Senior Women: Get Honest About Fitness and Weight Loss Strategies

[SunsetRunner]

Hello Ladies,

I've been a Fitbit user for many years, but as I age I'm finding it very hard to accept the weight gain and body changes I've experienced as I approached and reached my 60th birthday. I wonder if women of this age would be willing to share what has worked for them, such as strength training, increasing active minutes, amount of calorie deficit, addressing sleep problems, etc. I hope we can inspire and help each other. Here's to enjoying life and feeling healthy and comfortable with ourselves!

[bushka60]

I would be interested in other people's responses on this also.  I am 67 and have a hard time losing, exercising and containing my eating.  Any help in this would be awesome!

[LoriBells]

Hello There! I think your headline is terrific, and very telling. The honest truth is ... "it's the FOOD". End of story. My fitbit has taught me alot about my body and how I burn the same amound of calories pretty much unless I do a WHOLE LOT MORE THAN WALK, and my heart rate stays elevated for over 20 minutes. Therefore, unless I am able to do that every day - meaning exercise long and pretty hard - than in order to lose weight the FOOD INTAKE MUST DROP. I set my fitbit to "lose 3 pounds a week", and it sets the calories you can eat in order to stay under that number. Check the settings on your account, and you can start to log food on the system, and see what you have left to eat each day. I am starting to do this today because I quit WW as I got sick of the way they keep changing the program, and the TRUTH of the matter is that it's ALL ABOUT CALORIES IN, AND CALORIES BURNED. Let's do this together... I need community support!

[LoriBells]

I hear you, and the good news is that you can just "walk" -- even in your home, or around the block, or in the mall, or grocery store... walk anywhere and everywhere you can, and swing your arms so it counts on your fit bit. The eating is another story but if you can find the best vegetables you like that grow ABOVE GROUND... and enjoy them with a healthy dip of red peppers blended with a little olive oil, and spices... you can find healthy alternatives to snacking or salty foods. Also DRINK MORE WATER... and track that with your food in the fitbit application. You can do this, and so can I... and we will FEEL BETTER -- so much better. 

[bushka60]

That sounds like a plan.  thank you!

Moderator edit: format

[Dominique]

How old are you, @LoriBells ? The OP was asking about issues faced by senior women. What you offered was generic weight loss advice not specific to age or gender.

[SunsetRunner]

While I appreciate your response, I think most of us are already serious about walking, if not more intense cardio. Curious about your experience over the next weeks with your new focus. Also, where are you on the age spectrum?

[Thistledew]

Hello all,

I am new to the Fitbit, I couldn't be bothered with it to be honest, was working full time, sitting behind a desk for many years, osteoarthritis set in and menopause helped with weight gain and I was just stuck.  My husband was very ill for a few years, he's finding himself now but has a ways to go. His illness is in remission and we can breath a little now.  Serious illness sucks the life out of you. I am 63 on my next birthday.

This past holiday I got myself and my husband both a Fitbit and we ( I) declared this is the year we'll get fit.  I think this is going to be a journey of one instead of the two I had planned but we'll see, maybe I can inspire him to join me. One thing I am doing is we have an ALDI and it's about  a 20 min walk (for me) from my home and the same back. I am trying to make myself walk it every week. I already walk a dog twice a day but my husband walks very slow, he's older and it's a leisurely stroll for him and that's how it has to be.  Also, once a week I take the bus to the mall and have a walk around there and that gets me quite a few steps in. Anything is better than doing nothing.
I am trying to do 1500 calories a day (ISH) I blew that all to pieces at Christmas lol I won't always be on track every day and every now and then I just take a "day off" because I deserve it. But having the fitbit does motivate me to watch my calories, it also gives me a little reminder I need however many more steps every hour if I haven't gotten in the amount of steps I need.  I seldom get 10k steps, seldom and I am okay with that, I am moving more and I am happy about it and that's what counts to me. So, good luck to all you lovely people out there ! 

[bushka60]

I will be 68 in June.  Very serious about losing and eating right this time.  I have been trying for years, but haven't given it every effort.  My husband is having his second back surgery this month, so I am hoping to take a few more walks when I come home from work and take care of him.  Thanks for the support.

[bushka60]

I will be 68 in June.  

[Dominique]

@bushka60 : you already stated your age in your first contribution to this topic. I believe @SunsetRunner’s question about age spectrum was directed at @LoriBells, who is likely a lot younger than the rest of us. When there are many participants in a topic, such as here, it can be useful to tag people (as I’m doing here).

[bushka60]

New to this....thank you

[BecomingMyself]

Her profile states she's in her late 50s.

[CaroleGA]

I've been using Fitbit for about 7 months. At 62 and retired, I realized I couldn't spend all my time reading and playing games on my devices. Enter Fitbit! I am baby stepping my way to my goals. My first goal was to feel better and move more. My long term goal was to avoid needing regular medication as long as possible. I have been obese for most of my adult life, so I have big hills to climb! This is what I did and am doing: 

Started with steps per hour and fairly quickly started feeling better and more energetic.

Then started to up steps per day (still a long way to 10,000 a day)

4 months ago I started to input my food - goal more calories out than in and healthier food, but I avoided the "D" word since that had not worked long term for me in earlier life.

Then a 10 hour eating window no food outside that window, nothing but water and/or diet coke (addicted)

Mostly 3 meals a day no snacks...Success*** Feel better-19.4 lbs. down since October

A couple of weeks ago I started walking for exercise...still baby stepping my way to my goals!

[MrWebb]

Yes's that's life for us. i agree with you. 

[MrWebb]

That is nice

[MrWebb]

Hello

[SunsetRunner]

Hi, I had intended this to be a discussion for senior women.

[Bogdel]

Hello, Everyone, and thanks, @SunsetRunner for creating this forum. 

I've been using FitBit since 2016 (I will be 66 in a few weeks). At the time I joined FitBit I was 182 lbs, and I lost about 35 lbs that year. During that year I sought to walk daily, I logged my food intake, and joined the weight-loss challenge on FitBit app. I continued to keep a healthy lifestyle ever since. However, last year I lost my fitbit, and was less disciplined on my diet and exercise. The result? I gained 20+ lbs during last year. 

I just purchased a new fitbit, and plan on loosing 2 lbs/week beginning now, until I reach my optimal weight again. In order to accomplish this, I plan to walk daily between 30 to 45 minutes, increase the raw foods, log my food intake to ensure that the calorie deficit is appropriate for my weight loss goal. 

In the past, I noticed that, in spite of eating healthy, on the days when I did not walk, my weight loss was stagnating. As soon as I started to walk, I also started to loose weight. So, physical activity is crucial to health and weight loss. 

I also want to mention that following Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Nutritarian lifestyle has helped me enormously in achieving optimal health. For those interested, Eat for Health is a great book to get started. 

Best wishes to you all!

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks for your message. It’s great you’re focusing both nutrition and fitness and notice the benefit Fitbit tracking offers. 
For me (age 60) I find I have had to decrease my calorie consumption as well as increase my fitness activities. Right now I’m adding swimming to my mix of walking (daily), interval work, strength training, and flexibility practices. I like how my Charge 3 automatically recognizes this workout in the pool.
Fortunately I’m not prone to injury but I’m very solidly built. It’s my challenge to not be in the Overweight range.

Hope to hear from more 55 years and better women.