Day one! Anybody over 50 here?

Nope, no one... it's all young people trying to get off with each other in the social sections...



Just kidding - there are loads of us over 50! This is an excellent tool, if you use it right. But it's just that - a tool. You also need to be willing to put in some time and effort at the start, to learn how it works and to build up a log of foods and recipes that you eat regularly. It really helps to make logging faster in the future if you get some good entries in your list.

I joined MFP when I was 50 and obese. My weight had slowly crept up over the years, and I was one of those people who believed I was "destined to be fat" and that I'd have to deprive myself of food I liked and spend hours in the gym to lose weight. I didn't want to do that, so I stayed fat. Then a good friend introduced me to this site - he'd actually been trying to gently encourage me for 2-3 years, knowing that I was unhappy with my size, but I wasn't ready to give it a shot until I was laid off from my job and needed a focus!

It's been a slow process, for me, but it's working. I started at around 220lbs, and lost close to 50 in my first year. I lost another 20 or so in the second year, and was down to 145 last summer. Then I gained a few back over a winter of eating comfort foods and being stressed at work, so I'm hovering around 152-154 right now. The thing is, I understand now why this has happened, and I know how to fix it. A few years ago I would have thrown up my hands in despair and eaten all the things, convinced that I couldn't do it. (And in fact I pretty much did do that, about 10 years ago - lost 25lbs and then let it all creep back on through not being mindful.)

It's not always easy, but it is definitely possible. Don't make it harder for yourself by cutting out certain food groups or trying to follow a specific "diet"/way of eating, unless it's something that really appeals to you or you have allergies/sensitivities. Try to find something you can stick to, because you're going to have to watch what you eat for the rest of your life if you want to keep the weight off! (Not necessarily counting calories and logging forever, but at least being aware of portion sizes and so on and reining it in if you start gaining.)

Age isn't a barrier to losing weight - anyone can do it, if they just eat a bit less than their current body needs. Be honest with yourself, weigh everything (not measuring cups - use a food scale), and log it all, even when you go over your goal. Start with small changes and build from there.

I wish you success!

(By the way, I was in perimenopause when I started this too - that doesn't make a difference either.)


EDIT: Read the stickied forum threads too, lots of good info there. This is an excellent one to get you up and running:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1