Why can't I keep the weight off?

[CyclingM]

I am 70 years old and have been on and off calorie reduced diets for about 40 years. Can't remember how many times I have reached my ideal weight only to put it back again.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, CyclingM

The answer is because you've been dieting on and off for 40 years. The only way to lose weight and maintain that loss, is to start and stick to a healthy lifestyle.

Considering your age and 40 years of yoyo dieting, I think this would be appropriate for you.

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[S11m]

Maybe the problem is that you count calories?

We all need lifestyle, lifetime eating habits ¿not diets?

I am 70 next year, and I tend to lose weight in the spring and Summer, and put it back on in the Winter, as I feel hungry when I am cold (and I do not like paying a fortune to keep the house warm).

I put my target weight in my e-diary every week as an instruction, e.g.:

Weigh 18St 5lb

This reminds me to check my weight, and when I have achieved the target weight, all I have to do is add a "t" to change it from and instruction to a record!

[Pineapple27 in reply to S11m]

Hi S11m - I absolutely HAVE to keep track of calories. I am very short (4ft 9"), sedentary because of disability so little mobility - plus 56 in a few months.

The only way weight loss has worked for me this time around is to understand what calories are in what foods. For example, I used to love eating roasted peanuts, but finding out that 100 calories of peanuts looks like has made me realise I cannot afford to eat them any longer! atmedia.imgix.net/d3b15f6c5...

You'll have seen that I cook a lot from scratch and that is another way to try and keep my calories low.

To MAINTAIN my current weight and lose no more I can only eat 1,300 calories.

To continue to lose weight, I need to stick to around 1,100 calories.

In order to keep to those kinds of levels, I need to have a good understanding about which foods to avoid or to enjoy in moderation (cakes, bread, biscuits, pastry, take aways, pizzas, fried foods, etc).

Over 6 years, I have equipped myself with information about the calorie content and nutritional values of food so that I am able to make informed choices about what I eat.

[S11m in reply to Pineapple27]

Hi Pineapple27 ...

I thought you were 27! ¿or is that your waist size?

I will be 70 in a few months, and I am disabled, and cannot exercise, and I am loosing two pounds a week without trying very hard!

"Having a good understanding about which foods to avoid" is essential if you are going to avoid counting calories.

Every day I eat the same breakfast and supper, so I do not have to count... if you cook for yourself, and you have previously counted the calories in a dish or portion, you do not have to count them again every time you cook.

What I tend to eat in moderation are pub lunches... I was down to my target weight on Tuesday, and had an Age Concern Lunch. This Morning (Wednesday) I was a pound lighter. I am out for lunch tomorrow, so a small lunch today.

I am 6ft 3"... but ¿so what?

If you have lost four stone, and you are keeping it off, calorie counting is working for you... I think many people stop counting calories when they get to their target weight, ...and then put it all back on again.

[Pineapple27 in reply to S11m]

Hi S11m - I was 27 a long, long time ago, and I can only dream of having a 27 inch waist!

When I first hit my goal weight (September 2014) I did go a bit off the rails and re-gained about 1.5 stone.... but it is all part of the learning process! Plus at the time we were dealing with having recently been bereaved - lost my mother-in-law who had been living with us during the final 14 months of her life - cancer and dementia. It was as if once she'd gone, we suddenly could get a life back, so too many meals out and too many holidays to make up for all the time we'd spent at home caring for her.

I have also only recently learnt how to deal with holidays and short breaks - we do a lot of these. Recently back from 4 days in Edinburgh where I gained 9lb (can you believe!) but pleased to report that just three days later I am just 3lb heavier than when I left (phew!)

We used to eat out a lot, but now we do it as a nice treat every now and again.

[S11m in reply to Pineapple27]

I lost my wife two rears ago, and, for a while, I was not very bothered what I weighed.

For many of us, keeping the weight off is harder than loosing it!

[Pineapple27 in reply to S11m]

I absolutely agree S11m - maintenance is the hardest part. But I do think that those of us who are unable to rely on "earning" exercise calories perhaps are lucky in that respect - our activity levels are unlikely to vary - whereas others may have active periods and less active periods.

[Millie53]

Hi, I know all to well how that feels. I am 62, I am trying to maintain my weight loss. It is harder as u get older. I am up and down with a couple of pounds. This NHS eating plan and support is keeping me going. Good luck, stay positive.