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Don't say basic stuff that we all know such as "I eat more sensibly and exercise every day". Please be more specific about the changes you've made, which supplements you added that you think helped with your weight loss [or general well-being]. What did you change specifically in regard your food intake and/or exercise routine?
Here's what I've done:
1) Walk at least a half-hour a day (usually more) six days a week, strength training three times a week, yoga at least once daily if not twice.
2) Low-carb food plan. Some days that means simply eating more protein than carbs, other days it means restricting carb intake to vegetables only. I love fruit, but it doesn't keep me from being hungry, so I stick to one or two servings a day, mostly berries and apples.
3) I avoid drinking my calories. Severely restrict my intake of pop, including diet pop. It's just not good for you. I drink water, herbal/decaf tea hot or iced, and flavored but not sweetened carbonated water. I avoid most juices, but find a little room in my food plan for a small glass of tomato or grapefruit juice a couple times a week. If I'm going out for alcoholic drinks, I'm careful to fit those extra calories and carbs into the overall food plan by eating wisely that day and the next, and by avoiding sugary drinks and sticking with lighter beers, red wine, bourbon and soda, etc. And I try not to drink too much!
4) I do not deny myself an occasional treat - anything from a piece of pie or dark chocolate to a plate of pasta or a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and some fries - but the emphasis is on occasional, I try to keep the servings small, and get back on the wagon immediately. Not the next meal, or the next day - immediately.
I've kept off 140 pounds (give or take a few) for 12 years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clark Park
3. No more patronizing fast food places like Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc.
4. No "Buffet" places! Never ever again!
5. Avoid all sodas - even "Diet" sodas.
There's room in any food plan for these; the key is planning for them, and not making it anything more than an occasional treat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick
The solution is to stop overeating - not to stop eating. Stop eating TOO MUCH of things. Not stop eating any at all.
Exactly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KaraG
I love salads, but I have to be so careful with the salad dressing or I'll gain weight on salads. What is everyone's recommendations for dressings?
I use a variety of things - lemon juice, flavored vinegars, extra virgin olive oil, homemade salsa, cottage cheese ... pretty much anything but commercial salad dressing, which is full of chemicals and sugars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pythonis
Now if only my morning hot flashes would actually burn calories....
Wouldn't that be awesome!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick
If you need to exercise 2 hours every day in order to lose weight, eating "very healthy" then one of two possible things is going on:
1. Your idea of exercising 2 hours every day is the energy spent by lifting your fork to your mouth, and walking to the refrigerator for seconds.
2. You're not eating nearly as healthy as you think you are.
No need to be so snarky and judgemental; your second point is valid and probably enough.
When I cut out a lot of sugar, the weight melted off. There is so much sugar in American diets it's unreal. When I first cut sugar, I felt like a crackhead jonesing for my next fix. It's tough..
Yes!
I had no idea how addicted to sugar I was til quitting it.
Horrible experience. But your whole reference for tasting sugar in foods changes.
We garden seriously for exercise and to eat good food, and I can barely eat a carrot now because they taste like eating raw sugar. Catsup makes me gag it's so sweet, and I used to mindlessly pour it all over food.
I'm your age and eat very healthy, but if I don't exercise an hour a day, the weight starts coming right back. I need to exercise 2 hours a day in order to actually lose.
What is the apple cider vinegar deal?
I love salads, but I have to be so careful with the salad dressing or I'll gain weight on salads. What is everyone's recommendations for dressings?
Kara, all it is, is a glass of water with about a tablespoon of vinegar added. Some folks like a little honey but I'm off sugar too so just do that and it's not as bad as it sounds. It's a very old-time folk remedy for many things, but many people swear by it for weight loss. The usual recommendation is 3x/day but I only remember about 2x/day.
What I found with my weight loss is that at first I had a really hard time getting it to budge and was barely eating anything--had already gone the "sane" route and cut back on sugar and added more fresh whole foods but that didn't knock off a single lb and now I was desperate to get my blood sugar cut back so I went pretty extreme. I was really concerned that I'd never be able to eat anything but bacon again, but as time went on I added more fresh whole foods and some good carbs and now I stay pretty satisfied on my lower carb diet and exercise about an hour a day on my rebounder and sometimes a few lbs drop off and usually they don't, but after losing 27 lbs, I'm not too concerned. I have about 12 more to go. I really do think it took some time to reset my pancreas or something--I wasn't diabetic yet but I believe I was getting close and now my lab tests are perfect.
Yes!
I had no idea how addicted to sugar I was til quitting it.
Horrible experience. But your whole reference for tasting sugar in foods changes.
We garden seriously for exercise and to eat good food, and I can barely eat a carrot now because they taste like eating raw sugar. Catsup makes me gag it's so sweet, and I used to mindlessly pour it all over food.
Yes and I have 3 tart cherry trees in my backyard, just full of cherries, and they taste as sweet to me now as bings used to taste. Yum, and so fresh and better for you even than blueberries or raspberries.
Wow, look at all the info. There's only one way to lose weight...calorie reduction. The first thing is to find out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning before eating or drinking, wearing the same or no clothes. Next, count calories throughout the day, eating what you normally eat. Rinse and repeat a few days until you get calorie count to maintain your current weight. Finally, reduce your calorie intake and you will lose weight..no matter what you eat.
I've gone weeks at a time eating nothing but fresh/frozen fruits and veggies and lost weight. Same for a high protein diet consisting of nothing but meat, eggs, and fish. I even went a week eating nothing but papa john's pizza and rocky road ice cream...lost 5 pounds. How?? Calorie reduction.
Having said that, I wouldn't recommend a diet of pizza and ice cream under any circumstances..I just wanted to prove to myself that the type of food didn't matter. It's certainly much easier (and healthier) to eat lots of fruits and veggies and lose weight. All the fiber makes you feel fuller longer.
One of my favorites is mushrooms. Very very low calorie food with tons of nutritional value.
Since I now have diabetes, since 2000, its easier for me to control. In the last 13 years at least once a year; I attend support group with a health care educator. I am on a 1500 cal weight lost program, and eating healthier.
It can be done, if you are motivated, and committed. I went from 227 lbs in 2000 to 179 lbs now. I would like to loose 20 more lbs. I will do this. I am now 71 yrs old. I go to the gym at least 4 times a week at our club house.
Hang in there and you can do it too. Ladybee
Low Carb diet is the best along with portions sizes
I think all of the suggestions posted so far are good. I will not dispute them. However, for many of us over 40 these "rules" seem daunting and even unachievable.
So let suggest what has worked for me - even if they sound like "baby steps" and rather lame:
1. Eat off smaller plates and drink out of smaller glasses. (Smaller portions!!! Smaller portions!!!)
2. Eat out less, and much more at home.
3. No more patronizing fast food places like Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc.
4. No "Buffet" places! Never ever again!
5. Avoid all sodas - even "Diet" sodas.
6. Increase exercise. I joined a gym. If you won't join a gym at least be prepared to walk more than mile or two a day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
These are the really good points to lose weight. These points always motivate you to lose weight.You can also do this step by step, after completion of first goal/point you will start with another goal. As we know Healthy diet and exercise is very important when we think about healthy weight loss.
I do not have any special knowledge of nutrition or diet, but I do maintain my weight and health through a varied but reasonable diet and regular exercise. (I am 63 years old, 5ft 11 inches male, and weigh 165lbs.)
I am not on a diet and never have been, I will eat a burger or 3-4 slices of pizza every now and again, but mostly eat lean meats, vegetables, fruit and plenty of whole grain cereals. I do not regard carbs as a problem as long as they are whole grain bread or pasta, or granola type cereals. I avoid cake, pies and donuts, tinned fruit in sugary syrup, and all candy except a small amount of dark chocolate, and dates, raisins or dried cranberries. I do not drink either diet or regular soft drinks, ever. I do eat most nuts, but don't enjoy the taste of peanuts. I do eat salad once a day, usually with a sandwich. At a buffet I will have a large plate of salad first, so usually am pretty full after that.
I am suspicious of diets which seem unbalanced, like Atkins, as these seem to always be passing trends, and sometimes promoted by crackpots. I am suspicious of arguments that we should not eat meat as our digestive tracts are too long, or should eat meat because we have incisors, and people who are especially zealous about some "miracle diet" they believe in.
By moderate exercise, for a 63 year old, I mean that I usually run about 25 miles per week, do pushups, situps and bicep curls for about 20 minutes a couple of times a week, and every now and again play tennis, use a push mower to cut the grass, go for a swim or dig the snow out of the driveway by hand instead of using the blower.
I am probably lucky and have a metabolism which makes me less likely to gain weight than other people, but this simple approach works for me. As they say...YMMV!
Last edited by Geezerrunner; 06-26-2014 at 02:53 PM..
Reason: Omitted a point.
Its the same no matter what age you are. There are no special secrets or methods that work better for a 40+ year old person than a 20 year old person.
Just like you gave up soda, you should give up other things that may be in your diet that prohibits weight loss like - sugars, refined sugars, breads, etc.
Knowledge is key when it comes to losing weight, keeping it off, increasing fitness levels, and just being healthier. Pick up a few books on NUTRITION (not diet books) and immerse yourself in it, then apply it to real life. Don't go to the market hungry. Eat minimal fruits. Try not to eat anything that is processed foods. Do cardio first thing in the morning. Do resistance training in afternoon or evening. Sign up for some type of fitness class that is OUTSIDE of your regular gym and gym membership and do that at least twice per week - like at a yoga studio, pilates studio, martial arts studio.
+1. Losing weight is never easy, whether you're 15 or 115. There are no shortcuts. It involves eating healthy food, cutting out the garbage, and exercising HARD. And no, walking is not exercising. You have to raise your heart rate up enough to sweat a lot. Strength training helps you lose weight by increasing muscle mass and boosting your metabolism. I run 2.5 miles on the treadmill three days a week. Two days a week, I do a strength training exercise video at home for 30-40 minutes. I am a 37 year old woman with epilepsy, migraine headaches, and bipolar disorder, and if I can do it, so can everyone else. Good luck
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Ladybee
