Over 50 and morbidly obese - How were you successful

phosea
phosea Posts: 1 Member
I am 56 and need to lose atleast 100 pounds. I am back on track but I have yoyo dieted for decades. For those that are succeeding - how did you do it???
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Replies

  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I also tried to lose weight for decades. I failed. On top of which I failed to learn from my failure. When I became an expert in failure I was finally able to avoid my most common traps.

    The other thing becoming an expert in failure did was humble me. I thought I knew so much but in reality I believed many things that were wrong. I had to learn what was right so I could become my own coach.
  • cugogirl2017
    cugogirl2017 Posts: 8,764 Member
    There is so much wisdom here, I am grateful for all of this advice. I really like the idea that many have stated about doing one thing so it becomes a habit and then adding the next thing so it too becomes a habit. Slow and steady wins the race is true in this case. It can feel overwhelming but when you think of the positive results for the rest of our lives it feels worth it. Thank you for all of this good advice.
  • Braiinstrm
    Braiinstrm Posts: 1 Member
    I am 58 and have yo yo’d for the last twenty years. I began on February 4, 2020 with a goal of losing 100 lbs. As of my weigh in this morning, I have lost 42 pounds, (let’s say in about 12 weeks). Eating the correct balance of food is critical. Portion control and food pairings and timing are also important. In addition to eating healthy and tasty foods (that I like), the most important thing for me was to stay on my eating schedule.
    It took me a while to get into a routine that worked. Once I realized that my body responded to my eating plan relative to not only what I ate but when I ate, the journey seems simpler. I began to slowly incorporate exercise into my routine and especially on days that I had less forgiving foods (perhaps baked chicken wings - skin on), and things are working.
    There is no doubt in my mind that I will reach my goal. Most importantly, I have created an overall philosophy in how I approach nutrition and exercise. A huge part of it is to stay on schedule.
  • cugogirl2017
    cugogirl2017 Posts: 8,764 Member


    Braiinstrm wrote: »
    I am 58 and have yo yo’d for the last twenty years. I began on February 4, 2020 with a goal of losing 100 lbs. As of my weigh in this morning, I have lost 42 pounds, (let’s say in about 12 weeks). Eating the correct balance of food is critical. Portion control and food pairings and timing are also important. In addition to eating healthy and tasty foods (that I like), the most important thing for me was to stay on my eating schedule

    Wow! Absolutely incredible! This is an empowering story and again, so inspirational. The staying on schedule is good advice. Thank you. Keep up the good work, you are well on your way on your journey.
  • cugogirl2017
    cugogirl2017 Posts: 8,764 Member
    Wow! Absolutely incredible! This is an empowering story and again, so inspirational. The staying on schedule is good advice. Thank you. Keep up the good work, you are well on your way on your journey. (Sorry, I put my comment in your quote by mistake. :) )
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited May 2020
    Edge your way down slowly. Small steps are easier to manage.
    Find your balance. The All or Nothing approach to weight loss will no longer serve you.
    Don't obsess over what you're eating. Clean Eating is a made-up rule.

    It is Mind Over Matter. What other people think about you doesn't matter but so much of this stuff is mental. Almost all of the rules and regulations about weight loss are complete myths.

    The number one reason any particular diet fails is that they are implemented so brutally strict right out of the chute that every part of a person's being rebels fairly quickly. The Shock and Awe approach is another set-up for creating cycles of dieting and then eating it all back. Rebound weight gain with friends.

    Age doesn't matter. Age doesn't matter if the matter doesn't age. ;)
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,394 Member
    edited May 2020
    Wow! Absolutely incredible! This is an empowering story and again, so inspirational. The staying on schedule is good advice. Thank you. Keep up the good work, you are well on your way on your journey. )

    In the middle of rapid weight loss. Will they reach goal? Will they successfully adapt before it is too late? Will they successfully maintain?
    I really had to "treat" my whole life...work, relationships past and present, childhood issues, food choices, nutrition and food prep, exercise, stress management, sleep, pharmaceuticals, alcohol use, sugar and flour use, hydration, supplements. It's not just one thing, but you can do One Thing Today Just start and make small changes where you can, then keep doing that. I would suggest you start by logging all your food for a week. Then study your FOOD diary and figure out ways to make changes. Keep reading!

    10+ years of maintenance
    gdogus wrote: »
    I lost 50 pounds about 10 years ago and have kept it off that whole time. Got me off the meds for hypertension and cholesterol. For me it was really about changing the food - cutting out pretty much all processed food (including branded soft drinks), reducing meat and increasing plants, some carb cutting. And doing that meant changing my relationship with food - learning again how much I love real cooking (rather than just heating up some pre-packaged meal) and trying new things, and how much better I felt taking in real nutrition. Exercise came along with that. I started running and biking, as well as doing some strength training. But this was secondary to (and probably made possible by) the food overhaul. The exercise definitely helped stimulate my metabolism, but it was actually more important as a stress reducer and sleep improver. Even just getting out for a good walk is great.

    10+ years of maintenance.

    Even if I didn't choose to implement some things the exact same way... 10+ years of maintenance says I will consider his points.
    I started at age 50 and lost 125 lbs, have maintained at normal BMI for three years now. What changed things for me was a diabetes diagnosis plus being very ill in the hospital and realizing I needed to shape up or die.

    To make things easier for myself, I did two things in addition to diet and exercise. I decided that I would not be successful in cutting out food when it was the main source of pleasure and comfort in my life. So I decided to actively seek out sources of pleasure which were not food related, and I made an effort to fix several long term issues which were adding stress to my life. My kitchen was hateful so I redid it and now I love it. My job situation needed to be fixed, and so did some things about my relationships. These were long term problems which had been making my life a little less happy every day for years. I also learned to love running, and to go places and do things with my mother other than eating.

    Second, I knew that each time my previous yo-yo diets had failed, it was because of me gradually eating more and more like my husband, who constantly put temptation before me. So I had a come-to-Jesus meeting with my husband and explained that I would not be keeping him company for half an hour after I finished eating (he’s a very slow eater) or ordering pizza every other night, or sitting next to him while he stuffed his face watching TV. My favorite foods were no longer going to be in the house, and if he wanted them, he could get them elsewhere. No eating in front of me unless I was also eating. No complaining when I wanted to work out. Thankfully my husband was as upset with my health scare as I was, and has never been anything but supportive after that conversation. And as a result he has also lost thirty pounds!

    3+ years of maintenance.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,394 Member
    edited May 2020
    https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/25/health/95-regain-lost-weight-or-do-they.html

    ---
    https://www.biolayne.com/articles/nutrition/where-is-the-evidence-for-long-term-weight-loss-success/
    successfully maintaining weight lost beyond 2-years exponentially increased the likelihood of success, with a 50% reduction in risk for weight regain between 2-years and 4-years. Maintenance over 5-years reduced risk of regain by 71%. The picture that emerges is that duration of time spent in maintenance is a critical factor. Where weight has already started to be regained within a 1 to 2-year period, the odds of weight regain continuing in an almost linear fashion are significant.

    Two observations emerge from scrutinizing the evidence for long-term weight loss maintenance. The first is that the period between 2 and 5-years post weight loss appears to be critical, with duration of maintenance a key determining factor increasing the odds of maintaining significantly beyond two years and linearly improving up to and beyond 5-years [7][8][9][10]. In this context, 5-years is a more appropriate time point to consider weight loss maintenance ‘successful’.

    ---
    Determinants of weight loss maintenance: a systematic review (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.12772)
    Obesity remains a multifactorial process involving not only behaviour but also psychology and the environment.

    Future solutions in weight loss maintenance likely require a greater focus on self‐efficacy to engage in behaviour change and to maintain it.

    ---
    <duh, on the conclusion, though the review does contain some interesting points> What works for one, or many, does not necessarily work for ME, or YOU. Still, it may be worth considering when picking choosing what I believe will work best for ME!

    <because of my previous post above, I ended up checking! So: PAV8888: within the normal weight range since February 23, 2016 (not yet 5 years!) AND I am crashing this "obese and over 50" party" since I managed to get into overweight 8 months BEFORE I hit 50!>
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,394 Member
    edited May 2020
    I am 78 and lost 214 pounds 40+ years ago.I have a few pounds, never more than 5, that I have gained and lost again a few times I follow the Mediterranean Diet.

    You are my newest she-ro!!!
  • Anabirgite
    Anabirgite Posts: 501 Member
    I also hope you will explore this site. There is so much wonderful knowledge and inspiration. I have found the 10 day challenges fantastic, the participants incredibly supportive and a chance to just comment on how you are doing daily. Maybe just read the site for inspiration, so many wonderful people are involved.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    Excellent advice here!
  • Jaxsgma
    Jaxsgma Posts: 55 Member
    phosea wrote: »
    I am 56 and need to lose atleast 100 pounds. I am back on track but I have yoyo dieted for decades. For those that are succeeding - how did you do it???

    Hi there, I have also yoyo dieted for many years, I just got serious about it and started doing a lot of research, I started following some of the no/low carb diet, I was told that carbs make you more hungry.

    I have tryed weight watchers and a nutritionist, and all I saw it doing was mainting my weight and of course costing me a lot. I am taking a few hints from those and trying it on my own, hope I have luck.

    I am working on loosing weight because I would like to be able to do more things with my grandchildren.

    Good Luck on your journey, and I will be glad to help you in any way that I can.

    Enjoy the rest of your day.

    Mary Beth in Ohio (Jaxsgma)