55-65 year old women's success?
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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!10
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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!10 -
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!5 -
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.5
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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!4
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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!6
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@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...0 -
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.
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@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.5 -
@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!4 -
HI ladies- I am so glad that I found this thread. 3 years ago I was thrust into surgical menopause, I am 5'7 and WAS 164 lbs. It seems like almost overnight I started gaining weight and bellyfat, I consulted my doctor and was told hysterectomy does not cause weight gain. Fast forward 3 years, I look like I have a spare time around my midsection and weigh 189 lbs. I feel so disheartened and desperate to find the "old me" I wish I never would of had this surgery, unfortunately I had a 10cm growth on my R) ovary and it wasn't an option (it turned out benign). Nothing has changed in my life beside my hysterectomy. My question to all of you, what calorie parameters should I use? How many calories, protein, carbs? How do I figure all of this out? Thank you in advance for any information and guidance. P.S. If anyone is interested in being friends I would love that too!3
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HI ladies- I am so glad that I found this thread. 3 years ago I was thrust into surgical menopause, I am 5'7 and WAS 164 lbs. It seems like almost overnight I started gaining weight and bellyfat, I consulted my doctor and was told hysterectomy does not cause weight gain. Fast forward 3 years, I look like I have a spare time around my midsection and weigh 189 lbs. I feel so disheartened and desperate to find the "old me" I wish I never would of had this surgery, unfortunately I had a 10cm growth on my R) ovary and it wasn't an option (it turned out benign). Nothing has changed in my life beside my hysterectomy. My question to all of you, what calorie parameters should I use? How many calories, protein, carbs? How do I figure all of this out? Thank you in advance for any information and guidance. P.S. If anyone is interested in being friends I would love that too!
Start with the MFP defaults that result from setting your profile per MFP's instructions. Shoot for a pound a week loss. Follow that goal closely for at least a month. If the first couple of weeks' weight changes look extremely different from the last couple, ignore the first couple, and go on for a couple more.
Then calculate your average weekly weight change over the 4 weeks. If it's materially different from the pound a week, adjust your calorie goal using the assumption that 500 calories a day is about a pound a week. (Use arithmetic for fractional pounds if necessary.)
Don't alter your plan before 4 weeks of solid, consistent data . . . unless you seek to be losing much faster than a pound a week and start feeling weak or fatigued (danger sign!), in which case eat more.
Don't worry too much about macros at first, focus more on calories and satiating food choices/timing. If you're noticing you're very short of the protein goal routinely, that's worth trying to improve alongside working on calories.
Get calories and satiation in line first. You can work on fine-tuning nutrition later. You won't become malnourished in that time, as long as you're not malnourished now, and don't do some extreme ridiculous restrictive fad diet. Eating reasonably sensibly will be fine.
Best wishes!5 -
Glad I found this thread as I am in this age range (59) and can relate to the posts. It's very encouraging to hear how those of you have lost the weight and kept it off. Being consistent in my food choices and exercising is key. Thanks for the reminder!3
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I'm so glad that there was some discussion on maintaining weight, after all it is the end goal & hardly anyone talks about it. Many people I've come across don't know what to do when they reach their goals so this was good. I guess maintenance isn't that exciting...just eating a little more of the same as before but I know many people who , after losing weight went back to their old habits & gained it back and if I didn't hear about losing with maintaining in mind, I could have very easily gain it back so it made the world of difference for me6
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