How do I know what's healthy and what's not The message keeps changing what are good fats - which is best butter or margarine etc

[Macer]

I Am 68 years old and have mobility issues due to a medical condition. This means I am not as active as. I used to be . I think. I eat pretty healthy but obviously not as good as I think I am as I am beginning to spread Any advice regarding shifting a few pounds would be greatly appreciated regards

[Seuzan]

Have a look at the nhs 12 week plan if you have not already done so.

Also, start to log everything you eat (the free ap myfitnesspal is good for helping to do that). Once you start logging all the food you consume and adding up the calories, you soon realise the culprits!

You can also check your healthy BMI on the nhs site - so you know what calorie range you should have.

Good luck!!!

[Hidden]

Hi macer

Butter or margarine, we'll look at the calories and see which has less. Just don't use too much.

Make sensible food swaps rather than going hungry. Swap white foods such as white bread for whole grain bread, pasta for wheat pasta, potato for sweet potato. There are many things you can swap that contain less calories for the same amount of food.

Watch those fat free foods such as yoghurts as they often put in lots of sugars in place of fat. For the amount of fat it contains your better off eating a full fat yoghurt as they fill you up more.

Eat a meal before going food shopping. You tend to avoid snack foods if you feel full.

If you feel hungry, drink some water first. We have forgotten how to tell if we are hungry or thirsty. If half an hour your still hungry then eat.

Last of all, even at 68, you can still exercise and by exercise I mean go for walks at a speed where you can hear your breath and for at least 30 minutes a day. If walking is too much then try something else.

Above all stay positive and use the Internet to gain more information especially on food swaps and healthier eating.

[Macer in reply to Hidden]

Thank you much appreciated

[JenniToto]

If you read 'how not to die' (about a tenner on Amazon), it's a book of well researched health advice

[Penel]

Hi Macer

At 68 you can think back to what meals used to be like before the 'low-fat' and junk food arrived. Stick to food as natural as possible, butter rather than margarine, lots of different vegetables.

If you need to lose some weight, cut out sugary foods (check any breakfast cereals) and limit your bread and potatoes. Make sure that your portion sizes are reasonable.

Good luck.

[Macer in reply to Penel]

I Think my diet is ok but there are quite a few things. I need to change eg too much butter. white bread and Ilove my ( photo toes (spuds) as we say here. Thanks for the advice

[radioactiveblue]

Butter over margarine -- it's more natural, less processed. Olive oil is still considered one of the better oils, but doesn't tolerate heat well so coconut oil is often recommended for cooking. And the advice is still to eat two or more portions of oily fish (e.g. salmon, fresh tuna) and other good fats such as nuts and avocados.

In general, if you already choose foods that aren't processed (e.g. make things from scratch, use whole grains, etc) you probably just need to watch portion sizes if you're gaining slowly.

Most people would benefit from increasing their fibre intake and reducing their use of free sugar, but that's a sweeping generalisation that might not apply to you

[Macer in reply to radioactiveblue]

Great advice thanks

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome Macer

You've been given a lot of great advise and I agree, there's a lot of conflicting ideas around. It falls to each of us to read the advice and decide for ourselves what seems to be the right choice for us as individuals. I personally choose natural and unprocessed, but I'm no expert and wouldn't want to sway your decision

Take a look at the Pinned Posts section, to the right of your screen (bottom, if you're using a mobile) and have a look at the Welcome Newbies thread, it has a link to the NHS 12 week plan, which is a guide to healthy living, rather that a specific diet plan.

Consider joining any, or all, of our challenges, as they're fun and motivating.

Join us for the monday group weigh-in, which I have posted today, but which Lowcal l will be posting in future. The latest thread can always be found in the events section, to the right of the home page.

Be active on the forum, as that's where we make friends and get our daily fix of inspiration and motivation

Wishing you all the very best

[Macer in reply to moreless]

Thank you. Iam not great on the computer but. I will try to access the 12 week plan 💕