Hi! I am 61 and want to stop the gaining!

jonibaloni4056
jonibaloni4056 Posts: 4 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I retired a couple of years ago and my husband and I really let our guard down. We ate and drank whatever we wanted to. I have gained about 10-15 pounds and he has gained around 20. We want to be healthy, cut down on alcohol, and lose a little weight. We are fairly active, but need to step it up a little. The party is over :(

Replies

  • _Dan1985
    _Dan1985 Posts: 310 Member
    edited September 2022
    You'll soon knock off those 15 pounds with MFP. Try not to look at it as the party coming to an end, but actually a new one starting. An adventure of healthy eating, new habits and a longer life. Surely the thought of having more energy and being fitter is exciting?

    It's easy to see weight loss as a chore, but think of more as self-improvement.
  • jonibaloni4056
    jonibaloni4056 Posts: 4 Member
    The glass is half full! Thanks for your optimism and positivity. You are right, the party is just beginning!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Hello, and welcome!

    With relatively little to lose, might I suggest shooting for a relatively slow loss rate, and a focus on finding new habits that keep you at a healthy weight long term (as opposed to the common "lose weight fast" approach)?

    That you're already active is a plus, so probably the eating/drinking habits will be a good first focus. There are so many delicious foods that are also nutritious and calorie-efficient, so this need not be unpleasant.

    I lost 50+ pounds back in 2015-16 (at age 59-60) by calorie counting, but recently needed to re-lose 10 pounds or so because I'd let my weight creep up. Losing it very slowly was pretty much painless. The downside is that normal daily fluctuations in water retention and food residue in the digestive system will make scale weight fluctuate through a range of several pounds (up and down) from one day to the next, so the fat loss can be slow to see on the scale - can take a small number of weeks to outpace the non-fat-weight fluctuations.

    Wishing you success here!
  • jonibaloni4056
    jonibaloni4056 Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you AnnPT77! I should just jet down a little and take it slow. It took 2 years to pack it on so I need to be patient. Congrats on losing 50 pounds! So impressive! As you know, it seems really hard at this stage of the game. I used to lose that pesky 5 by just skipping a few meals... it doesn't work anymore.
  • _Dan1985
    _Dan1985 Posts: 310 Member
    edited September 2022
    jonibaloni4056 wrote: »
    Thank you AnnPT77! I should just jet down a little and take it slow. It took 2 years to pack it on so I need to be patient. Congrats on losing 50 pounds! So impressive! As you know, it seems really hard at this stage of the game. I used to lose that pesky 5 by just skipping a few meals... it doesn't work anymore.

    You'll be surprised how well calorie logging will work, honestly, even if you just set the app to lose 0.5lbs a week (which translates to a fairy small calorie deficit) - you'll have that 15lbs off by Spring. You could do it by Christmas if you went for a pound a week.

    I would echo the sentiment that there's no rush, lots of people try to lose weight as quickly as possible, and often they have some success to begin with, but set conditions that aren't sustainable and end up quitting early.

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