How disappointing

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Hi one and all.

Mid sixties UK man here.


What an opportunity the COVID restrictions presented. A chance to organise my life and get fit and healthy.

Sadly I have managed to do the opposite. Very unhealthy eating and copious quatities of alcohol have done me no good at all.

Put on at least 20lbs in the last year.

No-one to blame but myself. Had a good talk with myself yesterday and decided enough was enough and re-activated this old account to help me get on track.

Long term goal is to lose over 80lbs, gosh what a big number! Got to start sometime and today is that time.


Good luck to all who are on the same path.


Apologies for the rambling first post.

Have a good day.

Replies

  • chrissy6161f
    chrissy6161f Posts: 7 Member
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    I am also UK male.

    I am 60 years old and brand new on here.
  • Inowantobefatanymore
    Inowantobefatanymore Posts: 12 Member
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    Hi! I feel the exact same, my medication doesn’t help either! I’m looking for like minded friends to help keep each other motivated and focused and share tips! I joined in March (I think) but only really getting use to using it and logging my food over the past 2 weeks or so. I purchased a rather expensive Apple Watch - probably no need to, but the expense of it is keeping me determined not to put it to waste and I have found that I look forward to my daily achievements that I’ve set myself on it. It’s been my little friend for a few weeks and has definitely got me walking more. I even learned that exercise isn’t as scary as I thought it was and that you really don’t have to burn yourself out for it to be effective. As a ‘beginner’ I decided to start with yoga, which makes me sweat but surprisingly pleasant! And setting myself a goal of 5000 steps a day has been manageable. It’s been a blessing to use that as an excuse to leave my house for a bit! It turns out that for my age my maximum heart rate is 190beats per min ( you can find ur maximum heart rate out on any online calculator) my fitness watch was able to show my my heart rate during my walks and according to different levels of intensity for fat burning it’s recommended that you reach moderate intensity- 50%-70% of your maximum heart rate, for me this is 123- 143 beats per min or so. In the beginning it might be best to stick to light intensity though 90-114 bpm. my heart is beating at a moderate intensity rate during a brisk walk and it has given me a peace of mind that it really isn’t as hard as it seems physically, I’ve learned that my cardio respiratory rate it below average though! One of the perks of this watch which I guess has highlighted the need to keep active and is probably the reason why my heart beats at this rate, I expect it to drop as I get slightly fitter and thus increase my intensity as I improve. I hope this helps. Feel free to add me as a friend and I’ll add you back. Donna x
  • Portionled
    Portionled Posts: 9 Member
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    I don't think I have worn a watch for over twenty years so can't see me investing in an Apple one any time soon. I did buy a Fitbit about five years ago, unfortunately one of the most useless bits of tech I ever bought. Managed to lose not very much money when I sold it.

    Currently I use my old phone to count steps and distance, trying to do a minimum of 12000 steps a day. No idea about heart rate etc.

    I used to have a reasonably active job but COVID put a stop to that. The biggest factors in my attempts to lose weight are motivation and boredom. Not enough of the former and too much of the latter. 😆

    I have set myself small targets to help with the motivation and am undertaking a number of tasks to combat the boredom.


    Here's to staying postive.
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 523 Member
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    I think you'll be surprised at how quickly you can get that weight off here! I'm 60 and have been here about 6 years, but I have ups and downs. I don't use a fitness gadget of any kind, not even to count steps--You can just pick your exercise/walking pace and enter it yourself by time spent at activity, and it works great. The pandemic gave me more free time, which means I have more time for dog walking. If you don't have a dog, you can still get out and walk. You might get to know some neighbors (from a 6' distance, lol) that way, too, to help counteract boredom. I find reading up on diet- and exercise- related topics online to be very motivating, as well as checking in with my friends on here. If you have a space to do some gardening, that's another way to burn calories and not be bored. Make it happen!
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 523 Member
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    PS: Cooking is another hobby you might want to take up, with an emphasis on healthy stuff!
  • Portionled
    Portionled Posts: 9 Member
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    Walking is good and I have always done it, just started counting steps to see how many I do on my various routes. Trying to walk twice a day at the moment. No pets to accompany me.

    I need to stop cooking! I do far too much of it as it is something I really enjoy. Baking bread is a hobby which I have stopped as I can easily work my way through a loaf in no time at all.

    Fortunately I have found a few things to keep me busy so hoping for the best.