Going to shoot for 30lbs, I'm 58, would love to hear from others my age

Try it and see how you feel! You might find, as you get lighter, that you're happy with the way you look and feel at a higher weight anyway and don't need to go lower.

Bear in mind as well that our bodies change as we age, and depending on what it's been through in the intervening years yours may not look like it did at 22 even if you do reach the same weight.

I'm 5'6" and 52, and currently just a couple of pounds heavier than I was when I got married at 23. But I'm certainly not the same shape! Regardless, I'm still very happy that I've managed to lose this much and I know it's done good things for my health, even if I'm not totally happy with my shape. (I would definitely recommend strength training while you're losing, as that's one of the things I regret not doing.)

Your plan sounds realistic and doable - take it slowly, learn new habits, and treat yourself occasionally. I think you can do this! I'd suggest only aiming for a 0.5lbs/week loss, but you could probably start with 1lb/week for the first 10lbs if you really wanted to. Depending on how active you are, that may not give you very many calories to play with, though, especially with the holidays coming up (if you celebrate at all)!

Good luck!

Almost anything is "doable"

Our stats are very similar, I'm also 58 and 5'5".

However my goal is slightly different..... at least for now.

I'm currently 211 lbs, aiming for 160 lbs, that's 77 lbs down from when I started on here in April.

I have no clue what my body will look like at 160 lbs, lol...I'll re-evaluate when I get there.

I will echo SueSueDio thoughts on taking it slowly at first.

If you stay honest with yourself and persevere you'll be amazed at what's doable!

I'm similar age and height to you - 57 and 5'5". I started MFP at 178 lbs in early 2015 and took a slow and steady approach. My initial goal was 155 and it took me about a year to hit that mark. I wanted it to be attainable. Then when I reached that weight I re-assessed and decided to go for another 10 lbs. I've gotten as low as 149, but I'm currently at 152 and that's where my body seems to want me to stay for awhile. Even though I'm eating well and exercising daily I keep losing and gaining the same 1-2 pounds. Obviously I'm in maintenance right now, but I also feel like I look pretty good so not in a big rush to get to the "finish line". I'm loving being 25 pounds lighter and I have a lot more energy.

In my 20's and early 30's I weighed 130-135 and that was a good weight for me at that age, but not sure that is what I want anymore. I think I would look a little gaunt at that weight now. I will totally agree with @SueSueDio - our bodies change as we age and it's OK for our goals to change along with them. I also think that a little (emphasis on little) extra weight can actually make us look younger (fills in the wrinkles a bit, LOL).

I know many people on MFP say you don't need to exercise to lose weight and that is true. However, if you want your body to look as good as it can AND you want more energy and stamina, then exercise is key. Find something you enjoy and go for it.

You can do this!

I'm 59 and 5'2". Two years ago I weighed 175 pounds. (Highest weight was 188 a few years ago). In January 2016 I had a hysterectomy. Lost 10 pounds over the next year. Then I got serious about dropping the weight I've carried since the early 1990's. I'm now at 130 pounds. My goal is 120. Nov-Dec are tough months for me with Birthdays and holidays so I'm not stressing about loss during this time. I will hit my goal sometime next year and I'm happy with that time line.

Good luck to you.