I'm 55 and need help getting motivated.

[Flowerlady1024]

I am a 55 yr. old woman having trouble getting motivated.  I need a group that will help me out.  I am hoping someone out there will take pity on me and invite me in. 

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

[JuliA_F]

In Los Angeles but were all here to support and motivate you.  🙂

[Donna-B]

Hi - I'm Donna. YOU CAN DO THIS! I'll be 55 on Saturday and in two years (on Sunday - I started Jan 25th two years ago), I've lost 100 pounds. Some days were easy, some were not, but I knew that time was going to pass anyway, so I might as well do something that when it passed I could look back and be glad that I made the effort and be in a better place than I was - and I did. I've still got a ways to go, but I'm out of my size 22 pants and into size 10s. I feel SO much better; I look SO much better. You will too.

You can do this. All the hype about post-menopausal women not being able to lose weight is just that - hype. I can - you can - everybody can. You just have to DO it. You have to get your mind set that you can and you will. Losing weight - being healthy is not an end game - it's a way of living. Have confidence. You're not going to be perfect, but you're going to be better.

Donna

[carnegiemom]

Hi, I'm sorry to disaliounsion you but post menaposual women have a much harder time. I'm 61 and for what I'm doing it takes much more effort to lose the same pounds as you do. Your body is so much different then it was prior to memapause. Please belive me when I tell you this. I do on adverage 15,000 to 20,000+ steps a day and in the gym 3 times a week. And yet it can take maybe 2 weeks to lose a pound. I have lost 20 lbs and have 15-20 more to go. It took me well over 18 months to lose that 20 lbs and I really had to step up my game.  But having a support system really can make a difference. Since I got my fitbit I have never been happier. It makes me so motivated to keep on stepping. Let's do this together.

BTW: I'm really proud of what you have done and your success. Let continue to get to the place we all want to be. Healthy and happy...

[NellieMae]

i have lost 5 lbs.since Jan.1st . I got my fit bit for Christmas,so i really try to get 10,000 steps a day.I am 53 so the weight is a lot harder to take off and keep off .Reading the blogs help me to stay motivated.THANKS

[Lunas-mum]

Sent from my HTC

[Lunas-mum]

Wow Donna that is good news, well done
Iris x

Sent from my HTC

[Donna-B]

Harder does not mean impossible. It can be done - I did it. Ask yourself "Why the heck NOT me?" and just do it. You might not get 1-2 pounds a week - it might be .1 to .2 a week, but even babysteps foward are forward progress. 

[carnegiemom]

I've only lost 6.4 lbs since December 25 so I understand just how hard this process is and the struggle we all have to get to our goal. But each step closer is a positive step and the slower the better to help keep it off. Maybe that is what we need to make sure we don't ever put it back on.

[CSB54]

Great job Donna-B!  It IS harder as we age, honeslty I'm shocked at how much harder it is.  I was thin all my life,  even in my 30's when I slowly started to gain weight, I was able to get it off quickly.  In  my late 30's, got a different position in the company, I went from a production worker to traveling office worker.  I put on 20lbs in 2 months!  All that sitting after a life time of constant movement really packed on the pounds and eating dinner out every night while traveling topped it off.   Into my 40's starting having issues, had to have 2 surgeries.  Instead of staying the course with eating healthy and exercising consistantly, I ate healthy sproatically, was not consistent with exercise, fast foward to 54 yrs old and I'm 50 lb over weight.  I have recently retired (a year early) from a very stressful job.  I have focused on healing myself inside and out.  I eat healthy, I monitor  my portions, I am diligent with cardio and weight training.  I live on a farm, and am able to help my husband more now that I don't have a day job.  All this to say, I'm so much more active, eat so much better, monitor my portions, but losing the weight has been so slow!  I'm shocked, I know I shouldn't be, but I am.  I know I can lose this 50 lb, but I also finally realize it's going to be much harder than it was because I'm older.  I refuse to believe it can't be done, but for some of us it will not be done in just  a few months.  I do think too many people give up too easily because it is so much harder at our age and we have the media forcing so much hype down our throats.  It makes me angry that so many feel like once you hit the 50 mark, your life is over and you don't matter anymore. .

[carnegiemom]

Your age is just a number. I also refuse to let that number get in my way. As I turn 61 this year I could say that I have more year behind me then in front of me but I would rather look at these upcoming years as my best yet. That is why this time getting heathy is my goal for a better future.

[barb1204]

Wishing you luck! Sounds to me like you are motivated with the normal ups and downs we all have. I'm 54 and can relate to your message. I wouldn't mind finding a group of people that are in the same boat to share ideas!  I like your meditation idea... sounds like a great addition to aid in focus. I am gearing up after my last check-up where my doctor stated that she'd like to add insulin to my diabetic regime since my blood work was a little elevated. I argued it's always been good and testing after Christmas was not indicative of the rest of my year... so she gave me 3 months to get it back in range and first thing I did was invest in a Fitbit for some added incentive and support. So here's to us!!!

[SunsetRunner]

We also have to consider benefits other than weight loss. I'm 64. On my journey to a 60 lb. weight loss, there were definitely periods when I was not losing any lbs. But my doctor reminded me that the healthy eating and exercise, combined with steady albeit slow weight loss was showing up in areas other than my scale. My cholesterol went down. My sugar levels went down. My blood pressure went down. My muscle mass went up. For me, it was helpful to keep checking in with my doctor who could point out these other benefits.

Stay with it! Remember - it was the tortuous who won the race. 🙂

[CSB54]

I agree we need to think about all the other benefits.  I feel so much better!  Have so much more energy, but if I only focused on what I see on the scale, I'd be very disappointed.  For me, this is about weight loss  yes, but most importantly it's about a life style change that is liveable.  So when I feel myself getting frustrated with the slow weight loss, I take some time to count my other benefits/blessings I'm getting.

[Chada]

My motivations are preventing heart disease, diabetes, high cholesteral, high blood pressure, cancer, obesity and premature death.  I also do not like to hang around at and pay for doctor visits.  I would rather pay for and go to the gym than pay for co pays and prescriptions and doctors.  Most of these problems are preventable.  I used to like to cook and eat alot but have learned that food is not that important.  It took a long time for me to come around to that way of thinking but I decided that no bad food was worth its consequences.  I eat a lot less and a lot simpler now. 

[HandP]

Hi Flower, need the same as you happy to buddy up 😃

[Nonnaia4]

Hi Flowerlady1024, I am 64 and I have been battling weight for some time now.  Here is what finally motivated me and I hope it works for you.  I read a saying that I added to my desktop and it is the first thing I see in the morning when I turn on my computer. 

"I just woke up one morning and decided I didn't want to feel this way anymore, or ever again, SO I  CHANGED."  

  I had lots of excuses for not being able to change, but at the end of the day, they were excuses.

Being able to change starts with YOUR DECISION TO CHANGE.

the I don't want to feel this way anymore is what really hit me.   So, I joined WW, started swimming three days a week and the lbs are coming off.  I lost 10.2lbs in 4 weeks, so it can be done.  We are all here to support your effort.  Go for it Flower, you are "a born loser"!  

[Nonnaia4]

If you have a therapeutic pool that does light exercise, that would be the best for you. SuzyQ50.  I am 64 also and that is helping me get the weight off and the pool is 92 degrees, so good for all your muscles.  Hope you find one in your area.

[Aspire]

Hi Nonnaia4,

Thank you for the saying. I had a friend once who said to make a decision it only takes one second but we agonize over making the decision and it this agonizing that makes the decision seem so hard and takes all the time. The actual decision making is quite short.

I will use it, I hope it helps, I am trying to loose weight for me, to feel better in my body and be more healthy, but also my daughter is getting married in May and would like to loose some weight by then.

Aspire

[carnegiemom]

You have your daughter and I have both of my son's and my niece getting married this year. I was hoping to be a hot MOMA by then but not sure I will make it. I also some how sabatoge myself inorder to not make my goal. I have lost my way but not my steps so I can only hope I will get back on the my way to better health.

[Nonnaia4]

Sabotage yourself. Get to that pool and swim,swim,swim. And the lbs will melt off

Ciao,

Maria