Lose Weight. Another dream that is hard to do.

E

Enuff2Eat

Full time employment: Posting here.
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Oct 27, 2005
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Is it me or is it a dream for many retiree to stay fit and lose weight.

I talked. I promised. I determined. I dedicated..... but the pounds keep on winning and I end up heavier as the year goes by.

Please help me. Any "easy" recommendation or anything that you do if you don't mind sharing...

Enuff
 
Same here. I am in the normal weight range and I have been wanting to lose 10 lbs for the past 15 years. Usually there is a tipping point for me and then I make sure I never get heavier than that. I am 5 ft 7 inches (woman) and if the scale goes to 140 lbs, I make sure I get it down to about 138 lbs, although I really want to be at 128 lbs. It gets harder to lose weight as I get older. I was a skinny kid even when I was into my twenties.

Count calories and carbs is the key to weight loss. Unfortunately I get gastric pain when I get hungry and hence I cannot starve myself.
 
The skinny old guy in my avatar lost about 25 pounds in 2022 - 2023 by playing a lot of golf (walking A LOT), walking 10,000 steps per day, cutting almost all carbs out, using low carb protein shakes as a lunch replacement, and eating a lot of protein/fats/veggies. I'm 81 and in pretty good shape, overall. I do go to the gym 3 times per week and workout to not lose anymore muscle mass.

To lose weight at an old age, you have to be committed to the right routine. It's hard, don't get me wrong.
 
I started this 6 years ago now and have stuck to it to a T. I eat between 12 noon till 6 PM and eat anything I want during that time period. It has work great for me and my energy, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight loss have all went down and stayed down. It has been one of the best things I have done for my health. When I was working and building the cabin in July I couldn't eat enough and kept losing weight. It maybe something you want to look in too.
www.healthline.com

Intermittent Fasting 101 — The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

This is a detailed guide to intermittent fasting (IF). Studies show that it can help you lose weight, improve health and perhaps even live longer.
www.healthline.com www.healthline.com
 
Exercise and moderate eating. No great secret, just something you have to commit to in a routine, as others have said. I do Peloton cycling 4-6 times per week for cardio. I just hit a 52 week streak of getting on the Peloton bike at least ONCE...even while on vacations (I can do Peloton classes on the app on any stationery bike in a gym and get "credit"). My wife and I also recently started to go to The Exercise Coach, twice a week. It is an intense 20 minute strength training workout with a trainer. Amazingly, it has a great effect in such a short workout time.

As for the eating, neither my wife or I are big eaters and we usually share meals in restaurants. Portions are generally way too large and by sharing, we satisfy our appetites and save money too. As for being home, we keep ourselves busy with hobbies and projects and don't succumb to snacking during the day, which can be the downfall of many good intentions.
 
Motion is lotion my doctor says, and it will help keep off the pounds. You have to burn more than you take in to lose weight.
 
Luvtoride said:
Exercise and moderate eating. No great secret, just something you have to commit to in a routine, as others have said....

As for the eating, neither my wife or I are big eaters and we usually share meals in restaurants. Portions are generally way too large and by sharing, we satisfy our appetites and save money too. As for being home, we keep ourselves busy with hobbies and projects and don't succumb to snacking during the day, which can be the downfall of many good intentions.
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+1. I took off 50 pounds 25 years ago, and for first time in my life it never came back. I follow an exercise regimen and classic "portion control." I don't deprive myself, so rest assured it does not have to be torture. One thing I do, more for mental than physical reasons: if I have a big dinner, I will eat a lighter dinner the next day (or 2). And, I may ask Luvtoride to go out to dinner with DW and me - we also eat light and almost always share an entree when we go out to dinner. OP, keep in mind that what you feel is a normal-sized portion might be larger than what you "should" have, and that means sneaky extra calories.
 
For many people, there is nothing easy. I mean, unless you think strictly eating only 1200f/1500m calories a day, focusing on over 100gms of protein, while also including 30-60 minutes of rigorous exercise without also feeling cold and tired, for about 4-6 months.
No drinks, no desserts, no snacks.

That's really the only way to lose 10-20 pounds in that timeframe for someone whose goal is in that range.
Maintaining that is a little easier, but still not a picnic!

That's why GLP-1s and the like are popular, they make doing the above feel totally reasonable, even easy, instead of feeling cold and tired and deprived and hungry and hangry for months.
 
The best thing I ever did was join Weight Watchers. What was great was that I had never actually tracked my calorie intake before. I was amazed how much I was actually eating. So the first thing I would recommend is to do some tracking. Log everything you eat for a week. Figure out the calories and the macro's (protein, fat carbs). The next "easy" step is to just eat real food (JERF). This is a matter of degree but get back to eating a lot less processed food - food with a bunch of additives which are heavy on the added sugar. Basically, what you want to do is get rid of the wasted calories and eat food that supports your body. You can work on reducing calories later, but if you change your diet, you may not have to "diet" at all. Be conscious of what you eat, not necessarily restrictive.

Additionally, you have to move. "Easy" is to walk. Get a tracker of some type (your phone) and, like the food, start tracking your movement. Once you see how much (or little) you're actually moving, you can adjust from there.

Bottom line - start walking and eating better and report back in a month.
 
I do believe each person is so different as far as metabolism goes, not to boast or trying to outdo what other have said, but I eat more baked, sweats than the normal person. I know not good for you, but my point is it doesn't make a difference with my weight.
 
I presume you have a smart phone. If so, get the My Fitness Pal app and use it. This app forces you to learn how many calories you are eating per day, which is very enlightening. You enter in your goal weight and how many pounds you want to use and the timeframe and My Fitness Pal will tell you how many calories you can have per day to reach your goal.

Losing weight is truly taking in less calories then you are burning each day. My Fitness Pal gives you a way to track that process.

I used it 11 years ago to lose 30 pounds and I still use it because if I get 5 pounds over my goal weight I start paying attention to how many calories I'm taking in and cutting down here and there.

When I did it 11 years ago I told the app I wanted to lose 30 pounds in 6 months. Nothing drastic--about 1.25 lbs. per week. It wasn't that hard to do and I got a good education in the process.
 
Sometimes its as easy as changing what you eat or how you eat. If your home is stocked with processed foods and sugary snack food and you are a snacker, then it will be stupidly hard to lose weight , and its so easy to snack. It adds up. Minimize processed foods. Look through all the stuff you eat and see how much sugar is in those items. Make sure to look at condiments and dressings. I have seen people eat a salad to lose weight but then pour 1200 calories in ranch dressing on it. Eat fresh veggies and lean meats. Portion sizes are key as well. A serving of meat should be the size of a deck of cards. Potatoes in moderation just like sugars. Exercise exercise exercise. You don't have to run marathons to walk a few miles each day or multiple times a day. Make if fun by going places you haven't been and hitting their walking and hiking trails.

I fully admit I was gifted with a metabolism that eats calories like nobodies business. So I can keep my weight under control pretty easy. DW on the other hand has the same struggles that you mention.

Lastly, have you had your thyroid levels checked? Thyroid issues will cause you to put on weight even if you haven't changed anything else.
 
Take a look at your eating patterns. Do you bring junk food into the house and then snack on it? Do you eat at night while watching tv? Do you snack frequently? Do you go out to eat often? Do you drink your calories?

It would be easier for me to give you tips if I knew what your weak areas are. That said:

Don't bring junk food into the house. If you have it - make it a chore to get it and get a limited portion.

Don't eat between meals.

Don't drink your calories.

Read labels - avoid / restrict processed food.

Sneak in a little time restricted eating, i.e. stop eating at 6:00 p.m. maybe wait an hour after waking up before having your first meal.

Embrace the boring and the repetition. If you have two or three healthy breakfasts that you like and that work for weight control, it's ok to repeat.

Prioritize protein, moderate amounts of "good" fats (a long discussion), and limit carb focusing on low carb vegetables. (I don't believe that many of us developed weight problems due to romaine lettuce or steamed broccoli.)

Make a list before you shop.

Make good habits.

Plan your meals the day before - when you are not hungry.

As far as exercise, exercise is wonderful, but it is not a replacement for proper eating. That said, think about your exercise routine and see if you can "upgrade" i.e. add some resistance exercise/ weight lifting, steps, "exercise snacking," etc.

Personally, I found keto to be helpful, with a concentration on fish, eggs, grass fed beef, limited pork, low carb salad, leafy green, and cruciferous vegetables. I don't eat seed oils and I measure out my olive oil when I make a salad dressing. I have taught myself to enjoy "healthy" foods. I do need to limit dairy and nuts so that may be a Sunday treat. My exercise includes walking (inside when the weather is cold or raining), the stationary bike, resistant exercises, pilates, and exercises given to me by my physical therapist and chiropractor. My "exercise snacking" includes air squats though out the day, and I do try to get up and move.

Now - I did some cleaning this morning, am sipping some black coffee, and will be heading off to ride my stationary bike.
 
wrigley said:
Motion is lotion my doctor says, and it will help keep off the pounds. You have to burn more than you take in to lose weight.
Click to expand...
Few people can outrun or outwalk their diets. At some point one needs to cut calories in a way that does NOT hurt their health and/or cause misery.

I found a slower/lower carb diet to be the best for me. YMMV. It’s important not to waste calories on poor food choices. Eating foods that are less processed allows one to get adequate nutrition, and, IMO, avoid over eating. It worked for me. YMMV.

I suggest reading the book Always Hungry and see if you think it will work for you. Most libraries have it. This book was a game changer for me. YMMV.
 
RetiredHappy said:
Same here. I am in the normal weight range and I have been wanting to lose 10 lbs for the past 15 years. Usually there is a tipping point for me and then I make sure I never get heavier than that. I am 5 ft 7 inches (woman) and if the scale goes to 140 lbs, I make sure I get it down to about 138 lbs, although I really want to be at 128 lbs. It gets harder to lose weight as I get older. I was a skinny kid even when I was into my twenties.
Click to expand...
Hmm... different strokes I guess. I am 5'6" (though I was once 5'7") and female. Even at my most fit in my 40's, when I was mountain bike racing and training, I was generally weighing in at 145 +/- 2 lbs. As you said, it is in the normal range for my height. Today, at 61, I am still in that range and I get worried that there is something wrong with me if I drift down to 140 lbs. I would look skeletal at 128 lbs.

I have nothing to advise about diet except avoid sugary drinks and minimize processed foods. On the exercise front- the most important thing is consistency. Today the gyms will be full of new year's resolution exercisers who will be gone by February 1st. We all had the discipline to go to work daily during our careers, even when we didn't really feel like it. You have to treat exercise similarly.
 
CaffeineMe said:
Hmm... different strokes I guess. I am 5'6" (though I was once 5'7") and female. Even at my most fit in my 40's, when I was mountain bike racing and training, I was generally weighing in at 145 +/- 2 lbs. As you said, it is in the normal range for my height. Today, at 61, I am still in that range and I get worried that there is something wrong with me if I drift down to 140 lbs. I would look skeletal at 128 lbs.

I have nothing to advise about diet except avoid sugary drinks and minimize processed foods. On the exercise front- the most important thing is consistency. Today the gyms will be full of new year's resolution exercisers who will be gone by February 1st. We all had the discipline to go to work daily during our careers, even when we didn't really feel like it. You have to treat exercise similarly.
Click to expand...
I golf 4 to 5 days a week and while I ride the buggy/electric cart, our course is very hilly so we still get a good workout from it. For reference, I was really under weight at 100 lbs at 14 years old when I reached my current height. It took forever to get my weight to 120 lbs and really would like to stay there.

I just look better in my clothes at 120 lbs. :)
 
mystang52 said:
+1. I took off 50 pounds 25 years ago, and for first time in my life it never came back. I follow an exercise regimen and classic "portion control." I don't deprive myself, so rest assured it does not have to be torture. One thing I do, more for mental than physical reasons: if I have a big dinner, I will eat a lighter dinner the next day (or 2). And, I may ask Luvtoride to go out to dinner with DW and me - we also eat light and almost always share an entree when we go out to dinner. OP, keep in mind that what you feel is a normal-sized portion might be larger than what you "should" have, and that means sneaky extra calories.
Click to expand...
Hey neighbor, anytime you want to get together for dinner let us know. Ada in town is a nice place we like.
 
In my opinion what you eat really matters.

I’ve cut out junk food, sweets, deserts, fruit juices, sodas, highly processed foods, and most starchy foods especially avoiding any grains. I cook at home all meals pretty much from scratch unless traveling. I buy very few prepackaged foods. I get plenty of fresh vegetables, lots of good meats, poultry, seafood and eggs which I eat for breakfast every morning.

It’s easy to maintain a normal weight now.

My bloodwork is also great and dental cleaning visits no issues with teeth.
 
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I hear you, I have been overweight for many years, slowly changing that, but it's not easy for many of us. My body. seems to have a set point it is comfortable with.
The bottom line is "calories in, needs to be less than calories out".

Do actually measure your portions for a bit, see what a "tablespoon" of peanut butter or salad dressing actually is. Or 1/2 cup cooked veggies, 1cup popcorn, etc.
Thanks to supersize, we Americans have lost the ability to serve actual portion sizes.
And read labels to see portions/calories.

You have to find what works for you, longterm.
 
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