certain caloric level will depend entirely on how many calories you burn, which is dependent on your age, height, weight, and activity levels. Plug your stats into MFP and see what you get.4 -
See if you can get @abetterme9366 share her success story. It's inspirational.1
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@GottaBurnEmAll Thanks for the warm welcome. My stats say that I need to eat 1200 calories to loose 1lb a week. I could never eat so little I would be so cranky and get headaches.
Low saturated fat is what I am going to do until my next blood test in January, that should be easy with the holidays ahead...
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brig220 -Why don't you go with 1/2 pound a week and eat a little more- you can also do some exercise and mfp would put in for extra calories then- It says i should eat at 1230- but this is without exercise and so I do exercise and eat more and usually still lose- even if it is a little slower- I mean- I am NOT going anywhere- I am in this for the long haul!!!6
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brig220-Agree w/debtay! It's abt a lifestyle you can live with the rest of your life; not just a "diet" (short-term) to lose the weight. Make small changes (you can live with) over time rather than trying to change everything @ once. welcome to our group and good luck on your journey!
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Hi! I am a returning MFP user who came back on recently specifically to search for motivation in the Community section and stumbled upon this group and have enjoyed reading all posts. I just turned 60 (not gonna lie; I had a hard time in the months leading up to it, and then when when my birthday came and went, nothing was different except the number!), work full time at a desk job, am 5'8" and weigh 165.
I have lost weight down into the 150's in the past, but could not maintain it; I resigned myself that my body just seems to want to weigh around 165. But, after a bit of not weighing myself, it crept up to 170. I have an upcoming doctor's appointment and did not want to weight in at 170, and now am back down to 165. My range used to be 160-165, but now is 165-170.
I have a pretty good exercise regime, as I fully believe that exercise is a major key in aging healthfully. I do a 6 a.m. HIT class that incorporates weight training and cardio three mornings a week and then walk or bike the other two days to work, which is about 2.5 miles from home. Weekends I aim to get out with my husband and hike, bike, or walk.
What I'm grateful for: My cholesterol, blood pressure, and other markers are low.
Not so happy about: My big belly; I carry most of my extra weight in my belly, and when I lose it is the last place I lose from. I also have the "batwings" and flabby inner thighs, but I accept that some of that just comes with aging.
Eating! I do love to eat! And drink my wine or beer a few times a week. And, I have a hard time resisting treats. I vacillate between accepting my 165 weight and being frustrated by it, and the big belly.
I know I need to faithfully log my foods, and probably could benefit from adding more weight training sessions at home, after reading about so many on here who believe weight training does help the weight to come off faster and stay off.
I am happy to have found this message board group as I will continue to be inspired by everyone's posts. Thank you,7 -
@walktalkdog, try adding weights to what you are already doing. Too much cardio eats into your muscle mass. Weights will help you maintain (rather than lose) muscle and muscle burns calories which should help w/your weight loss. There are all kinds of beginner programs out there (try Bodybuilding.com) to get started. I do a full-body 3 X a week (that is what works for me). Welcome back to MFP and to our group! 0
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@GottaBurnEmAll Thanks for the warm welcome. My stats say that I need to eat 1200 calories to loose 1lb a week. I could never eat so little I would be so cranky and get headaches.
Low saturated fat is what I am going to do until my next blood test in January, that should be easy with the holidays ahead...
I got the same result - 1200 calories or less and it wasn't as hard as I thought. I cut out all sweets and cut down on bread and I've lost 20 pounds so far (since Aug1). So slowly losing but losing! I never was a pop drinker and basically just drink coffee, tea and water. There are days when I am over 1200 but not every day - so I think somewhere between 1200-1600 would be good. I pray you get good results.3 -
Thanks @sweetlypie1, congratulations to you!
That Sounds like a good average to start. I also need to get a couple of weeks of a routine to better understand where I should be. I’ve done this in the past and lost weight around 1600-1800. Now I’m older so things are probably different.0 -
hi brig220
Increasing your water may help - increasing my intake helped me a lot! I found that sometimes I at at work I was looking for something to eat because I was anxious or unsure about something and not really hungry. Reaching for the water bottle instead works. Go at your own pace -it will improve when you grt some momentum.4 -
brig220, to add to what jspecies said; don't forget to have some of your favorite foods (in moderation) along the way. And if you really mess up and fall off the wagon, get back on; this is not a "diet" w/an end date--it's a journey for the rest of your life. 1
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Hi all, I am very new to this, but reading some of the posts here i feel i may benefit from your optimism if that would be ok. I am 63, and overweight. There, I said it, but i am determined to change my life by losing it. I started on the LCHF diet in August and so far I have 24lbs. Although I am thrilled with this, i am not kidding myself that I can now take it easy, as I have another 40lbs to lose before I am done. I am trying to see this as a new way of eating for the rest of my life as opposed to a diet, however I am very confused about exercise. I am doing 60 mins on exercise bike at least 3-4 times a week, and an hours walk at least 3-4 times a week and have recently added an hour on the Wii fit plus about 3-4 times per week. So, I am really working quite hard but when i put the exercise into my planner it allows me more carbs and cals, which is fair enough, but am i supposed to eat what I have gained? My planner tells me that I am not eating enough so am doing it all wrong or should I carry on as I am?3
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bethany1954 wrote: »Hi all, I am very new to this, but reading some of the posts here i feel i may benefit from your optimism if that would be ok. I am 63, and overweight. There, I said it, but i am determined to change my life by losing it. I started on the LCHF diet in August and so far I have 24lbs. Although I am thrilled with this, i am not kidding myself that I can now take it easy, as I have another 40lbs to lose before I am done. I am trying to see this as a new way of eating for the rest of my life as opposed to a diet, however I am very confused about exercise. I am doing 60 mins on exercise bike at least 3-4 times a week, and an hours walk at least 3-4 times a week and have recently added an hour on the Wii fit plus about 3-4 times per week. So, I am really working quite hard but when i put the exercise into my planner it allows me more carbs and cals, which is fair enough, but am i supposed to eat what I have gained? My planner tells me that I am not eating enough so am doing it all wrong or should I carry on as I am?
IMO, the really crucial question, since you've been doing this for a while, is this one: How fast have you been losing weight?
It's nearly always least risky/most healthy to lose no more than about 1% of your body weight weekly, less as you approach goal. With 40 pounds to go, you're probably soon at the point where a pound a week is good, then moving to around half a pound weekly on average at maybe 10-15 pounds or so from goal. (Always ignore the first couple of weeks of weight loss when calculating average losses, because the water weight can be whacky at first.
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That said, it's always OK to lose slower if it's more achievable for you, and one should lose slower if there are negative symptoms (fatigue, weakness, hair loss, etc.) when nutrition is already solid.
If you're losing too fast, eat more.
MFP does intend that you eat back exercise calories. The idea is that you set your "activity level" (sedentary, active, etc.) based on your everyday life without exercise, i.e., your job and chores and the like. MFP gives you a calorie estimate that it thinks will give you your target weight loss (X pounds per week) without any exercise.
If you exercise, you estimate & log those calories, and eat those back. If all the estimates are close enough, that should still have you losing at your target rate.
Many people worry about overestimating exercise calories, so they eat back only a percentage of the exercise at first, pickung a percentage based on how confident they are that the exercise calories are right. 50% is a common recommendation, to start.
Thing is, every sensible person will say that you should use these estimated numbers for 4-6 weeks (6 for premenopausal women, IMO), monitor your average weight loss over that time (ignoring the first couple of weeks), then adjust based on your actual weight loss rate.
Since you already have that experiential data, you can just use your data to decide what to do. If you're losing faster than ideal, calculate ((average excess pounds lost weekly x 3500 calories in a pound approximately) ÷ 7 days) , and eat about that much more daily. If you're losing more slowly than you want, do the same kind of calculation and eat that much less.
I hope that makes sense!
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Thank you, So if i read it right I should eat maybe 50% of the cals earned through exercise? I do sometimes find it hard to eat enough but I am eating lots of healthy food. I can maybe introduce fruit back in to my diet as a way of eating extra.1
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What do you do when you feel absolutely starved?!1
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walktalkdog wrote: »What do you do when you feel absolutely starved?!
Hmmmmmm, that happens to me in the morning quite often and so I go ahead and eat, even if it means I eat less dinner or snacks. I need to eat sometimes and since I work out in the mornings that's normally when I'm really hungry...........pre and post workout! Make sure you're eating enough calories and that your macros are set to what satisfies you, we're all different. Some people recommend drinking a large glass of water or tea but that just makes me want to pee and eat more.....LOL
One other suggestion is to find something to distract you, an activity you enjoy. I like to go in my sewing room and look at a new project, take the dog for a nice slow walk around the neighborhood, work in the yard a little or plan the week's meals and exercise.
If it's late at night I might have a few sips of milk and just go to bed and read for awhile until I fall asleep.1 -
bethany1954 wrote: »Thank you, So if i read it right I should eat maybe 50% of the cals earned through exercise? I do sometimes find it hard to eat enough but I am eating lots of healthy food. I can maybe introduce fruit back in to my diet as a way of eating extra.
If you're losing at a higher rate than you want/need to, eating back some exercise would be fine.
If you like doing arithmetic, use the formula I suggested to estimate the percentage - calculate the additional calories needed, then compare that to your average daily exercise calories to figure out what percent to eat back.
If you don't like arithmetic, try eating back 50% for a few weeks, and adjust the percent up or down based on results, as needed.
One note: When you start eating more calories, you could see a small scale jump temporarily from water weight plus slightly larger average amounts of food in transit in your digestive system. If you see such a jump, don't panic. Give it a week or two to even out rather than reacting frantically.
Best wishes!
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walktalkdog wrote: »What do you do when you feel absolutely starved?!
Hmmmmmm, that happens to me in the morning quite often and so I go ahead and eat, even if it means I eat less dinner or snacks. I need to eat sometimes and since I work out in the mornings that's normally when I'm really hungry...........pre and post workout! Make sure you're eating enough calories and that your macros are set to what satisfies you, we're all different. Some people recommend drinking a large glass of water or tea but that just makes me want to pee and eat more.....LOL
One other suggestion is to find something to distract you, an activity you enjoy. I like to go in my sewing room and look at a new project, take the dog for a nice slow walk around the neighborhood, work in the yard a little or plan the week's meals and exercise.
If it's late at night I might have a few sips of milk and just go to bed and read for awhile until I fall asleep.
Thank you! My snack attack urge hits me in the afternoon at work. There are vending machines right outside my office that I mostly avoid but sometimes the lure is too strong. But then if I get home from work hungry I then overeat. Ugh. Got to pack some healthy snacks for my desk for the afternoons.
Sometimes I go to bed early if I'm still hungry just so I don't have to wait so long to wake up and eat again - LOL!2 -
walktalkdog wrote: »walktalkdog wrote: »What do you do when you feel absolutely starved?!
Hmmmmmm, that happens to me in the morning quite often and so I go ahead and eat, even if it means I eat less dinner or snacks. I need to eat sometimes and since I work out in the mornings that's normally when I'm really hungry...........pre and post workout! Make sure you're eating enough calories and that your macros are set to what satisfies you, we're all different. Some people recommend drinking a large glass of water or tea but that just makes me want to pee and eat more.....LOL
One other suggestion is to find something to distract you, an activity you enjoy. I like to go in my sewing room and look at a new project, take the dog for a nice slow walk around the neighborhood, work in the yard a little or plan the week's meals and exercise.
If it's late at night I might have a few sips of milk and just go to bed and read for awhile until I fall asleep.
Thank you! My snack attack urge hits me in the afternoon at work. There are vending machines right outside my office that I mostly avoid but sometimes the lure is too strong. But then if I get home from work hungry I then overeat. Ugh. Got to pack some healthy snacks for my desk for the afternoons.
Sometimes I go to bed early if I'm still hungry just so I don't have to wait so long to wake up and eat again - LOL!
Figuring out one's snacking needs/wants and managing them well is, IMO and IME, a useful and important thing when it comes to weight management.
I'm normally more satiated by protein, so I keep individual packs of dry-roasted soybeans (which I also enjoy eating BTW) in my car, just in case. I've also occasionally picked up a single-serve string cheese, hard-boiled egg or small Greek yogurt at a convenience store when getting "too" hungry, especially if on a day when I'm eventually heading for a late meal at a tempting restaurant.6 -
If I am starving and feel like I am going to lose it...I will go for a fresh apple to eat. If I am still hungry after that, I will have some almonds to eat.2
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I am checking in as well- did not lose anything for last couple of weeks- (sigh) but I am maintaining- there is a LOT going on now with family and I am trying to get back to my exercise routine- for stress release and because the movement is fun to me- have been ultra busy- but now I know i have to make time for "me" not being selfish- but realizing that I need to see about myself as well as be a caregiver- does anyone know where I am coming from?0
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deb, Yep; need to take of yourself so you are better able to take care of others. Bible says to love others as you love yourself; that means you need to take care of yourself as well. Understand the stress; as long as you're maintaining and exercising when you can, I wouldn't worry about it right now. Just do the best you can.2
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Okay, so, I have 10ish pounds to lose, and I started coming back on mfp just to read the community posts to get inspiration, thinking I could "just be mindful of what I'm eating and cut out the stuff" that usually makes me gain (or fail to lose). Meticulous logging is time-consuming, as you all know. And, you also all know that the meticulous logging is what works! So, I've started the meticulous logging today. Because, last night I wore an outfit that was so uncomfortable, and I didn't want to sit down because my stomach (muffin top, love handles - call them what you will, but it's still just fat!!) was blubbing over my pants. That should be incentive enough, right?
The food logging does make one more aware of grabbing one "tiny" piece of candy that's for offer on a co-worker's desk, pouring another glass of wine, having chips and salsa instead of carrots. Cuz it all adds up.
I am so inspired by the people who have lost 50, 60, 70, 100 plus pounds - you are absolutely amazing!5 -
I am checking in as well- did not lose anything for last couple of weeks- (sigh) but I am maintaining- there is a LOT going on now with family and I am trying to get back to my exercise routine- for stress release and because the movement is fun to me- have been ultra busy- but now I know i have to make time for "me" not being selfish- but realizing that I need to see about myself as well as be a caregiver- does anyone know where I am coming from?
You are not being selfish! What the other poster says is right, you need to take care of you first, before others, as you will do a better job all the way around if you take care of yourself first. Just like on airplanes, if you don't get oxygen, you can't help others get oxygen.2 -
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Thanks everyone for the feed back- finally things have begun to slow down a little around here. You guys are so right- I always "run" to see what I need to do for others- but I am NOW learning to take some time for "me" as well- thanks for all your inspiration. PS I have fit my exercise in 3 days this week- I am going to set it up like I would an appointment or something(that is what another friend suggested that I do). thanks a lot2
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I'm a little different, I think. I'm 60 at the moment, well past menopause. About 8 years ago I lost 45 pounds, mostly through reducing sweets and simple carbs. Then I began running. We also got a dog, so I walk him 2-3+ miles each day. I discovered I enjoy doing races, so I increased my running to about 35-40 mpw. I was able to mostly maintain my weight at around 131 lbs. without logging or thinking about it, except when we travel, which we do for a couple of months every year. I always gain weight on the road, because we eat out more and I exercise less. Once I'm home and cooking healthy meals again, I always lose it again. I joined MFP last fall to lose 8 pounds I had gained while driving to Alaska and back. I ended up losing 18 and maintaining at around 121 for the past 8 months. They say, "You can't outrun a bad diet." I know that's true, but you can certainly enjoy a lot more variety and more frequent indulgences when you are running and walking 60 or so miles a week. My metabolism is faster than would be expected for someone of my age who spends most of the day sitting. I know it isn't possible for everyone, but if you have the time and enjoy it, more activity makes it a lot easier to both lose and maintain weight.6
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