To those of you over 55

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11/13/11 7:04 A

exercise

Posts: 329
11/10/11 9:58 A

This is a personal challenge to anyone who says they can't. Take a few moments and read about my 1st 5K walk since 1995.

Yes, I'm boasting but for a purpose. On Saturday morning, Nov. 5, 2011, in a dense fog and chilly morning, I walked a 5k for the 1st time since 1995. My time was 54:16. I was the oldest participant. The next oldest was a man at 62 and a woman at 61.

Why is that significant? I have arthritis in both knees. Right now, I am waiting until Nov. 17 to get my next cartiledge injections. I have arthritis in my lumbar spine at the points where the sciatic nerves for both legs are. I cannot walk much on pavement, about 1/3 of the walk had to be done on the grass.

Incase, you didn't catch my age from my user name, I turn 65 on Thanksgiving Day.

Of course, my proudest accomplishment was serving in the USAF from age 25 to age 45.

Posts: 67
11/10/11 9:07 A

I loved all these comments and I needed to read them this morning! I'm 58, have spinal arthritis which is very painful, but am trying to keep going with the exercise. What I am sticking with without fail is the food tracker. I love it. Thank you all for your encouraging posts! Now I know, I'm not alone!

Posts: 1
11/9/11 5:29 P

I will be 62 in March and I feel 162 so I am glad your not as old as you feel. I have gained weight over the past year and now i am over 200lbs and so ashamed. I had to stop working to take care of my mom after my dad died. All she wanted me to do is sit next to her. so i did nothing for 14 months and got heavier. My own health is so bad with diabetes and high blood pressure, fibromyalsia, just had surgery on my foot and been in bed for more then 2 months, I also have 4 herniated discs with degenerated bone disease, rhumadoid artheritis it hurts so bad to move. I hope to get moving a little more when i am able to walk again. I just don't see
how to get in shape again for one reason, I like food. I try to think of other ways to keep busy but I am not doing to well at that. suggestions would be welcome! Linda

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9/2/11 9:30 A

I will be 67 in December and it is good to know that at our age you can do it. Thank you for your message. I joined in May 2011. It has been up and down. I do feel encouraged.

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9/2/11 12:50 A

Here I am thinking, I have half an hour to sit and read alot of the information on Spark people..............I hadent been able to before . I d better get off and do some jobs really..I left the jobs , I have a 2kl dumbel and I m lifting weight while reading........The funny thing is I feel like Im doing something for me... A treat in fact.......!

Edited by: BDAVIES21 at: 9/2/2011 (14:48)

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9/1/11 9:38 P

MOTIVATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS. THIS HELPS ME WHEN I NEED THAT LITTLE PUSH TO KEEP GOING.

M- MAKE SHORT TERM GOALS
O- OUT WITH THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
T- THINK OF WHY YOU WANT THIS
I- IMAGINE HOW YOU WILL FEEL
V- VISUALIZE HOW YOU WILL LOOK
A- ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SUCCESSES
T- TREAT YOURSELF WITH RESPECT
I- INVESTIGATE NEW WAYS TO GET FIT
O- OBSERVE YOUR HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
N- NEVER GIVE UP


No matter what level you're at on your journey to get healthier, remember that because of your efforts, you truly shine! So get the SPARK in you and SHINE!

Posts: 4
9/1/11 8:08 P

Hooray for all of you! I have been getting sparkmails for about 6 months, but ignored them and eventually deleted them. I checked again into this website when I wanted to figure out the calories in a recipe then per serving...sparkrecipes.com. I made an impossible peach pie with white jersey peaches the other day, and was curious. Each slice is 322 calories! Yikes! So, I checked out this website, and now I am hooked. I want POINTS, feedback, and information! I have recently hit a new high on my weight that is simply intolerable, and must do SOMETHING. This is my last option. I actually made my weight watcher weight several years ago, for about 10 minutes. This time I must do it. I bicycle a lot, so I think my body is used to it. I walk around the neighborhood, and sometimes slog (slow jog), but no improvement. I eat healthy for a week or two, then change to the next diet that looks good. Nuh-uh...not good. I retired last year and don't run around like a fool anymore, so I need motivation to keep going. I think you all, and this website, may work this time. TMI???

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8/31/11 2:10 A

Well I have been told by several people that I look twenty to thirty years younger after losing the weight.
I have lost 120 pounds and I have no wrinkles on my face or neck now I do exercise everyday and I drink plenty of fluids.
So I am very happy that I can wear clothes that are size 4 and I even have some that are size 2.
I am happy and my Dr says I am the picture of health.
I will be 61 on October 23rd.

Edited by: 2BFREE2LIVE at: 8/31/2011 (02:11)

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8/30/11 4:51 P

I will be 60 a week from Friday. Fat makes you look younger because it fills out the wrinkles. People think I am about 10 to 15 years younger than I am. How do you deal with the aging that comes with losing a large amount of weight at this age. I worry about the skin etc that won't shrink with the weight loss.

Comments?

Posts: 30
8/30/11 4:19 P

Wow!!! I'm so glad I came over here because the previous posts are EXACTLYwhat I needed to read!!!!!

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8/28/11 1:03 P

Hi BDAVIES21,

I got serious about lifestyle, not diet, per se. I had been receiving Sparkpeople emails for years, reading and then trashing, reading and trashing, until one day this past April I read one that stuck. It was an invite to the "Official Spring into Shape Bootcamp". The word "bootcamp" made me wonder: me & bootcamp, mmmm, those two words don't go together. I'm curious now. Long story short, since May 1st, I am a bootcamp devotee. I go from monthlong bootcamp to monthlong bootcamp, follow the weekly instructions explicitly, and the results have been stunning. (Key words: follow weekly instruction explicitly)

To become your best you, you MUST combine weight loss AND exercise. The absolutely cool part is that the exercises on the bootcamps taught me that I can benefit greatly from 10 minutes or less. I was always under the illusion that I would have to put in at least an hour per day to get results. NOT SO!

In years past, when I would lose weight without combining it with exercise, my family and friends would say, "Stop already, you look too skinny and gaunt." Now, with my new attitude of combining, people are literally shocked at the wonderful results. Now, they say, "Wow, you look great. What did you do?" What better way to spread the Sparkpeople word, than by head turning results.

Spark On!







Edited by: MCFHARPIST at: 8/28/2011 (13:05)

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8/28/11 10:50 A

Im 55 next January......Do I count?........Great shock! so many of my friends have managed at my age and over.... to loose weight and look 15 years younger....20..25...lbs.I ve been left behind,,I always seem to be on a continuse diet, with no result or just bigger and bigger.

Posts: 6,746
8/28/11 10:29 A

2BFREE2LIVE:

I think your auto-signature quotation also is an indicator for those of us 55 and older who are successful at losing and/or maintaining once we're at goal:

"You're never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream..." C.S. Lewis

I collect quotes, and this is a really good one to save! Thank you!

~Susy~

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8/28/11 2:09 A

I am going to be 61 in October and have been on Sparks for four years I reached my goal two years ago. I have lost 120 pounds and have maintained that loss for the past two years

For me it was a long journey and one that took a lot of effort to count each calorie and track it on the nutrition tracker and to make time to exercise, no excuses because when you don't exercise for more than two days in a row it is very hard to get the motivation to start it up again.

It is 80% eating the right foods in the right amounts and 20% exercise of some kind, not the type where you drag yourself to the gym or force yourself off of the couch or the recliner, it is the type where you just get up and move do something anything will do as long as your moving.
Gardening, cleaning the house, walking the dog or taking the grand kids for a walk, swimming get the idea. Make every day a new opportunity to get moving and count every calorie just not the ones for healthy foods but all of them, the pizza or the bite of brownie all of them that way you will have a good record to look back on so you can see where you can make room for improvements in your day to day life.
Then it will take effort to make the right choices every day to stay on track and to keep exercising to keep the weight off.
Best wishes on your journey.
.

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8/27/11 7:25 P

SANDEEKGM,

Thank you for posting this question. I'm about to turn 56, and am very interested in learning what works for those in my age range and above.

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8/27/11 7:10 P

Dear SAKENN,

Your recommendations are great. I absolutely agree with you about the nutrition tracker.
Really, it's amazing. I especially like the "bottom line" where it indicates the calories, carbs, fat, and protein ranges. I make sure that I do not exceed any of those ranges. I can splurge on a Haagen Dazs bar or another devilish indulgence, and still not exceed any ranges. It's so awesome. I could go on forever about this tool.

One thing I've done since my ah-ha moment is continuously follow an Official Spark Challenge for a month at a time. The results have been stunning. I'm with you on the "plank" exercise, at least I used to be, because I can now do it! Oh, yeah!

I turned 59 two months ago.

Spark On!

Posts: 48
8/27/11 6:36 P

I'll be 59 next month; I joined SP in April this year. I've lost about 25 pounds thus far.

My first general recommendation is to do the nutrition tracking, and check out the charts and reports that go with that. Even if you don't start changing what you eat right away, tracking your present habits can be a learning experience. It makes you start paying more attention to your portion sizes, and the "calorie cost" of some foods will surely surprise you, and will likely trigger some changes that will have you losing a few pounds without even trying.

Next, if you're anything like me, you'll decide that some of those "calorie-pricey" foods are worth it, and you WANT them, and you'll realize the benefit of getting some exercise (i.e., a higher allowed calorie range!) No matter how carefully you eat, eventually you have to exercise to really lose weight. (Even I came to that sorry conclusion, and I resisted for years.)

So you look around to find something that you can tolerate doing - something that will get you moving that's appropriate to your current fitness level. Personally, I started with Walk-at-Home videos I could do without bothering to put on shoes; if you're more gregarious, maybe there's a class at a gym or local junior college. Tai chi, yoga, aerobics, dance, zumba... lots of possibilities.

Then, if you don't overdo, and you stick to it for a bit, you'll find that exercising has some nice paybacks. It can lift your mood, improve blood pressure, help you sleep better, all sorts of little benefits that mean a lot more when you FEEL them than when someone tells you about them. And you might find you don't even hate it.

Once you get started, if you keep your ears open, or your Google page warmed up - you'll find ways to expand on what you've started. Troll the SP message boards for tips, ideas, recommendations for different activities that sound interesting

As an example, now I have strength-training videos, too; I still don't wear shoes, and nobody has to know I skip the sections that no human of my bulk could possibly do; I just yell at the trainer instead. ("a PLANK ? are you out of your MIND? I'll just watch, thanks, and do some more squats instead, 'kay?")

Nothing helps motivate you as much as success. Use SP to set some modest goals, achieve them, and it will SPARK you to go further.

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7/28/11 8:54 P

I have those brownie days as well, only mine is ice cream.

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7/28/11 7:10 P

Pushing closer to 60. Will be 59 this year....trying to keep active and fit! Fit is the operative word.... however, there are days when things are good....days when a brownie will overcome my resistance...

Posts: 40
7/28/11 6:51 P

The plateau many times are simply that your body is getting healthier and catching up with what you are doing for it. It adjusts itself to suit what you are doing. You will also quit losing tho if you are not eating enough calories for the same reason so staying in the range is important both ways. When I diet I have a hard time getting enough calories. Sparkpeople helps with the nutrition tracker. I can tell what I need more of and what I get too much of, (usually carbs).

Posts: 972
7/19/11 11:58 A

I'm a quarter of the way to my goal and I credit God for giving me the will power to stay focused on healthy eating and exercise, and tracking food and calories so I can make sure the calories I ingest are less than the calories I expend. So far, I've had two plateaus in two months and both lasted one week.

Posts: 40
7/19/11 9:48 A

I am 58 and have found that if I walk 30 at least 5 days a week I lose at the pace the doctor wants me to. I am on a low carb, high protein diet also because of pre-diabetes and cholesterol. Losing this weight will probably take care of both of those things. I like interval walking because you can get a good walking workout in a short time. 5 min warmup, 1min moderate, 2 min normal, 1 min fast as you can walk, 2 min normal, 1 min moderate, 5 min cool down. That is the beginner level. Strength exercise is important 3 days a week also because it helps to build bone and muscles to support those bones. The day of rest in between strength days is also important because it give the muscles time to build and repair from the workout. Remember that muscle is heavier than fat and the improvement won't show on the scale as much. It will deffinately show on the body and stamina though!

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7/19/11 8:19 A

Good for you. You have inspired me to continue. It is coming off very slow but I will not give up.

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7/19/11 6:50 A

The only plan that has been successful for me is the new Atkins. If I don't get enough protein I just do not lose. I can maintian, but not lose. But I also exercised with it. I have RA, so I stick mostly to walk aerobics. However, it is important to do some strength training as well so you build up your muscle mass. The enzymes that burn calories are in the muscle, so for women especially, building muscle is very important. Women have less muscle to begin with so any loss is bad.

Posts: 101
7/18/11 4:41 P

I have found that for me exercise plays an important part in the scheme of things. I joined a little over 3 weeks ago and have not lost a significant amount - 4 lbs. I know for the most part it is due to a lack of exercise.
Tracking my intake has given me a better understanding on where I need to add fruits and vegetables and more protein to my diet. My big downfall is water consumption. I just never drank much of any beverage at any time. I'm

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7/18/11 4:06 P

I'm 67, and have lost 19 lbs. since I joined Spark People in January, 2011. I've lost weight on many different programs over the years, but honestly believe that this time will be different because for the first time in my life I'm learning how to balance my protein, fats and carbs in such a way (SP recomments 20%, 30% and 50% for me; not sure if it's the same for everyone) that I'm satisfied. I plan 2 or 3 healthy snacks each day (fresh fruit, raw vegetables, low fat/low sodium cheese, cottage cheese) and easily stay within my calorie range of 1200-1550/day.

Hope my experience might help a bit; good luck on your weight-management journey
Gail

Posts: 645
7/18/11 3:37 P

I joined the over 55 club this April. I went to a 9th grade reunion. I must say, there were people who weathered the years rather nicely and the others who didn't. I can't decide which side I fall on.

Posts: 12
7/18/11 3:24 P

To those of you over 55 and have succeeded in losing weight...what would you say was the main contributing factor toward your weight loss? At the end of my physical this year my doctor told me to cut back some on my carbs and to really focus on exercise. I would appreciate your input ( :