Men & Women in their 50s starting anew in 2019!

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  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,435 Member
    poscur wrote: »
    I am in. Lost 80 lbs when I turned 50 (took 16 months) and now at almost 55 I have put 40 of it back on. Just started tracking what I eat and getting to be more active. Could use all the help/support!

    I feel your pain...lost a lot of weight around 6 years ago or so and over 5 year period have gained it all back. Vowed I would never go back to this size again and here I am. It's embarrassing! I can't stand running into people I haven't seen in awhile...but the message I keep hearing is just change one habit at a time...didn't gain it back in 6 months, not going to lose it in 6 months. Find a livable way to deal and make changes. We can do this :)

    I avoid people and social situations too because gaining weight back is so humiliating!
  • poscur
    poscur Posts: 74 Member
    Hi All.

    Love that there's a group for the over-50 crowd. (And it's surreal to believe I'm qualified to join, but ah well.) In February of this year I was generally feeling like poo all the time. Poor sleeping, poor eating habits, yadda yadda. As a matter of course I avoided going to the doctor because I have been fat-shamed by medical pros before, and I just wasn't interested in some MD saying "lose weight, Fat Guy," and putting me on meds. Still, after a few weeks and a few pounds lost, I thought I'd better go. In March I found a doctor I ended up liking (thanks Yelp). After some lab work, he revealed to me that I had been unknowingly living with Type 2 Diabetes. Egads. Who knows how long I'd been living with this? Well, I'd found my motivation.

    The doc was very helpful, provided me as much information as he had on nutrition for diabetics. At the time I felt horribly guilty and ashamed. This was a self-inflicted condition, I thought, and because of a lifetime of poor food choices I had put myself at risk for all the complications that come along with diabetes. I still am ashamed, sometimes. But I use that to my advantage now, and those feelings help drive me to succeed.

    Fast forward to today: I'm down over 50 pounds, and my last blood test actually showed my blood sugar and insulin levels in the normal range, which is incredibly gratifying.

    My starting weight was 318 -- I imagine it'll be a year more before I achieve a weight were I can start maintenance mode, but I've found a pretty good stride at the moment and feel good about the future.

    I don't post very often but I read a whole bunch of posts from the MFP community. It's always been good to know I'm not alone in these endeavors.

    That is awesome that you are motivated and doing so well. Congrats on your success. Very inspirational! Thanks for sharing.
  • poscur
    poscur Posts: 74 Member
    tmbg1 wrote: »
    poscur wrote: »
    I am in. Lost 80 lbs when I turned 50 (took 16 months) and now at almost 55 I have put 40 of it back on. Just started tracking what I eat and getting to be more active. Could use all the help/support!

    I feel your pain...lost a lot of weight around 6 years ago or so and over 5 year period have gained it all back. Vowed I would never go back to this size again and here I am. It's embarrassing! I can't stand running into people I haven't seen in awhile...but the message I keep hearing is just change one habit at a time...didn't gain it back in 6 months, not going to lose it in 6 months. Find a livable way to deal and make changes. We can do this :)

    I avoid people and social situations too because gaining weight back is so humiliating!


    I know... I am trying to just say to myself "I am still me" doesn't matter if I am size 6 or 16 that doesn't change who i am and not let my weight define me. Very hard not to fat shame myself! BUT definitely feel a sense of shame around it...trying to get over it and just do things that are going to make positive changes.
  • skf1201
    skf1201 Posts: 116 Member
    edited June 2019
    Poscure: I feel your pain...lost a lot of weight around 6 years ago or so and over 5 year period have gained it all back. Vowed I would never go back to this size again and here I am. It's embarrassing! I can't stand running into people I haven't seen in awhile...but the message I keep hearing is just change one habit at a time...didn't gain it back in 6 months, not going to lose it in 6 months. Find a livable way to deal and make changes. We can do this :)

    I feel the same way when I see someone who hasn’t seen me in a while and see the look on their face when they realize who they’re looking at. 😞 I am working at being comfortable where I’m at. It’s hard. Such a mental game.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    tmbg1 wrote: »
    poscur wrote: »
    I am in. Lost 80 lbs when I turned 50 (took 16 months) and now at almost 55 I have put 40 of it back on. Just started tracking what I eat and getting to be more active. Could use all the help/support!

    I feel your pain...lost a lot of weight around 6 years ago or so and over 5 year period have gained it all back. Vowed I would never go back to this size again and here I am. It's embarrassing! I can't stand running into people I haven't seen in awhile...but the message I keep hearing is just change one habit at a time...didn't gain it back in 6 months, not going to lose it in 6 months. Find a livable way to deal and make changes. We can do this :)

    I avoid people and social situations too because gaining weight back is so humiliating!

    This was my motivation to lose weight. I was at my heaviest when I ran into an old boyfriend (we were both with other people) who had only ever seen me slim. I was completely mortified.

  • TurnThePage55
    TurnThePage55 Posts: 16 Member
    edited June 2019
    I finally found my motivation and have been making positive changes and seeing the scale go down. It's amazing how much better I feel already. Never give up.
  • BettJo64
    BettJo64 Posts: 760 Member
    I managed to lose 2.8lbs this week, bringing my total loss to 83lbs since mid March😁💃🏼 I'm super stoked about it💃🏼 Tightened up on my macros a bit more (keeping protein highest), and it paid off for me. Hope I can continue seeing this kind of loss in the future.
  • vermontrebecca6929
    vermontrebecca6929 Posts: 72 Member
    Hey! I am in 1/2 thru 2019 after a health scare in April caused me to get back on MFP & focus on nutrition/diet. Have lost 7 lbs so far & looking for 20 more by end of 2019, with goal to maintain after that. As I’ve accumulated various repetitve stress injuries I’ve realized I need to shift how I manage stress & moods from an intense exercise focus to “less pain, more sustain.”
  • vermontrebecca6929
    vermontrebecca6929 Posts: 72 Member
    zoedayan7 wrote: »
    Inspired by your posts. My weight goes serially up and down...so I started again... In march. So far I'm sticking with it... And this time I don't have any scales (bathroom or actually in the kitchen!). Strangely it seems to be keeping me more honest.... But I'm travelling next week. Worried about living in hotel and eating everything provided... But will also get to weigh in.
    Wish me luck


    Any chance you can get to a grocery store once you arrive to stock up on carrots, celery, apples etc for room frig?
    I am learning to drink at least 60 oz of water during the day & keep crunchy crudite handy all day.
    Also had an epiphany yesterday while dining out that I need to order only one course at restaurants, with bubbly bottled water as my “special drink” rather than alcohol (lots of lemon & lime added) and a latte or herbal tea for dessert. The bubbly water & latte are not things I do at home, so they make dining out feel special and make me feel included if others are drinking alcohol & ordering desserts. Also, if others are ordering apps, I order salads (something else I don’t eat at home) because restaurant meals never have enough veggies (aka 1/2 the plate).

    If anyone knows good hacks to avoid eating bread & butter served after entrees are ordered please post!!!
  • vermontrebecca6929
    vermontrebecca6929 Posts: 72 Member
    I finally found my motivation and have been making positive changes and seeing the scale go down. It's amazing how much better I feel already. Never give up.

    would you mind sharing what your motivation is?
  • vermontrebecca6929
    vermontrebecca6929 Posts: 72 Member
    Louvee and others— yeah, nothing like a health scare to renew commitment!!!

  • vermontrebecca6929
    vermontrebecca6929 Posts: 72 Member
    Not sure how I feel about comment about doctors “fat shaming”. Being overweight really is bad for people and can lead to chronic debilitating & degenerative disease and dangerous conditions like diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, even cancer. I worked in a nursing home and saw the aftermath of strokes in people our age and people who had become disabled from the progressive inability to care for themselves due to obesity and diabetes alone. At least some of this is within our power to control.

    We need to love ourselves and that includes wanting what is best for ourselves.

  • TurnThePage55
    TurnThePage55 Posts: 16 Member
    I finally found my motivation and have been making positive changes and seeing the scale go down. It's amazing how much better I feel already. Never give up.

    would you mind sharing what your motivation is?

    Oh, it was not one particular thing. I just needed to get my butt moving. I got tired of being tired. So I joined a few fitbit challenges and started moving. A body in motion tends to stay in motion.
  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,725 Member
    Hi to all the new folks on this thread. I get some inspiration from reading all the posts here.

    I've been lacking motivation to work out lately, but I am maintaining my weight. I've been through this before. The motivation to work out will return at some point and I will shed the last 20 pounds.
  • LouVee186000
    LouVee186000 Posts: 81 Member
    Louvee and others— yeah, nothing like a health scare to renew commitment!!!

    Thanks! Yeah, it's really done the trick for me. I now look at my once-favorite (and yeah, way unhealthy) foods and think, "eating this will literally do measurable damage to me," and I choose something else. It's not always fun, but it has been effective so far.

  • poscur
    poscur Posts: 74 Member
    To all who are experiencing return of weight after triumphant loss— I am in same shoes & remind myself that because I did it once I have proof I can do it again—so I know it is possible. I also know it will have to be different because I am older (e.g., intense calorie burn thru exercise will play a smaller part and slowed metabolism & new patterns of fat distribution will play a bigger part). So I try to put in my notes every day “what I did well”. and view mistakes as “what I learned” e.g. what’s a trigger or vulnerable situation, how to prepare in advance better, how to use thinking to my advantage.
    I hope this helps someone else the way it has helped me stop beating myself up so much

    Great thoughts..thanks for sharing
  • poscur
    poscur Posts: 74 Member
    zoedayan7 wrote: »
    Inspired by your posts. My weight goes serially up and down...so I started again... In march. So far I'm sticking with it... And this time I don't have any scales (bathroom or actually in the kitchen!). Strangely it seems to be keeping me more honest.... But I'm travelling next week. Worried about living in hotel and eating everything provided... But will also get to weigh in.
    Wish me luck


    I am away next week too on a mini 4 day vacation w. husband and super nervous as I feel like i am just getting back into the groove...i keep starting and falling hard and getting back up. My plan is keep breakfast healthy and simple not big lavish (hotel we are staying at has amazing breakfasts), get exercise in every day, try to stick to fish or lighter dinner entrees - not they prime rib etc, keep tracking. We are going to bring our bicycles with us so that should be good. I think the tracking and bumping my calories up to maintenance calories for those days would be helpful.
  • sparklyball
    sparklyball Posts: 93 Member
    Hi, I'm in the Uk, female, 53, 136lbs, I stopped smoking last year and gained a over a stone. I'm self-conscious of it now and want to lose it asap! I am limited in what I can eat due to intolerances. I am sugar and grain free- apart from the occasional drink:)



    I am calories counting and log in daily, active people feel free to add me!
  • tonistardust
    tonistardust Posts: 1 Member
    I'm in. I have a goal to hike Black Elk Peak/Harney Peak in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I'm going to try this September.
  • Beowolf95
    Beowolf95 Posts: 43 Member
    Went off the reservation a little this past week due to vacation, but, did my group workout this morning and feel awesome! I also did my Vo2 testing this week and found out that I really am in poor physical conditioning, but getting better with the program I'm on. I now have my heart rate zones personalized so I know where my most effiecient workout zone is, which will keep me working out in peak and not overtaxing and over working. Now, to tighten the diet back up and get back in the groove. Let's do this thing folks!
  • Lloydnolan68
    Lloydnolan68 Posts: 3 Member
    New to the group like the story’s and fed back , I really need motivation and a push to lose the weight again I have gained 40lbs in last 2 years, plus I want get below 199lbs nearly made it two years ago 204 lbs ,
    Time to stop the slipping back to old weight and habits,any advice and motivation would be greatly received thanks , Lloyd in ireland
    Thanks F
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,752 Member
    I am in. Lost 80 lbs when I turned 50 (took 16 months) and now at almost 55 I have put 40 of it back on. Just started tracking what I eat and getting to be more active. Could use all the help/support!

    Just keep trying it always seems to beca battle once you reach 50 (orbit is for me) but I am determined not to give up.
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,752 Member
    whmscll wrote: »
    tmbg1 wrote: »
    poscur wrote: »
    I am in. Lost 80 lbs when I turned 50 (took 16 months) and now at almost 55 I have put 40 of it back on. Just started tracking what I eat and getting to be more active. Could use all the help/support!

    I feel your pain...lost a lot of weight around 6 years ago or so and over 5 year period have gained it all back. Vowed I would never go back to this size again and here I am. It's embarrassing! I can't stand running into people I haven't seen in awhile...but the message I keep hearing is just change one habit at a time...didn't gain it back in 6 months, not going to lose it in 6 months. Find a livable way to deal and make changes. We can do this :)

    I avoid people and social situations too because gaining weight back is so humiliating!

    This was my motivation to lose weight. I was at my heaviest when I ran into an old boyfriend (we were both with other people) who had only ever seen me slim. I was completely mortified.

    Be positive , use it as a way to motivate yourself so next time they see you they will go WOW!
  • skf1201
    skf1201 Posts: 116 Member
    edited July 2019
    Poscur wrote:

    I am away next week too on a mini 4 day vacation w. husband and super nervous as I feel like i am just getting back into the groove...i keep starting and falling hard and getting back up. My plan is keep breakfast healthy and simple not big lavish (hotel we are staying at has amazing breakfasts), get exercise in every day, try to stick to fish or lighter dinner entrees - not they prime rib etc, keep tracking. We are going to bring our bicycles with us so that should be good. I think the tracking and bumping my calories up to maintenance calories for those days would be helpful.


    Remember to have fun too. You’ll do just fine. Just be you. The rest will fall into place in a good way 😀
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,752 Member
    Have a lovely time and enjoy yourself you can always go back to it after you get back!
  • BonnieHosk85
    BonnieHosk85 Posts: 2,552 Member
    You are doing fabulous, @BettJo64! Best to you on reaching your health goals!! <3