55-65 year old women's success?

AnnPT77 · January 2022

I'm just in to welcome new folks, and give a bit of a personal update/recap. (I posted more details earlier in the 140+ pages of this thread).

I started weight loss in April 2015 at age 59, joined MFP that July, lost from just over the line into class 1 obese (183 pounds at 5'5") to a healthy weight (120s pounds, reasonable for my build) in a bit under a year. Before that, I'd been overweight/obese for around 30 years. Since early 2016, I've been maintaining a healthy weight, up and down a bit over that time, but staying in the low/mid normal BMI zone and the same size 6 jeans. (I hate to clothes shop, so if those get a little snug, I cut back a bit. Very motivating.😉 )

To lose weight, I didn't significantly change my eating style, just changed portion sizes, proportions of various foods in a meal/day, and frequency of some calorie dense foods. I can't think of anything I intentionally cut out altogether, but the frequency of some less enjoyable so-called treats probably dropped to zero, realistically. I've been vegetarian for 47+ years, but that's not a good "diet strategy", IMO: I got fat, then obese, then thin again, all as an ovo-lacto vegetarian.

This is the "eating plan" I used:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

I'm not suggesting that will work for everyone, because personalization of strategy (to one's own individual preferences, strengths, limitations, etc.) is IMO really important. It's one possible approach, that's all.

I also didn't hugely change my exercise practices in order to lose weight, because I'd already been quite active since my mid-40s, after cancer treatment. Yes, it was easy to stay fat and obese while training 6 days most weeks, even competing (not always unsuccessfully) in races. The exercise calories were maybe a peanut butter sandwich worth, most days, or a bit more? I can eat that much more, quite easily, demonstrably. 😆

I did make strength training a little higher priority during loss: I know it's good for me, and it's gone in and out of my schedule over the years, but I don't personally enjoy it (many women do). But, recognizing that muscle preservation was important to me personally for performance (and independence), I made it more of a point to keep it in my routine while actively losing weight.

I don't think that history implies that people need to exercise to lose weight. In fact, I think it implies pretty much the opposite, that one can choose to keep one's current routine and lose weight by changing eating. (I recommend exercise, specifically fun exercise, because it's life-enhancing on its own, even without weight loss. And it does burn a few calories.)

Now, age 66, 6+ years into maintenance, I'm still active. As an on-water rower in a Northern US state, I've shifted from on-water rowing and paved-trail cycling to machine rowing and stationary biking for the Winter. (Pre-pandemic, I went to spin classes twice a week at the Y all year. During the pandemic, early in 2021, I got a stationary bike for home instead.) I also push myself more to strength train in my rowing off-season, so I'm working that in now, along with some core exercises. I'm retired, so schedule-flexible, usually do something active for half an hour to an hour 6 days a week, take one full rest day.

Generally, lately, I'm in the mid-120s pounds somewhere, though this morning I was at a recent peak of 130. Most of that is water retention from holiday indulgence, but most years I go up a couple/few fat pounds in Winter (birthday and holidays), drop back down a bit in Summer (more incidental walking and such). I expect I'll settle back down to maybe 126-127ish within the next week or two, if life is routine.

I don't have any sensible current photos, so here's one from June 2021 that I took to show how stupid-thin this rowing jacket made me look because of the black side panels, and it's not a good or flattering photo at all - maybe that makes it more convincing that it's a real photo of real me? 😆 (FYI, I'm post-bilateral-mastectomy, in case the photo makes you wonder.) I'm around 125 pounds in the photo.

Being older, being post-menopausal: Not things that will prevent losing weight or increasing fitness, IME.

flatcoatedR · January 2022

Hello. New here to this thread. Been on MFP forever. Iam 65 and decided last Christmas (2020) after dieting all my life and being fat, "I was done." I started a low-carb diet with some intermitting fasting on Dec 26th 2020 and as of today have lost 130 lbs. Now the hard part starts, maintenance. I feel better than I ever have and now can look forward going into retirement.❤

annliz23 · January 2022

Hi I am 59 with back, hip and knee issues but keep preserving, I needed to lose a stone and half as I felt uncomfortable and it added to my knee issue, I feel loads better but still have 12lbs to lose and i need to make sure I exercise regularly to keep my joints flexible as I get older.

Logging my food helps me keep on track as well as adding friends on here to keep me motivated.

LVP2014 · January 2022

I am so happy I found you! Thanks for sharing such inspiring stories. I am 57, post-menopause and back on track after a few years of passivity (=gaining back all the weight I'd lost in 2014-2015). At first I blamed Covid-related lock-down, social distancing and remote office for weight gain, but when I started logging on MFP again I realized I had consumed too many and burned too few Kcal!

Looking forward to learn from you and get back into shape again. May 2022 be better than expected for all of us!

ThursLins · January 2022

At 50, I started logging in my food and was able to lose 49 lbs pretty easily. Considering that I'd never kept track of calories before. I exercised, but the online food diary was really what did it for me. Once I quit keeping track of foods, I started slowly gaining some of the weight back. I'm now 62, and the weight doesn't just fall off. If I exercise 30 min a day, my weight stays the same. If I exercise a bit more AND use the food tracker, I lose (slowly....much slower than 12 yrs ago.) It's frustrating, but I see a diff in my attitude between now and then. Back then, I was def overweight and needed to lose. This time I don't have as much weight to lose (altho I've creeped closer to being overweight.) I don't feel like going to bed hungry. My determination isn't as strong as it used to be. Whenever I join exercise/weight-loss challenges, it helps to keep me motivated. The illusion of having others to answer to means that I'm now making sure I do at least the 30 min walk/ride everyday. I move everyday, but I def see a shift since retirement. We def sit more than we ever used to.

Wandzia1958 · January 2022

flatcoatedR wrote: »

Hello. New here to this thread. Been on MFP forever. Iam 65 and decided last Christmas (2020) after dieting all my life and being fat, "I was done." I started a low-carb diet with some intermitting fasting on Dec 26th 2020 and as of today have lost 130 lbs. Now the hard part starts, maintenance. I feel better than I ever have and now can look forward going into retirement.❤

Wow good for you well done. I'm working towards OMAD One meal a day fasting as I find that this is the only way I can shift weight. I'm 63 and have Hashimoto's which makes losing weight very hard. Currently not into exercising much as I need to shift some weight so I can do so without experiencing bad skin-related problems, as it is so hot here in New Zealand. In some ways, I am fortunate as I seldom feel hunger but then I seldom feel full, my slim older sister is the same.

spicott · January 2022

Well 55 years old here and I have had success in losing 75 pounds and keeping it off for 9 years now. One thing that is working for me is to keep doing what I did to lose the weight. It was nothing strenuous it was activity that I actually enjoy and foods I love to eat. What is different is when I crossed the finish line I didn't revert back to old habits. Don't get me wrong, I might slip now and then but I catch it quickly enough to get back on track as soon as I see that 2 pounds up on the scale or favorite clothes o longer fit me.

Activity for me looks like weight training (circuits) three days a week and cardio is a minimum of three days (1 day HIIT; 2 to 3 days of LISS). If my body is a little sore then it is something gentle like yoga. I don't look at the number on the scale now to define me...I look to how I look in/out of my clothes and what my bloodwork says about my health.

There are a lot of women out there like us...and a lot of us are living our best lives ever...the weight didn't come on overnight and it sure as heck won't disappear overnight. We've got this.

thelittlewoman_2000 · January 2022

Julianna in southern Maryland here. Love seeing the before-and-after transformations!

I have arthritis in my spine. It's a real pain in the neck! According to my doctor, "For every pound of excess weight, it adds seven pounds of pressure on your spine." Enough said. That's my motivation to log my food intake, take frequent breaks from the desk job, and do some yardwork and housekeeping.

God bless ya'll real good, and may your new year be happy and healthy. Regards, J.

annliz23 · January 2022

thelittlewoman_2000 wrote: »

Julianna in southern Maryland here. Love seeing the before-and-after transformations!

I have arthritis in my spine. It's a real pain in the neck! According to my doctor, "For every pound of excess weight, it adds seven pounds of pressure on your spine." Enough said. That's my motivation to log my food intake, take frequent breaks from the desk job, and do some yardwork and housekeeping.

God bless ya'll real good, and may your new year be happy and healthy. Regards, J.

I too have arthritis in my lower back and neck it is restricting at times but I do yoga to help.

ilove3g · January 2022

Hi, I'm Kathleen, and I have been losing and regaining the same 10 pounds for about 3 years now! I'm obese and want to get to a healthy weight.

My goal for this year is to not be obese at years end, which will mean losing about 32 pounds before December 31. I am 64 years old, so it will take some work. I exercise 150-180 minutes per week, and eat relatively healthy, but need to work on drinking water and eliminating night snacking. Love seeing the transformation photos as those are very inspiring.

When I was 41, I simply ate healthy and exercised and the weight just fell off. I'm finding that is not the case at 64. I had my children at 38, 40, 44, so that did a number on my weight also. But seeing the photos inspires me that it can be done!

Notreadytoquit · January 2022

At 66, my yoyo weight loss cycle is over. 5'2" I weigh 113#'s. I'm surprised. My goal here was 135#. My spirits are high and I am recovering from a 55 year sentence of misery, suffering & neglect from the medical industry. Some of you have been there, too. I'm sorry. Biggest surprise of all - with CoVid came grace and the cure.

Always active, 25 years a gym rat, I run a farm. Just one of 200,000,000 victims of mystery illness in the US, I was sidelined from life for the past 2 decades by "manufactured illnesses" in my case lyme, bartonella, Epstein Barre, Strep, ??? ... CoVid19. I did the rounds of medical humiliation between workouts and ate a traditional healthy style diet minus take out / restaurant food. Living on a farm, real life activities are all exercise.

CoVid changed everything. A month of misery in December 2019 supersized the above for over a year. I was eventually led to the only dietary suggestions that have also been a cure. Bottom line, I eat only real food, mostly plant based. I make it myself, as is my way. Baby steps and suggestions from Anthony Williams "Life Healing Foods" (#1 NY Times Bestseller) and his other books & recipes are making a big difference in my quality of life..

The flavors of real food are exquisite. Weight loss was not my goal, just a bonus. Healing a broken body is my endgame. It's been a work in progress for a long time. I now have hope.

I welcome new friends. Just a few words so I know you're not a robot.

Verdenal · February 2022

Congratulations, Notreadytoquit. I'm also 5'2" and I turn 65 this summer. For most of my adult life I was thin or normal weight. I was in the 90s for most of my 20s, then in my 30s and 40s I got more sedentary and the weight crept up to about 110. In my 50s, I injured myself during exercise and not having insurance, couldn't get it properly checked out or the physical therapy that would have helped. My mood was low and I gave in to emotional eating. My metabolism slowed. My weight ballooned to 130, which doesn't sound like a lot to some people, but it was the highest weight of my life and I look awful. I'm terrified I won't be able to get this weight off. I still can't believe I'm in this position. I was never the person with the serious weight problem.

External circumstances in my life still aren't promising, but I'm trying to re-dedicate myself to losing weight. It's hard, because it never required a sustained effort. If I gained some weight over the Christmas holidays, I could usually lose it in a month with careful eating. I'm in a living situation in which I'm surrounded by food I shouldn't be eating and my motivation isn't great.

I'd like to lose 10 pounds by my birthday. I hope to lose more, but I'm trying to create a reasonable goal.

tracy042 · February 2022

Good morning! I am so happy to find this thread. I just turned 50, but had early menopause before 45 years old. I was slim, fit and active all my younger years, but now, at 5'1", I clock in at 181 lbs. I feel discouraged because I wondered if it is possible to lose weight after menopause; and thanks to some of your inspiring posts, I see it IS possible! And, using MFP, I see that I consume WAY too many calories, and I have become very sedentary....

So, time to take responsibility, and take action

AnnPT77 · February 2022

tracy042 wrote: »

Good morning! I am so happy to find this thread. I just turned 50, but had early menopause before 45 years old. I was slim, fit and active all my younger years, but now, at 5'1", I clock in at 181 lbs. I feel discouraged because I wondered if it is possible to lose weight after menopause; and thanks to some of your inspiring posts, I see it IS possible! And, using MFP, I see that I consume WAY too many calories, and I have become very sedentary....

So, time to take responsibility, and take action

Cheering you on!

I did the early menopause thing at around age 45, too - from chemotherapy for breast cancer, in my case; and it was followed up with 7.5 years of medication to reduce the effects of residual estrogen in my body, 5 of that a drug that stops the estrogen our fat cells and adrenals and such create even after ovaries retire.

At 59, I was about your weight (I was 183). Weight loss was possible - easier than I'd expected, honestly - and I was at a healthy weight in less than a year, been at a healthy weight since (now 66). A more full "my story" is up-thread a few posts, if details wanted.

Age and menopause are common complaints in the larger world, but as you've discovered, weight management and fitness improvement are still very much possible . . . and the rewards are huge.

Wishing you success!

mjc614900 · February 2022

I'm Mary. Age 64. Blue Cross gave me a year of Vida. I went from 155 to 128. My year ended last September 1st. Awe - Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas came - and so did six pounds. I now weigh 134. My goal through this year is to hit at least 120 (maybe 115).

annliz23 · February 2022

Good luck you can do it.

iamomx2 · February 2022

63 year old female here... not my first rodeo...not my first MFP rodeo...
Highly motivated after a long and drawn out divorce followed by an amazing and miraculous connection on an on-line dating site... 250.8 on December 28, 2021 to 234.2 on February 14,2022. Blood sugar numbers have dropped as well. Crazy good!

anneg50 · February 2022

flatcoatedR wrote: »

Hello. New here to this thread. Been on MFP forever. Iam 65 and decided last Christmas (2020) after dieting all my life and being fat, "I was done." I started a low-carb diet with some intermitting fasting on Dec 26th 2020 and as of today have lost 130 lbs. Now the hard part starts, maintenance. I feel better than I ever have and now can look forward going into retirement.❤

Wow! Great job!

amyburns1999 · February 2023

Is this discussion still active? I too am over 50 and would love to connect with others in this age bracket. Been steady low-carb for 6 weeks. Had my ups and downs but I've stayed consistent with the macros and calories. Anyone else looking to keep this conversation going?

AnnPT77 · February 2023

@amyburns1999, I'm still here, and I know I posted lots more than once

in this thread. Been here since 2015, lost 50ish pounds then at 59-60, healthy weight since 2016, now 67, hanging around MFP since then to maintain and kibitz. What kind of conversation were you hoping for?

tazroni · February 2023

Hi I just turned 62 and just after Christmas I had a chat with my doctor and looking at lab values etc I just knew I had to do something, anything. I'm just starting my 9th week and I've lost 20 pounds so far. I am thinking its going to take me until the end of the year or maybe a bit into 2024 but I am very determined. I am still working full time as a nurse and the amount of over time is brutal. This week I just finished 1/8hrs shift, 3/12 hours shifts and my last shift was a 16 hours and this was over 5 days consecutively. On my feet running most of the day so at times I don't feel like exercising or truly going out for a walk because I need to get ready for work the next day and sleep and all this week except for one day it was dark when I got home. I know it sounds like an excuse but quite honestly I am not as young as I used to be and its hard keeping these hours. So if I want to work for another year or two I have to find a balance and that is what I am trying to do. On days that I keep to my 7.5 hours which is my normal shift I try and get in some biking rowing walking and light weights. Years ago I lost a significant amount weight(same as I am trying to do presently) and I was addicted to the gym, I truly burnt myself out and I never want to go back to that again, so again, I am looking for healthy sustainable balance. Wishing you and everyone posting a healthy successful journey!

Sinisterbarbie1 · February 2023

Just jumping in to also give encouragement to people wondering if it is possible to lose weight after menopause. I am in my mid 50s but went in to menopause early due to chemo for breast cancer almost 6 years ago. I put on a lot of weight after that. I was on a variety of medicines, and had some serious complications that left me bedridden and unable to walk for several months. Depression and a variety of bad habits to either punish or self-soothe (never quite sorted out which at the time) followed until I realized I had to get my act together because not only did I not die from cancer, I had a bunch of people relying on me for help with their own health, and I enjoy being healthy. I lost nearly 80 lbs over the course of about 2 years. I had to lose 40 - the other 40 put me at super slim for my height. I am actually working on gaining a few pounds back now.

It didn’t take any extra -ordinary feats of willpower or magic. I met with my doctor and an endocrinologist who specializes in weight and nutrition. I did not have diabetes, prediabetes, thyroid issues or anything similar affecting my weight. If you do you can get properly medicated for those conditions by a knowledgable physician and be on the same footing as most other folks. Some of the medicines I was taking are known to affect weight so I worked with the relevant doctors to determine whether I needed to take them or could switch to others/wean off them. I ended up eliminating everything but one medicine, but there were alternatives I could have taken.

I met with a nutritionist in the weight doctor’s practice. My diet was not terrible but I did not pay attention to how much I was eating of all the healthy foods I was eating. Even good foods add up. I bought a kitchen scale and started measuring as I got closer to my goals I became more not less meticulous about measuring and recording calories. (I actually only joined MFP after I had already lost 40 lbs). I also decided to eliminate alcohol from my diet entirely. I had already cut back significantly and eliminated it for a while due to medications. I felt better without it. It took a while to convince myself I was fully committed to the sober life since my husband and I had been wine collectors for many years and have an extensive wine cellar and many friendships that initially formed through wine tasting groups and cooking. I feared missing out on social life etc. Ultimately though the new options for sober curious living and adult beverages without alcohol (with limited calories) have made it entirely enjoyable to socialize and eat out without drinking wine. Calories from drinks really add up too, so this helped tremendously. Cutting out 2 glasses of wine cuts out roughly 250 calories — more if you/the restaurant aren’t measuring your pours correctly. That is close to the daily deficit I was shooting for (I cut out about 350 calories daily). If you drink soda or coffee with milk the damage is roughly the same.

I have achieved virtually all of my weight loss through managing food & drink intake. I exercise some but do so mostly for my own pleasure and stress release. I am much more active in the summer when I have access to water based activities than during the rest of the year because although I can walk/hike again, my distance is limited and I am physically unable to run anymore.

Finally, I have not, even now that I am trying to gain a little weight, resumed my “old” way of eating (which according to the nutritionist was never bad to begin with). This means that I eat at a calorie level only a couple hundred calories above the level at which I was losing (this means for instance that I drink an extra latte with skim milk every day and eat 24 extra almonds). I continue to measure and record everything I eat, and I will not resume drinking alcohol again.

Bottom line - it is absolutely possible to lose weight — even a lot of weight— in your mid fifties, post menopause. You might need to seek some initial advice from doctors to help you get started, and just like everyone else, you should approach this effort as a life change not a quick fix. To be successful you should figure out what changes you are willing to make long term and get used to making them and living with them and adjust whatever you need to adjust so that you find it enjoyable to do so. This will mean a different combination of changes for everyone — your changes just need to add up to the right mix for your life.
Good luck!

CarolJeeper · February 2023

I am just about 64. Have had a ongoing chronic back problem that really got bad 2 years ago which, through lack of activity, I have gained weight and lost muscle tone. Now that I have my pain management under control, I am now back into trying to loose weight and get my muscles back.

20 lbs. It doesn't sound like a lot, but with a slowed down metabolism, it really makes this a slow journey.

I have found that being patient with oneself is the best route to take. Do what you can, with no pain, understanding that having a cognitive attitude to what you are eating is more than half the battle to loosing weight and keeping the weight off. ie. Change of lifestyle.

I know I'm not saying anything new but it helps to keep reminding ourselves that we are doing something. That Something might take longer than we want but we ARE being actively responsible.

((Hugs)) everyone ! You are SO worth it!

brenn35 · February 2023

I got 40 lbs off 4 years ago, I am 69. I have had weight problems since I was 16. I have lost 20 to 40 lbs over and over, but this app really helps.

amyburns1999 · February 2023

It's nice to speak to like-minded people in the 50+ community. Maybe it'll keep me motivated. I don't even want to admit how long I've been on MFP but I feel confident this time is different. You're such a success and that's what I'm hoping to do as well. Maybe just keeping my mind on other's success will keep me inspired!

mjglantz · February 2023

It is good to know that there are many of us who have lost weight (80+ lbs) and have kept it off for a long time. In my case I was 61 when I started and I've maintained that loss for just about 10 years. Still track my food every day. Have made a lot of changes over time but committed to eating healthy most of the time, moving every day, and enjoy living!

ladybanksia59 · February 2023

@Sinisterbarbie1 and others -

well done on your cancer recovery/journey. It has struck my family as well.

I am back at MNF after a LONG hiatus...in desperation mode this time. I hafta take off these 40 lbs that have piled on over the last 3 yrs. Dang it...difficult times but now serious measures!!

Newly-crowned 60, it has become a benchmark for me - getting my baselines done again, which brings me peace of mind going forward.

Curious about this, and its probably been discussed along the way, but here goes -

how much credibility should one give toward the 'hormone-based' strategies that are plastered all over the interwebs? I'd like to at least get my cortisol number(s), but to my understanding, a physician needs to order it as a blood test, correct? Was never an issue at 30 years old...

Thanks for reading/listening...

AnnPT77 · March 2023

ladybanksia59 wrote: »

@Sinisterbarbie1 and others -

well done on your cancer recovery/journey. It has struck my family as well.

I am back at MNF after a LONG hiatus...in desperation mode this time. I hafta take off these 40 lbs that have piled on over the last 3 yrs. Dang it...difficult times but now serious measures!!

Newly-crowned 60, it has become a benchmark for me - getting my baselines done again, which brings me peace of mind going forward.

Curious about this, and its probably been discussed along the way, but here goes -

how much credibility should one give toward the 'hormone-based' strategies that are plastered all over the interwebs? I'd like to at least get my cortisol number(s), but to my understanding, a physician needs to order it as a blood test, correct? Was never an issue at 30 years old...

Thanks for reading/listening...

I don't have a great scientific basis for my opinion, but if you're talking about the programs for peri- and menopausal women, I think it's more marketing gimmick than marvel. The science I have seen (probably a biased sample) suggests that we lose weight about the same way at 60 as when younger, but it's against a backdrop of less muscle mass, lower fitness, and lower daily life activity, for many women. For some, sub-ideal nutrition besides.

Any/all of those can change subtly and gradually over the life course for many people, and effects of those can be magnified if repeated past extreme yo-yo diets are part of the picture. Looking at it through that lens is uninspiring from a marketing standpoint though, makes it seem like personal effort can turn things around without magical insights from any marketer, but that patient persistence will be required . . . and who wants to hear that? 🤣

Some of the actual programs don't sound too bad (thinking of what I've read about Pahla B, for example), but the marketing wrapper of specialness is . . . iffy, IMO. If the source is trying to sell you something (programs, supplements) - or even just lure your eyeballs to their sponsors' ads for personal gain: Caveat emptor.

Just my opinion, and it's a cynical one.

Sinisterbarbie1 · March 2023

@ladybanksia59 responding to your question and AnnPT77’s response .. Interestingly enough I started my weight loss journey with a diagnosis of cushings syndrome (not disease) meaning that I had consistently elevated cortisol levels. They check this via several rounds of 24 hr urine collection tests, dexamethasone suppression tests, and by measuring the cortisol production in your saliva at 11 or 12 at night when it is generally expected to be very low. They scanned for tumors both in the expected and unexpected places given my cancer history (I had Triple Negative Breast Cancer which is very aggressive, and at the time had few treatments because among other thing it is not hormone driven). They didn’t find any. Long story short, I had a lot of data and the same plan for weight loss as everyone else. Truth be told, had they found a tumor (they are typically benign in Cushings disease) I would still have had more or less the same plan, just a bit more help at lowering the cortisol because removing the tumor solves that part of the problem.

Cortisol is your main stress hormone. People refer to it as the fight or flight hormone. Too much of it increases inflammation and can cause disease in the body, Whether or not your levels are clinically high the ways to lower cortisol are going to sound very familiar to you :
Eat a healthy diet
Exercise moderately (but not excessively bc inflammation from injuries raises cortisol)
Don’t drink alcohol or at least limit consumption to FDA lowest risky behavior guidelines
Get enough sleep = high quality sleep
Meditate/find ways to destress (this seems circular, but rebooting meditation was a big factor in giving myself enough space to set intentions for my day so that I could achieve my goals whether diet/exercise/personal/work)

I think everyone has to figure out what motivates them. Some people are motivated by the opportunity to kick a really big obstacle … If you are one of them then absolutely get all the data you can and approach this project of weight loss that way because it will keep you motivated in a way that works with what drives you and gives you a sene of achievement. Name it. Figure it out, Scale it. Slay it. Conquer it.

Other people might be overwhelmed by too much data or might use a “syndrome” or diagnoses of some sort as an excuse if they feel like the goal is too hard to achieve and might just give up. For them I would urge taking comfort in the fact that a lot of us on the board here have achieved our goals in the face of all sorts of unexpected circumstances. we aren’t particularly special, everyone here has their story, So get on with making your own.

In the end, it is ourselves we have to convince to do the best thing for our health, and only we ourselves know best how to do that. What actually has to be done once we are ready to take action is more or less the same for all of us. Some will have a tiny bit easier time, some a bit harder time, but the levers that we get to adjust are essentially the same for everyone.

ladybanksia59 · March 2023

@AnnPT77 & @Sinisterbarbie1 - thank you both so much for your wisdom and insightful responses. Well written and full of content.

Not so much a yo-yo dieter in conventional terms, thankfully, but more-so off and on the "See-Food Diet"...as the 'edge of my cliff' is laden with just flat-out good food and drink. (I can count on one hand the items that don't cross my threshold.) So, toward that end, nearly everything else that is prepared with love and just enough salt makes the cut. All ethnicities, respect for authenticity and traditions, no food sensitivities, and a curious palate make for the perfect storm.

I have total compassion and supportive regard for anyone who lives with food/health issues of ANY kind, as mine are in the mental-health arena. That beast has been tamed...for now...and the sun shines again; but health issues are real, even if not yet diagnosed.

I couldn't agree more with the concept of each of us making our health a priority to whatever extent that one can. Not only is it one of life's true privileges, but one of the true responsibilities, IMHO.

My reminder just said its treadmill time...toodles for now...have an amazing day, everyone!

55-65 year old women's success?

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