Just about to turn 70............

christineogara
christineogara Posts: 12 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Just about to turn 70 and a good 20 pounds overweight. Hoping MFP can help me lose this weight. I so want to feel good in my clothes again. The last time I was at a weight that was good for me was in my fifties. I would so love to be back there again. Would love to meet friends on here to help keep my motivation going.

Replies

  • peacocks2360
    peacocks2360 Posts: 1 Member
    Well I got to 70 and lived through it. I’ve been using mfp since dropping Noom. It was not for me- their promises were never kept. I gained about 30 pounds a couple of years before covid bc I went to seminary and dropped running. I miss my running group- they disbanded. I’m terrified of going to the y again and it’s irrational. I just cannot find the motivation! Help!
  • christineogara
    christineogara Posts: 12 Member
    Hi. Christine here. I just keep trying. It's tough. Was at my personal ideal weight in my 50s. Then I slowly gained for near 20 years. Now I am so upset with myself and trying to get there once again. I lost 50 pounds on WW back then, but WW is not working for me this time around. I am hoping I can get into this and really watch myself this time around. Sweets are my downfall. Hard for me to say no to them. Maybe together we can keep each other motivated enough to get to where we want to be.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,607 Member
    Hello, and welcome to MFP. I'm 67, have been here since losing from class 1 obese to a healthy weight back in 2015-16, maintaining a healthy weight since that loss.

    I'm just chiming in to say that MFP can work, at any age, if we commit to using it. It doesn't have to be some giant, instantaneous revolutionary life change: Small habit changes add up. Tricksy named diets are optional, exercise is optional (but good for health of course), no need to put treats off limits if you're a person who can moderate them (may be necessary to reduce portion size or frequency).

    "Keep it simple" really can work: Get a calorie goal from MFP, start logging your food, tweak what you eat to hit the calorie goal while balancing nutrition, satiation, enjoyment, tastiness, and practicality for you. (We're all different: You're the world's greatest expert on you.)

    Once you have the calorie goal dialed into a reasonably happy eating routine, stick with it for a month. Try to average around that calorie number, so you're around +/- 50 calories of your daily goal on average, averaging over a few days to a week (some day to day variation is fine). At the end of that month, compare your average weekly loss to your goal loss rate, and adjust if necessary using the assumption that 500 calories a day makes about a pound a week difference.

    With relatively little to lose, half a pound to a pound a week (tops) would be a good rate. And yes, 20 pounds does seem like a lot, but it's really not in context of folks here losing many, many tens or even hundreds of pounds. Not going super fast makes it more achievable, and allows for better nutrition and a higher energy level. If it's too hard (trying to lose fast), we may actually reach goal weight at a later date, due to setbacks or even giving up. If it's too extreme, it can sap energy, so we burn fewer calories in daily life by doing less, resting more. Slow and steady wins.

    You can lose the weight, if you choose to do it. Wishing you much success!

  • christineogara
    christineogara Posts: 12 Member
    Hi Ann. Thanks for the input. Very well said. Good luck on your journey.

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