The middle agers group. (Upper 30s,40s & 50ish folks)

MikePfirrman wrote: »

stevenringeling wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

I'm 54 next month (the wife is 57). We lost over 100 lbs combined six years ago and have maintained since. Went from couch potatoes to working out 6 days a week. Eating like garbage cans to mostly Whole Food Plant Based.

That’s awesome. How did you change your habits so completely?

Steve, it was a slower process. Six years (seven when I started losing) is a long time. Actually, we worked out around two years before that but I only lost around 20 lbs by working out.

My heaviest, I was around 245/250 (I'm not tall!). I was over 40% body fat. Injured my knee, couldn't walk for nearly two years. Rehabbing my knee started my working out. Just literally turning an exercise bike for me. Then walking with a limp progressed to a few hundred yards. Within a couple years, I was walking 3/4 miles every day at lunch. We began going to the gym, I got down to around 217 or so but couldn't lose more. Then started tracking calories (on Loseit, not on MFP, but LI has been gradually declining). I just ate less but still same stuff, just cutting out worst stuff. Continued working out, actually began jogging (really slowly). Progressed over two years to doing 7 or 8 mile trail runs, really hard elevations.

The wife joined me and lost around 20 lbs tracking, then 25lbs. This was after she developed Fibromyalgia. She was miserable and her Integrative doc recommended that she eliminate gluten/dairy. Along with some supplements, she improved dramatically. She dropped the 20 lbs in a month and 5 later. Since then we've gone mostly Whole food, plant based (helps greatly with inflammation). Going Dairy/Gluten free wasn't something I planned. I never thought I'd do that but the first time we went out to eat after her doc advised her to do it, we were eating at a Cheesecake Factory and I ate a whole loaf of the oatbread they serve after asking her if I could in front of her. Though she said yes, I finished the loaf and looked over and she was crying. Last piece of bread I've had. That was over five years ago. I love bread and dairy but I love my wife a lot more and she wouldn't have stuck with that diet without me doing it with her. Explains a lot about my attitudes. I see people in Chronic pain a lot on the forums. If it seems I have less tolerance/sympathy, it's because I've changed everything when I didn't have to. I can't imagine people not being willing to change for something that helps them. Just in my makeup. I'm that "tough love" person. Sometimes, people don't want to hear what they need to hear. It's not that I'm not without a heart, it's just there are things all of us can do to help our own health along and not rely entirely on a magic pill. I'm 100% for that and people taking accountability for their health.

I don't run anymore (chronic runner's knee developed in my good knee, ironically), but I do indoor rowing competively. It's a really odd, niche sport. It keeps me challenged. We've also just recently taken up Pickleball too (we played over 6 hours last week on top of work and exercise!).

I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm in, by far, the best shape of my life. Even better than when I played high school sports. Mostly because I don't take my health for granted any more.

These seem like drastic changes (and they are) but they were very much gradual and consistent over a long time. Nearly 10 years since I made a determination to change.

yukfoo wrote: »

Sorry. Just passing through. I got lost on the way to the 60's forum...

MikePfirrman wrote: »

Djproulx wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

No problem Steve. I read something last year that I wish I had known when I was changing. It was actually a weight loss article related to habits and I think it's so true. It was a study. If people try to change just one thing at a time for a month to 6 weeks, they have an 80% chance of success. If they try to change two or more things, the success rate drops below 40%.

New people on here nearly always take on too much - logging, cutting back calories and working out. That's THREE habits at once to change. Just start with logging/weighing everything. That's a win in itself!

If I had to do everything over again I'd apply this. Just log everything for the first month. Build that habit, then perhaps take out one or two things I ate that were calorie bombs the next month, then perhaps add in movement the next month, even if for just two/three days a week. Build one habit at a time. Get them down, move on. When I look back at nearly 10 years, that's all it was. One habit at a time. Had setbacks, just kept trying. If I can do it anyone can.

@MikePfirrman - Your story resonates with me. I struggled with weight gain as an adult, reaching 235lbs and 34% BF at 54years old in 2011, when I finally made the decision to make weight loss my priority. I started with a trainer and MFP and just stuck with it. I lost about 45 lbs over the first year, then kept chipping away at it for another 10lbs over the next year. As the weight came off, I resumed running and began to dabble in endurance sports. These new activities have replaced my old sedentary lifestyle. An unexpected bonus has been the very active group of friends my wife and I have made through my participation in racing and training.

So I agree with your assessment that anyone can do it. Its very simple, yet it is not easy. The key is to Just Keep Going...

I'd also second your suggestion about making only one change at a time. There's a very interesting book by Charles Duhigg, titled "The Power of Habit" that outlines why we do what we do, and how lasting change comes from making new habits. Its worth a read for anyone wondering how to make a change and have it stick.

Thanks, I appreciate it. Good for you, too!! That's really impressive! It's odd but fun with the new lifestyles, isn't it?? I've heard of that book and not bought it, but read passages from it. Even though I've lost the weight, I try to apply some of these strategies now to my small business and it's helped in other areas, not just related to weight. But I think, for beginners, it can be very overwhelming.

My wife and I are moving to an "Active Adult" community next year. Not sure in our early to mid 40s we could have been able to enjoy it. It feels so amazing to have not just the energy for chores/work, but to enjoy life differently. We've taken up golf too.

@ Slimgirljo - thanks, but she's pretty amazing for me too and now I have her old self back, so well worth the sacrifice on food. Also, ironically, I found out later that I react worse (by accidentally eating things with gluten/wheat) than she does, so by me changing, I might have helped myself more than her. She can eat gluten easier than dairy but feels better without it. If I eat anything wheat, even a beer, I'm miserable. I've been allergic to grass (badly) all my life. Should have probably put that together years ago that wheat is a type of grass. So we're quite the pair now, I'm emphasizing no wheat and her no dairy when we go out. It is amazing how much healthier you eat when you eliminate those two things and fried food. Pretty much makes calorie counting nearly unnecessary! We are back to eating the occasional goat/sheep and A2/A2 cow dairy. She doesn't react to those (different proteins). I've even found a Goat Mozz that tastes like the real thing. That on an Udi's pizza crust and you think you're eating a great pizza. About the only thing I really miss is malt flavor (made from barley, a grass). We can pretty much figure out how to make everything else if we want it bad enough.

@ yukfoo - I'm getting closer myself! These 60, 70 and even 80 year old Pickleballers are crushing my wife and I. There are two guys at our local club -- one is 86 and the other 84 and they play 5 days a week!