Have I left it too late?

[historylady]

I'm 54 and been about 4 stone over weight for at least 10 years. I've got so muddled about the best way to lose weight (low cal, low fat, low carb etc) that I just can't seem to get going.  I over analyse every thing I eat. I feel like I'm never going to be a healthy weight now that I'm menopausal. I've done weight watchers on and off and had some success but can't sustain it. Any advice would be great. Thanks

[Windswept1]

Never too late.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Lots of information here

Good luck

[LessToLose Restart April 2024]

Of course you can. Personally, I am finding weight loss a lot easier now I no longer have the monthly hormone fluctuations to deal with.  I have lost 5 stone since last September and I am the same age as you, so you have no more excuses, LOL.

[historylady in reply to LessToLose]

Thanks LotToLose and wow....well done! 5 stone in 6 months is amazing. Have you just cut calories or is it low fat or low carb......I struggle. I think I'm doing ok but I never seem to lose weight. I'm counting calories at the moment and sticking to my daily limit but the weight isn't moving. I'm very limited on exercise at the moment as I have some health problems. All I can do is walk for about half an hour. I will keep going and you will be an inspiration to me!

[LessToLose Restart April 2024 in reply to historylady]

Thanks Historylady, I just make sure I consume between 1600-1800 calories and I eat loads of fruit and veg and wholefoods, I also eat plenty of carbs because I need them for energy. 

I don't have any refined sugars and I do include healthy fats in my diet.  This seems to suit me very well and I feel so much better eating this way.  I used to take the max dose of proton pump inhibitors to deal with my terrible indigestion and now I don't take any at all!

You will be surprised at how your fitness improves over an amazingly short time.  I remember when I started, I could hardly walk at all and now I can go for miles.

Taking part in the challenges here, really helps to keep you motivated - look for the "20,000 leagues under the sea" post for the current one and join in!

Good luck and have fun!

[kantara71]

Only 54? Still a young chick! Get started tomorrow! Follow the 12 week plan and you will see results fairly quickly and the people on this forum are amazing - no excuses John

[historylady in reply to kantara71]

Thanks John

[IndigoBlue61]

I am 54, wish I had done this years ago! Do some research and find the right eating plan, i am enjoying my food and my new life, I exercise because I want to 😊 I truly believe I deserve to be fit healthy and happy So I am doing this for me, I want lots more years of this life!

Good luck!

[historylady in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thanks Anna. I'm very limited on exercise due to health problems and that's why I think I'm struggling to lose weight with diet alone. I am so fed up with feeling ugly and uncomfortable in my clothes. And I want to be healthy!

[Hidden]

I am just about to turn 54.  Have lost about 2 and a half stone since last April; not as fast as some here but it's worked and I'm still going.   It's not all about food, I had to get moving - even a little bit, and I counted calories which helped me recognise how badly I was over-eating.  I read a lot of posts here, and don't get too hung up on what everyone else is doing, I worked out what works for me.  You have to decide what to do, do it and give it a chance. Good luck.

[historylady in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Frankie. I think part of my problem is I'm very limited on exercise due to health conditions at the moment. I have stuck to a strict calorie count and I'm not losing weight so I'm becoming less and less motivated. I'm so frustrated with myself that I can't do it. I write everything down and I eat relatively healthy with a couple of treats but still within my calorie limit. I'll stick with it. Going to Rome in 8 weeks and I want to lose a stone by then. Good luck to you too.

[Hidden in reply to historylady]

Don't be frustrated, you ARE doing it!  It's hard. Particularly if exercise is limited.  Maybe some of the basic Pilates moves?  Basically tensing muscles?  Might that be achievable?  A little while ago i was googling 'weight loss for women over 50' and that gave me some other ideas. Keep going. No reason to give up. 

[historylady in reply to Hidden]

I've had to give up Pilates which is awful because I loved it. There are just so many moves I can't do at the moment. I will google the same and see what it comes up with. I've gained so much weight due to the health issues and it's very frustrating!!!

[elliebath Maintainer]

Just the right age !!  Sadly I allowed myself to gain weight in my  fifties and menopause years , didn't tackle it til I was 61. But now Im 63 and through the help on here and on myfitnesspal, I lost my spare 2 st and am in maintenance since last april. That could definitely be same for you next year 😊😊😊

[Bingbong10429 in reply to elliebath]

Hi Elliebeth, you are the same age as myself and I too have 2 stone to lose. I'm a newbie on here and like to read all the positive advice and encouragement. I think the menopause does have a lot to do with it, I also believe your state of mind affects what you eat and you lose the motivation to exercise too. Life changes such as children leaving home(empty nest syndrome), work/ life balance etc all conspire to lead us to a sedentary life, which in turn leaves us with nothing to do but eat/drink all the stuff that takes us to this high weight. I use the fitnesspal site and it's amazing when you see it all written down, just what you could consume so easily without a second thought. I'n hoping now I've joined the forum, that with the help of my new virtual pals, I'll finally shed this unwelcome weight, although I know I will have to persevere for some time.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Bingbong10429]

Hi, welcome aboard! It sounds like we had / are having a similar journey. I reached my goal weight last april , although I do admit I still hanker after being 7lbs lighter , just because that would take me back to my twenties ! Silly really , we're never satisfied!

Hope you continue with your success 😊 

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Bingbong10429]

And P.S. .... I know what you mean about empty nests!

[fussybird]

Its never too late to get to a healthy weight, agree with all the above. Good luck, you'll be so glad you did lose the excess

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Historylady,

It's never too late!  

Here's a link to our Welcome Newbie thread which moreless  has put together:

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Many of us are following the NHS 12 week plan, which is a really helpful structure and easy to follow.

I hope you'll enjoy being part of this great forum.  Please do join us in the Monday group weigh-ins too, if you fancy the idea of a group weigh-in.  The latest thread is in the Events section (right-hand-side of the homepage).

Have a great weekend.

Lowcal

[historylady in reply to Zest]

Thanks. I joined the Newbie page a while ago but haven't lost any weight so have been too embarrassed to weigh in I'm sticking to the NHS calorie guideline for my height/weight but the pounds aren't shifting. Getting less and less motivated. I will hang in there though. Not giving up. Just want to start losing so that I can start to see it's making a difference.

[Zest Healthy BMI in reply to historylady]

Hi Historylady,

Oh I'm really sorry to hear you've not had much success yet with shifting any pounds, but I'm glad to hear you're not giving up, and that you're sticking with it.  Hopefully your patience will be rewarded with some changes over time.

It's a pity you feel too embarrassed to join the weigh-in, because being part of it can be 'motivating' in itself - but I completely understand it could be daunting.  So only join in if you feel brave enough another time, and remember you'd always be welcome.  

Hope you're enjoying your meals and finding things that you enjoy eating, and I hope you have a lovely Easter weekend.

Lowcal

[historylady in reply to Zest]

That's what's so frustrating. I'm cooking lots of nice, healthy, low cal meals but not losing any weight.

Happy Easter to you too. Just off to help hubby mow the grass. That counts as exercise, right?

[Zest Healthy BMI in reply to historylady]

Yes, it definitely counts as exercise.  

[TheHud]

Snap, same age ish 53 only the meno got me about 5 years ago all over now.  I was overweight ( according to the healthy daft thing that only applies to normal shaped and sized people with frames from the 1950's), 5stone 8 lbs out of the top end of norm ish.  My weight has gone up and down since I was a size 10 at 21 and weighted 11stone.   Now at 53 and given the amount of skin hanging around, currently still filled with slightly softer fat, I want to be 12 stone.  Monday is the end of week 6 and I am1st 4lb down, another 2stone to go and I will be happy.  This week is a plateau week, did far too much exercising yesterday.

Thing is, its up to you to find a balance.  Write down everything you eat and find the calories, fat and carb content.  Then look at the big picture, you will see were you need to cut back, then find the right diet.  I am doing low carb (no simple carbs), low fat, low cal.  Just depends how fast you want to lose weight.

You will do it, promise

This explains the types of die in an easy to understand way, they all follow these basic rules.

diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Lo...

[historylady in reply to TheHud]

Thank you for replying. I feel so fed up with trying to work out which is the best diet. I have given up wheat before and I did lose a bit of weight but I love my bread and pasta etc. I am counting calories at the moment and not worrying about whether it's low fat or low carb. I can't exercise much due to health problems which doesn't help. That's how I've always kept my weight down. I'm frustrated that I keep trying and I don't get anywhere.

I'll keep you posted

[TheHud in reply to historylady]

Look into this if you like your pasta and pots, its about resistant starch.  There was a BBC doc about it and it appears to be one of the reasons the mediteranean diet is so healthy.  It may knock a few of those carbs out by turning them into fibre but perhaps more importantly for us, of a certain age and girth, it lowers the amount of glucose that gets directly into our bloodstream to be used as energy, or converted into fat if we can't exercise it off in 30 minutes.  There are other benefits too.  I have started adding green banana starch as a meal replacement with whey and collagen (flavoured) once a day this week to give my gut bacteria some food.

Anyway have a read

diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-di...

bbc.co.uk/programmes/articl...

[historylady in reply to TheHud]

Thanks....will do.

[muffintop67]

Never too late to start! Must be frustrating for you though to keep trying and not to get anywhere. Have a look at the link Lowcal sent you. There will be lots of advice on there.  The NHS 12 week plan is really a plan for life I think not just a diet.  So if you can get into it I am sure bit by bit you will see the weight coming off.  Good luck and go  for it!!!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

You certainly haven't left it too late historylady, I made the move at 58, when I was 9st overweight. I've lost just over half of that in 6 months. If I can do it, so can you!

[historylady]

Hi Dara21, thanks for replying. That's brilliant to hear you've lost 30lbs in 4 months and gives me real motivation to carry on trying. I will have a look at the programme you suggested. I need something easy to follow. Exercise in any real sense is out for me, just a bit of walking. I've got a shoulder impingement at the moment so can't swim, a benign tumour in my foot and a birth defect in my hips which both make high impact exercise impossible. Walking for any distance becomes painful after about half an hour and hills are impossible. I've tried Zumba but it just leaves me in pain. Very frustrating as I've always been active and exercises regularly. Things will improve once my shoulder and foot are better but the hips will always be a problem until they are replaced.

Good luck with continued weight loss and control over maintaining!

[Bean_Counter]

I'm a similar age to you and I too struggle with my weight - I just love the things that are bad for you. However, I have lost weight successfully in the past with Slimming World. They focus on their plan being a lifestyle change and a healthy way of eating, rather than "a diet", and also give lots of support and tips/advice on how to cope with your danger spots. Nothing is off-limits, practically everything can be built in to the plan in one way or another. My weight is not going down much at the moment, but's that's largely due to major health problems and stresses in my life which have shifted my focus. However, I still go to my SW group as I know without their support, my weight would start to rocket. Might be worth a try....

[historylady in reply to Bean_Counter]

Thanks for replying. I've done Weight Watchers which is basically the same. I just can't stick to it long term. I have health issues too and it's just so hard to keep focus when I'm in pain. I'll get there one day!