Hi!

Hello, and welcome!

There's a lightly-active 50+ group here that you can join:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100593-over-50-group

There's also a long-running thread for 60+ people (though people close to that are welcome there, too):

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10718336/60-yrs-and-up#latest

Don't panic if you open that up and see old posts: Like any long-running thread in the MFP Community, the newest posts are at the end, on the high-numbered pages. You can jump straight there with the number/arrow keys near the bottom of each page of the thread. It's still active, though in bursts.

I'd also encourage you (speaking as a 68F who came here at 59) to consider joining some of the all-ages threads, groups, or challenges here in the Community. People of all ages share at least some of your goals, and can be support and encouragement along with way, plus offer ideas of things they've tried on their path to success.

Many groups/challenges are in one or the other of these areas:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/motivation-and-support
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/challenges

You can go there, read the introductory posts (that will usually say how to join), then join in ones you think could be helpful to you.

Best wishes for success: IME, the rewards are worth the effort!

UsPsSlaveGirl16 wrote: »

I REALLY hate they removed the newsfeed. Makes adding friends kinda lose the purpose? It’s very difficult to navigate these forums.

Any tips?

I think getting support in the Community forums is a little bit different style of thing.

While I was opposed to MFP getting rid of the newsfeed (because I knew how many people enjoyed it), I wasn't really using it any more. I found it more difficult to use (so many auto-posts!), and prone to likes and one-word comments. (I'm more oriented to detailed discussions, which was difficult in the newsfeed, no edits for example; and I tiny box to type in with unpredictable formatting across platforms). Also, it seemed like people were friending and then disappearing, which was discouraging.

I'm not saying people who feel differently are wrong, though: It's just a taste-preference thing, not good or bad either side. I'm just trying to explain.

I tried to get a thread started about how to find support in the Community forum, when it became pretty evident that MFP wasn't going to bring back the newsfeed. But the thread didn't get much traction, unfortunately. It's here, if you're interested:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10918673/finding-support-and-like-minded-people-in-the-mfp-community#latest

Keeping it brief, I think one of the easier things is to find a group in Challenges or Motivation parts of the forum that suit your style, and join in with that. One does get to know the repeat participants, and some of them are almost like a small-group newsfeed feel (with typed in posts rather than a high percentage of auto-updates).

Like the newsfeed/friends, there are quite a few people who post a time or two then disappear, but there are some very long-running groups and threads that kind of take on a life of their own, with a sort of rolling group of regulars, with a bit of change in the participants over time. The group or thread keeps going, so there's some continuity of support.

I don't know whether that helps or not. I know it's quite an adjustment, for someone who loved the newsfeed and didn't much use the Community forum! I wish it hadn't happened that way, sincerely.

AnnPT77 wrote: »

UsPsSlaveGirl16 wrote: »

I REALLY hate they removed the newsfeed. Makes adding friends kinda lose the purpose? It’s very difficult to navigate these forums.

Any tips?

I think getting support in the Community forums is a little bit different style of thing.

While I was opposed to MFP getting rid of the newsfeed (because I knew how many people enjoyed it), I wasn't really using it any more. I found it more difficult to use (so many auto-posts!), and prone to likes and one-word comments. (I'm more oriented to detailed discussions, which was difficult in the newsfeed, no edits for example; and I tiny box to type in with unpredictable formatting across platforms). Also, it seemed like people were friending and then disappearing, which was discouraging.

I'm not saying people who feel differently are wrong, though: It's just a taste-preference thing, not good or bad either side. I'm just trying to explain.

I tried to get a thread started about how to find support in the Community forum, when it became pretty evident that MFP wasn't going to bring back the newsfeed. But the thread didn't get much traction, unfortunately. It's here, if you're interested:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10918673/finding-support-and-like-minded-people-in-the-mfp-community#latest

Keeping it brief, I think one of the easier things is to find a group in Challenges or Motivation parts of the forum that suit your style, and join in with that. One does get to know the repeat participants, and some of them are almost like a small-group newsfeed feel (with typed in posts rather than a high percentage of auto-updates).

Like the newsfeed/friends, there are quite a few people who post a time or two then disappear, but there are some very long-running groups and threads that kind of take on a life of their own, with a sort of rolling group of regulars, with a bit of change in the participants over time. The group or thread keeps going, so there's some continuity of support.

I don't know whether that helps or not. I know it's quite an adjustment, for someone who loved the newsfeed and didn't much use the Community forum! I wish it hadn't happened that way, sincerely.

Ann,

I remember you from a while ago, especially after you and another guy (a Penn State graduate, I think) left comments on my post about nutrition, fitness, and cholesterol.

When you mentioned in the quoted section about hardly ever using the newsfeed, I completely agreed after realizing that my daily logging over the past several years (2000+ days) rarely made use of the feed, except, as you mentioned to post a 'like' or couple of words to keep up with those I knew from years ago when Sparkpeople shut down their popular daily interactions. I sense MFP has now gravitated in a similar direction. Could you reach out to identify a consistent and efficient method of interacting with others for those, like myself, who addictively log in daily to record data out of habit?

Current stats:

6 feet 170lbs (224lbs in 1997); 20,000 step average (nature walks with daily 2 minute uphill runs/jogs, except for Saturdays); 1 or 2 meals a day, mostly breakfast or brunch); organic plant-based foods since whichever year Michael Jackson died; over 55 and retired since 2016).

Thanks.

Jamesever wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

UsPsSlaveGirl16 wrote: »

I REALLY hate they removed the newsfeed. Makes adding friends kinda lose the purpose? It’s very difficult to navigate these forums.

Any tips?

I think getting support in the Community forums is a little bit different style of thing.

While I was opposed to MFP getting rid of the newsfeed (because I knew how many people enjoyed it), I wasn't really using it any more. I found it more difficult to use (so many auto-posts!), and prone to likes and one-word comments. (I'm more oriented to detailed discussions, which was difficult in the newsfeed, no edits for example; and I tiny box to type in with unpredictable formatting across platforms). Also, it seemed like people were friending and then disappearing, which was discouraging.

I'm not saying people who feel differently are wrong, though: It's just a taste-preference thing, not good or bad either side. I'm just trying to explain.

I tried to get a thread started about how to find support in the Community forum, when it became pretty evident that MFP wasn't going to bring back the newsfeed. But the thread didn't get much traction, unfortunately. It's here, if you're interested:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10918673/finding-support-and-like-minded-people-in-the-mfp-community#latest

Keeping it brief, I think one of the easier things is to find a group in Challenges or Motivation parts of the forum that suit your style, and join in with that. One does get to know the repeat participants, and some of them are almost like a small-group newsfeed feel (with typed in posts rather than a high percentage of auto-updates).

Like the newsfeed/friends, there are quite a few people who post a time or two then disappear, but there are some very long-running groups and threads that kind of take on a life of their own, with a sort of rolling group of regulars, with a bit of change in the participants over time. The group or thread keeps going, so there's some continuity of support.

I don't know whether that helps or not. I know it's quite an adjustment, for someone who loved the newsfeed and didn't much use the Community forum! I wish it hadn't happened that way, sincerely.

Ann,

I remember you from a while ago, especially after you and another guy (a Penn State graduate, I think) left comments on my post about nutrition, fitness, and cholesterol.

When you mentioned in the quoted section about hardly ever using the newsfeed, I completely agreed after realizing that my daily logging over the past several years (2000+ days) rarely made use of the feed, except, as you mentioned to post a 'like' or couple of words to keep up with those I knew from years ago when Sparkpeople shut down their popular daily interactions. I sense MFP has now gravitated in a similar direction. Could you reach out to identify a consistent and efficient method of interacting with others for those, like myself, who addictively log in daily to record data out of habit?

Current stats:

6 feet 170lbs (224lbs in 1997); 20,000 step average (nature walks with daily 2 minute uphill runs/jogs, except for Saturdays); 1 or 2 meals a day, mostly breakfast or brunch); organic plant-based foods since whichever year Michael Jackson died; over 55 and retired since 2016).

Thanks.

To the bolded, I think all I have is in the thread I linked already:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10918673/finding-support-and-like-minded-people-in-the-mfp-community#latest

In a way, I feel like your request is (forgive me if this is harsh) analogous to asking me which TV shows you would like. What matters is what floats your boat, and your interests and personal style are probably very different from mine.

Generically, short form, what I'd suggest is reading around a bunch in the Community. It may take some patient persistence in doing that, but I think you can potentially find threads (or groups "advertised" in threads), that will be helpful and supportive for you. That kind of avenue may even help you find individuals with similar interests who'd be open to DMs about those common interests.

The thread I linked includes a post from me about the kind of threads/groups I personally find helpful in supporting me (or giving me the sense of people who share similar goals) . . . but your personal tastes or needs are probably different from mine, since we're two different people.

For me, one thing that keeps my head in the game is reading across the Community and trying - quite imperfectly! - to help others, especially new folks. That's a priority because of the amazing amount of help and insight I got from MFP old-timers when I was starting out. I don't know what I would've done without them. Failed, probably.