60 yrs and up

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  • Anewme2023
    Anewme2023 Posts: 6 Member
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    @Anewme2023 You may want to re-check your numbers. I know that for me, to lose 1 pound a week, I can only eat 1200 calories. Even if I set my activity level to "very active" I'm still only allotted 1800 calories. So yes, 5000 calories sounds awfully high.

    I rechecked my numbers, it’s set at 1500 NOT 5000. I don’t know what I was thinking lol.
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    edited January 2023
    Anewme2023 wrote: »
    BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
    Anewme2023 wrote: »
    Hi everyone. I’d like to join your group. I’m new but not new, been on MFP before. Have decided to come back so I can track myself and get healthier. I’m in my mid 60’s and was told by my Dr. that my blood pressure is high as is my blood sugar. I’ve been given 3 months to get this under control or I’ll have to go on meds. I’m 5’2” and weigh 247 lb’s. It’s time for me to get serious! My problem is there are so many different “ways to eat” and it gets really confusing. How did y’all decide which way of eating to go with?
    I cannot speak for others, but I can say what worked and continues to work for me: I chose foods and an eating pattern that leaves me with as little hunger as possible while accepting that hunger is, for me, unavoidable and constant. I am now 61 and have gone from 127 kg to 65.2 kg (this afternoon). That means I am milligramming closer to the final goal, which is my (as of yet unknown) ideal weight.
    Thank you for your response. I know I need to cut way back on sugar, so guess I’ll start there. Congratulations on your weight loss. I’ve set mini goals for myself, the first one is to get out of the 240’s.
    Thank you. It was no big deal. Given what I have suffered before, my last 30+ kg were a walk in the park, even if my hunger remains constantly present.
    I think you are following a good path: eliminating sugar is/should be as easy as it gets. Take the low-hanging fruit first and when that stops to have an effect, you can always move on to more demanding strategies.
    Keep it up. You can do it.
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    edited January 2023
    Anewme2023 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Anewme2023 wrote: »
    Hi everyone. I’d like to join your group. I’m new but not new, been on MFP before. Have decided to come back so I can track myself and get healthier. I’m in my mid 60’s and was told by my Dr. that my blood pressure is high as is my blood sugar. I’ve been given 3 months to get this under control or I’ll have to go on meds. I’m 5’2” and weigh 247 lb’s. It’s time for me to get serious! My problem is there are so many different “ways to eat” and it gets really confusing. How did y’all decide which way of eating to go with?

    Different people do best with different methods. IMO, it's key to be willing to try an approach, stick with it for a fair trial (4-6 weeks, usually), then assess. If it didn't work - or didn't stick for that time period - don't give up, just try something else. Patience and persistence pay off.

    What I did was start logging my eating as completely as I could, the reviewed my food diary every day or two to find foods that seemed like they "cost" too many calories for my assessment of their filling-ness, tastiness, convenience, nutrition. Those were candidates to reduce or replace in my routine eating habits. Just keeping up this kind of approach, I gradually remodeled my eating habits toward calorie-appropriate, nutritious, practical eating, using foods I personally enjoy.

    There are more details about that kind of approach here:

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

    It's not the only way, won't be perfect for everyone, but it worked well for me - I lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight in just under a year at age 59-60, and have been at a healthy weight for around 7 years since (now age 67). With the weight loss, my high blood pressure and high cholesterol became solidly normal, and my arthritis pain/discomfort decreased in both degree and frequency, among other excellent side effects.

    Don't be afraid to try a method, see how you feel about it . . . keep it if you like it, try something else if you don't. Weight management is just a sequence of opportunities to experiment, self-analyze, and adjust until we get the results we want.

    Thank you for your input. I found your article very enlightening. I know I need to cut back on sugar to get my blood sugar down and I heard low carb is also good for that. My daughter suggest cutting back on salt (sodium) for the high blood pressure. MFP has me set at losing 1 lb a week with 5000 calories with 50% of that being carbs. Seems to be a little high to me. I’m actually leaning towards low carb without the high fat and see how that goes.
    5000 calories seems incredibly high. I think it would be wise to double check everything. Something seems wrong.
    As for sugar and low carb, take into account that sugar is carb, and that all carb eventually converts into sugar. So, lowering your sugar intake is good, and depending on your situation, lowering carbs in general might be a good idea as well. However, don't forget that fibre is also a family of carbs and it is quite beneficial, which is why we normally talk about net carb, essentially total carb minus fibre minus sugar alcohols.
    As for salt, almost everyone takes in too much of it. I reduced that dramatically by eliminating bread and have had an intake of well below 1 g of sodium a day for almost a year by also eliminating cheese and salted nuts. It had no effect on my blood pressure, but salt is not particularly good news anyway, and given the way I eat, I would have to add it intentionally, which is something I am not inclined to do. I don't miss it anymore at all.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,935 Member
    edited January 2023
    Anewme2023 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Anewme2023 wrote: »
    Hi everyone. I’d like to join your group. I’m new but not new, been on MFP before. Have decided to come back so I can track myself and get healthier. I’m in my mid 60’s and was told by my Dr. that my blood pressure is high as is my blood sugar. I’ve been given 3 months to get this under control or I’ll have to go on meds. I’m 5’2” and weigh 247 lb’s. It’s time for me to get serious! My problem is there are so many different “ways to eat” and it gets really confusing. How did y’all decide which way of eating to go with?

    Different people do best with different methods. IMO, it's key to be willing to try an approach, stick with it for a fair trial (4-6 weeks, usually), then assess. If it didn't work - or didn't stick for that time period - don't give up, just try something else. Patience and persistence pay off.

    What I did was start logging my eating as completely as I could, the reviewed my food diary every day or two to find foods that seemed like they "cost" too many calories for my assessment of their filling-ness, tastiness, convenience, nutrition. Those were candidates to reduce or replace in my routine eating habits. Just keeping up this kind of approach, I gradually remodeled my eating habits toward calorie-appropriate, nutritious, practical eating, using foods I personally enjoy.

    There are more details about that kind of approach here:

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

    It's not the only way, won't be perfect for everyone, but it worked well for me - I lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight in just under a year at age 59-60, and have been at a healthy weight for around 7 years since (now age 67). With the weight loss, my high blood pressure and high cholesterol became solidly normal, and my arthritis pain/discomfort decreased in both degree and frequency, among other excellent side effects.

    Don't be afraid to try a method, see how you feel about it . . . keep it if you like it, try something else if you don't. Weight management is just a sequence of opportunities to experiment, self-analyze, and adjust until we get the results we want.

    Thank you for your input. I found your article very enlightening. I know I need to cut back on sugar to get my blood sugar down and I heard low carb is also good for that. My daughter suggest cutting back on salt (sodium) for the high blood pressure. MFP has me set at losing 1 lb a week with 5000 calories with 50% of that being carbs. Seems to be a little high to me. I’m actually leaning towards low carb without the high fat and see how that goes.

    I understand that you will need to manage carbs (and sugars as a subset of carbs), since you have high blood sugar. But I'm wondering about low carb without high(-ish) fat? Your macronutrient variables are protein, carbs and fats. If carbs are low, and fats are low . . . you're eating unusually high protein. Protein is important for us as we age, but extra high protein? Is that sustainable for you?

    Fats are important, even though they're calorie dense. I struggle to get enough fats in my eating sometimes - not just my most intuitive pattern. But if I don't get enough, I have issues with things like smooth digestive throughput (constipation happens, to put it bluntly). There are many foods that are full of healthy fats, like cold-water fish (for Omega-3 fats), nuts, nut butters, avocados, olive oil and more. Obviously, it's important to watch the portions, because fats are calorie dense. But low carb, low fat, high protein may not be ideal, either.

    There's not just one true way to success, but I'd encourage you to consider whether extremely high protein (as implied by combining low fat/low carb) is ideal for you.
  • robineliza1961
    robineliza1961 Posts: 2 Member
    I’ve been using MFP on and off for several years. I need to lose some of this extra weight once and for all so I can feel & look better & fit back into my old clothes & be able to kayak and walk & hike again.
    My goal is to lose between 40-50 lbs. Since I have so much weight to lose it feels overwhelming & I fear I will lose my motivation again. I’m hoping being part of this group will help keep me on track.
  • karlschaeffer
    karlschaeffer Posts: 1,491 Member
    Realizing you want to lose weight is a great start. Don’t let the overall goal intimidate you. Set some achievable intermediate goals of both the scale and non scale variety. Check in with this group frequently. Lots of support here. After all, we’re all in this together. 😄👍😄
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Yeah, the low fat diet didn't work well for me and it appears the vast majority either, which is still recommended to this day, mind boggling actually.
    I have no idea about this vast majority. It may well be true, and it may not be. Maybe you could point us to a credible source? I can say that I am following a rather low-fat diet and it works great for me.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,866 Member
    edited January 2023
    BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Yeah, the low fat diet didn't work well for me and it appears the vast majority either, which is still recommended to this day, mind boggling actually.
    I have no idea about this vast majority. It may well be true, and it may not be. Maybe you could point us to a credible source? I can say that I am following a rather low-fat diet and it works great for me.

    It's been low fat since the introduction of the food pyramids begun. In 2020 fat was reduced further to as low as 25% and with protein around 15% that's a 55-60% carb diet, which hasn't basically changed much. Carb consumption in the 50's, 60's and 70's was in the low 40's and the obesity rate was in the area of 13% which resulted in a reduction of fat consumption going fwd and was coined the low fat era, maybe your not American, I don't know. I believe the EU is even lower, I heard as low as 15% fat, not sure though. My inference was that obesity has risen steadily since these introductions and I stand corrected it's not the vast majority because obesity in America is slightly below 50% but I have confidence that the USDA will continue to recommend these guidelines so I suspect these numbers to keep increasing as they've been doing for the last 30 years. Cheers.

    EDIT: If overweight persons are included then the stats show 76% of the population is either overweight or obese. Stats are on the CDC website.

    https://cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity-adult-17-18/obesity-adult.htm#table1
  • Pdc654
    Pdc654 Posts: 317 Member
    @ridiculous59. Another beautiful winter picture! Looks like the dogs are keeping him good company. It's so bright and clear there!
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Yeah, the low fat diet didn't work well for me and it appears the vast majority either, which is still recommended to this day, mind boggling actually.
    I have no idea about this vast majority. It may well be true, and it may not be. Maybe you could point us to a credible source? I can say that I am following a rather low-fat diet and it works great for me.

    It's been low fat since the introduction of the food pyramids begun. In 2020 fat was reduced further to as low as 25% and with protein around 15% that's a 55-60% carb diet, which hasn't basically changed much. Carb consumption in the 50's, 60's and 70's was in the low 40's and the obesity rate was in the area of 13% which resulted in a reduction of fat consumption going fwd and was coined the low fat era, maybe your not American, I don't know. I believe the EU is even lower, I heard as low as 15% fat, not sure though. My inference was that obesity has risen steadily since these introductions and I stand corrected it's not the vast majority because obesity in America is slightly below 50% but I have confidence that the USDA will continue to recommend these guidelines so I suspect these numbers to keep increasing as they've been doing for the last 30 years. Cheers.

    EDIT: If overweight persons are included then the stats show 76% of the population is either overweight or obese. Stats are on the CDC website.

    https://cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity-adult-17-18/obesity-adult.htm#table1
    The problem you are pointing out is correct. Low fat does not work. But then, neither does low carb or even low protein. The only thing that works is low(er) energy, and in that context, percentages don't matter.

    That is the problem with "low fat": it has never been about that. Lowering fat intake is quite obviously the easiest way to lower one's energy intake, but then oversimplifying that into "low fat" is simply wrong. That is not the fault of the dietitians (as a group) or any other medical profession, but of the attempt to simplify a fact down to a point where it becomes a joke.

    I am following a low fat diet, but that is in the context in which it is supposed to be used: lowering overall energy intake.

    One fun detail (for me) is that, when I went to med school, there was a suspicion that while fat has the highest energy content of the macronutrients, its metabolism could be so energy consuming, that the extra energy did not really matter. That is something that was disproved only later. Fat really does give us the highest energy per gramme.

    As for the obesity problem, the US *seems* to have peaked by now, but other countries are most definitely still on the rise and regardless of that, obesity and overweight are a problem, indeed.

  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    edited January 2023
    Pdc654 wrote: »
    Hello to all the newbies here! I know how overwhelming needing to lose a lot of weight is. But I want to encourage you by letting you know it can be done. I am 70 years old and have lost around 100 lbs so far. It really does help mentally to break it down into smaller goals as others have mentioned. This website is wonderful for support and information. Read the community posts and the advice of those who have lost and maintained their loss for years. Get a food scale and weigh all your food. That is one of the most important tips I have received here. It is eye opening sometimes to realize how off your calorie estimates have been. Log everything. Every bite. Be consistent and you will get there.
    Congratulations on your weight loss. 100 lbs is a good result. Once you get to that stage, you may begin to say with some confidence that you know what you are doing and that it works. You don't lose a 100 lbs by trickery. You really lose it.
    As for the food scale, I totally agree. Weigh your food. Know how much energy you ingest before ingesting it. I would add a good personal scale to that. I have a mechanical medical scale and besides my food scale it is arguably the best investment I have ever made.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,866 Member
    edited January 2023
    BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Yeah, the low fat diet didn't work well for me and it appears the vast majority either, which is still recommended to this day, mind boggling actually.
    I have no idea about this vast majority. It may well be true, and it may not be. Maybe you could point us to a credible source? I can say that I am following a rather low-fat diet and it works great for me.

    It's been low fat since the introduction of the food pyramids begun. In 2020 fat was reduced further to as low as 25% and with protein around 15% that's a 55-60% carb diet, which hasn't basically changed much. Carb consumption in the 50's, 60's and 70's was in the low 40's and the obesity rate was in the area of 13% which resulted in a reduction of fat consumption going fwd and was coined the low fat era, maybe your not American, I don't know. I believe the EU is even lower, I heard as low as 15% fat, not sure though. My inference was that obesity has risen steadily since these introductions and I stand corrected it's not the vast majority because obesity in America is slightly below 50% but I have confidence that the USDA will continue to recommend these guidelines so I suspect these numbers to keep increasing as they've been doing for the last 30 years. Cheers.

    EDIT: If overweight persons are included then the stats show 76% of the population is either overweight or obese. Stats are on the CDC website.

    https://cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity-adult-17-18/obesity-adult.htm#table1
    The problem you are pointing out is correct. Low fat does not work. But then, neither does low carb or even low protein. The only thing that works is low(er) energy, and in that context, percentages don't matter.

    What your purposing is food has no influence on weight loss only calories.....where have I heard that before, oh right, from people trying to lose weight.
  • kathy2845
    kathy2845 Posts: 5 Member
    How do I join this group of 60 yr old?

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