I’m new on this journey!

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boogizmo15
boogizmo15 Posts: 4 Member
edited March 16 in Introduce Yourself
Hi Everyone I’m Patti. I’m almost 61 and will be retiring in about a year. I really want to get back in shape before then so I have the energy for traveling. I was at one time about to go into competition body building and then I had a life altering back injury. I am really trying hard this time. I have done all the different things over the years and nothing worked for long. I started this time March 1st and can proudly say I am down almost 5 lbs. I have cut out sugar, added fruits & veggies, using portion control and got off my backside and started walking. I
am really glad to be here!

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,085 Member
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    Hello, Patti, and welcome! Congratulations on the great start: It sounds like you're making some very positive changes.

    I started on MFP at a similar age, 59 in my case. For me, calorie counting was the perfect strategy: Weight management was like a fun, productive science-fair project for for grown-ups. I could log my eating; notice what I personally found most filling, nutritious, and tasty; and adjust my routine eating habits accordingly.

    The majority of days create the majority of my outcomes. That rare day when I over-eat birthday cake or work out for 5 hours is a drop in the ocean. That puts a premium on finding new, easy, daily routine habits that involve calorie-appropriate eating. Routine habits IME are a power tool for weight management.

    I've been at a healthy weight for almost 8 years now, after just under a year of loss (class 1 obese to a healthy weight, about 50 pounds for me), and around 30 previous years of overweight/obesity. It wasn't psychologically easy every second, but it was far simpler logistically than I'd ever imagined. I could kick myself for not doing it decades earlier, honestly. The quality of life improvements have been huge.

    Stick with it, find those useful, sustainable new habits through experimentation and practice, and you'll succeed. Some "learning experiences" may happen along the way, but that's what they are, not personal failures. Revise your plan based on what you learn, and keep going. If you do that, you'll reach your goals, I'm confident.

    I'm cheering for you: The results are worth the effort!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,964 Member
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    Depending on how much extra weight you're carrying, losing some should help make getting around on your travels easier. I started on MFP in my early 50s and the weight loss helped with a lot of functional things like bending to tie shoes and stooping to get things on the floor and standing back up without needing something to steady myself.

    The walking should help with getting around to see the sights and any activities you might want to engage in.

    Another thing you might want to think about is how much strength you have for toting your own luggage or lifting it into an overhead bin -- there's not always someone around to help when you need it. You could look for a gym that has a functional fitness class, or just fill your bags lightly at home and do reps and sets of carrying and lifting, gradually adding weight.

    Best wishes in retirement!

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