Senior Support
 

Hi everyone. I was wondering if there were any senior citizens, 55 and over , who are LC'ing and would like to have and give support. I know it is more difficult for us to lose than some of our younger friends and family,,and it helps to have some input from someone who has "Been there, done that", if ya know what I mean! ;)
I am 55 years old, 56 next month actually, and have been LCing since June 2002, so far I have lost only 40 pounds, with lots of ups and downs,,and some stalls.
If there is anyone else who has had success or even problems they could share,,it would be great !
C'mon, lets get it going!!

Betsy



Cya Lighter :wave:

Hi Betsy,

40lbs is great! Don't knock it. Ive been low carbing since about September 2001 and I've only lost 40lbs too - but I feel much better.

I'm 52 by the way. Senior citizens - come on, we are just reaching our prime!

Robert

I'm 50, soon to be 51, and I know what you mean about it being slow going!
Between having a slower metabolism now, and dealing with the usual stalls (and cheats, lets be honest), it can be frustrating.
Nice to know we aren't alone in our endeavors, isn't it!
Have a great day!
Lesle

Good Morning,
I am also a senior, 64 years young and on Atkins for 1 year now. I feel so good, I joined Curves for Women and gaining more muscle every day. I feel great. Hubby is also on Atkins and he is 65 with COPD and feels great.
Weight is going very very slowly, but I have lost about 8 inches since starting Curves so that means alot. Went from a size 20 to a size 16. Have 30 pounds off in the last year, wish it were more, but with hormones and thyroid medication, it is going very slowly.
We seniors are not alone out here, maybe just afraid to post more.
Bev :wave:

Hi all. I'm 54, been low carbing since August 02, have lost 33 pounds and feel terrific. I have no joint pain, almost no gastric problems. Had all my blood work done last month and everything was excellent. My doc was thrilled - almost recruited me to lecture her other patients.
This is a terrific way for seniors to eat.
Go for it!
Cindy

hi betsy
i am 53 years old and just started atkins in jan, 03. So far i have lost 22 pounds and i am feeling much better.
i also have arthristis and gout and so far they are both bothering me less(hope it continues) I have joined curves too. and i think it is really helping me loose wieght.
good luck to all of us
linda :)

Hi Betsy,

Although I don't think of myself as a senior citizen, I am 58 years old.

I have been doing Atkins for a long time, but I get so frustrated with no losses that I do go on periodic binges. Last year I think I lost a total of 5.75 lbs. Now that is pathetic!

But my doctor is not worried. He totally approves of LC and my bloodwork is all great. I feel much better when I avoid carbs.

Exercising is not as easy for me because I have had a knee replacement (actually 3 new knees in the same leg with a broken leg during that time to boot) so, I will always have some discomfort in that leg and I cannot do some of the exercises I would like to do. I do go to the gym and do some weight lifting, but not to the extent of these younger girls on the board.

I think as we age, we are more apt to accept ourselves the way we are and when I struggle to lose and don't see any results, I have a way of thinking it may not always be worth it. I am happy that I am healthy and don't have most of the problems of a fat senior.

Carol

Well, I'm not really a senior citizen (I'm 46) but I CAN tell you that since I hit 40 the weight is harder and harder to handle!

I used to be able to drop 10# like nothing but now it seems like I just can't do that any more. I remain very active getting plenty of exercise but I think my metabolism has slowed down -- especially since my hysterectomy 5 years ago :( I recently joined a food co-op and have been able to purchase organic and whole foods. Up here in the Northwoods that's a real treat because the grocery stores just don't handle these products. I've always been a carb-freak but it amazes me how much I really don't miss the breads, pastas, flours, etc. I used to do ALOT of baking (bran muffins, grainy breads) and have stopped. However, I find the recipes on the low-carb sites to be really fun and VERY good! I would highly suggest you use the recipes with Daikon radish. They're SO yummy and SO good for you.

I hope we can all hang in there and learn to live with eating this way forever. :D

I

WOW!! Great response everyone!!! :D
I enjoyed every post, and am so encouraged!!! I guess I am average, and should be thankful for the 40 pounds off, eh??
I dont really think of myself as a Senior Citizen either, but I didint know how to address the issue in the thread title....Late Bloomers maybe?? :D

I joined Ladies Only, but have been able to go only once, thanks to the inclement weather we have had here in Indiana. It is supposed tp be Ice and snow tromorrow,,,,no go there either!!
Doing crunches at home though,,,

It is fun hearing my grandkids tell me what a great job I am doing, how skinny I am getting, and encouraging me not to give up. They are so proud of me! And not to mention my husband..he has a new wife. I feel so much better...the joint pain is a lot better, almost gone, and the energy is a plus too. Having fun with the clothes buying too.... :roll:
LEts keep this thread going...its fun!!! :D

Cya lighter Betsy

My GOSH!!! When did being in your 50's and 60's become SENIOR CITIZENS????
Okay...I am not there (35) but my parents are 61 & 62 and no where NEAR being senior citizens!!!

I guess since I was raised around so many sweet people in there 70', 80's and 90's!!! That 60 just is not EVEN old to me.
We lived in the country when I was a teenager (just a couple years ago ;) ) and my best friends in the world were Bill & Mildred Lynch who were both in there 80's.

It really is true...you are only as old as you feel!

Good luck to you all!!!

:wave:

Hi Everyone,

Another senior (62) citizen here. This is my first time ever with low carbing, started just last week and have been thrilled with a 5 lb. loss. I'm doing SB though. I'm very excited about this WOE, struggled for years with no/low fat and was closed minded (sigh) about carbs. I bought into the hype that the only way to lose was low fat. On SB a lot of things are reduced fat but even those products are a treat for me after eating no fat (bleh) for years.

I don't expect to lose very much or very fast as I don't exercise and right now don't plan to either. Maybe when the cold weather goes away I'll think about walking. I have one of my cats trained to walk with a leash so maybe I'll take him out with me. Only thing with cats, they walk when and where they want and at their own pace. But I guess any walking is better than none. It's kind of nice because I meet people that way--I've even had people stop their cars to see if they really were seeing a cat on a leash.

I'm glad to see other seniors here too.

Carole

Please, Please Please dont tell me that 55 is senior citizen, cmon I've just managed to accept that 48 might be middleage!!!!!!!! ;)





Cmon think young :thup:

53 here, but mentally still 30! I'm starting from scratch today. I started Atkins just before Thanksgiving and only lost 5 lbs. That's been VERY frustrating.

All the encouragement didn't help either. 5 lbs for the first 2 weeks sounds great!, still 5 after 5 weeks, and everyone said that's 1 lb a week and that's great! Well no it's not. I never lost any more than that, and then I was encouraged to go to the next level, OWL, and guess what? I've gained it back plus 1.

Sorry, to complain! Well here I am, starting over from scratch. I'm glad I found this thread. IT IS HARD TO LOSE AT THIS AGE!

I don't believe I every lost more than water weight and that's why it came back so easily. I've got to micro-manage this WOE and perhaps hanging around with a more "mature" crowd with similar obstacles will help.

How old am I?
 

:roll: I guess I am too a senior. Im sitting here trying to figure out if Im 51 or 52, soon to be 52 or 53. Whats that tell you. Ok. I figured it out. In April I'll be 52. Becuase the weight comes off more slowly, I get on the scale less frequently, content to be on a WOL that makes me feel better. The fibro and candida are clearing up and I have so much more energy. My big downfall is not exercizing. I will have to work on that. Glad to have found this forum. :roll: :roll: Vonnie

Good morning!!!
 

Hi!!!

I’m 56 and have lost 32 ponds since May 2002 !! Gained 6 pounds over the holidays.. but have lost 3 of that 6 and working on the other 3.. Not sure all that Christmas eating was worth it!!!LOL



LOL!! Been there done that!!!

Looks like we may have our own strand! Call me weird but I really don't mind being considered a senior citizen at 54. Many of us have been at our life's work for 30+ years by now and many of us also have grandchildren. We have quite a bit of experience and many active years ahead to gain more (experience -- not weight!). I think the real problem is that the word "senior" has come to be regarded as negative. Well, we can fix that!

Carry on!
Cindy

Okay Okay!!!! We are NOT seniors yet,,,,,,just More Mature losers!! M&M's..LOL!!
I really have to agree about the feeling better side of this WOE..... :thup: I used to hurt just turning over in bed!! I would literally pull my hip out scooting over!! :( But now I can sleep all night and no pain!
I have discovered pretty lingerie...I never bought any, cause of the weight, but have decided since I have lost,,to indulge! And it makes me feel so much better, kinda sexy!! ;)
I gave away all my fat clothes, so am having fun buying new stuff,,,albeit sometimes at the thrift store,,dont wanna spend too much on a temporary wardrobe! :thdown:
I have discovered that I have been eating too many carbs in my salad dressing....a friend on here told me to try Paul Newmans,,it only has 1 carb per 2 Tbls.......gotta get some. Trying to cut back and see if my loss starts up again. We have had so much snow here that we cant go to the gym.....thats frustrating. Oh well,,,spring is just around the corner.
What are some of the other weight loss diets you all have tried??
I did Weight Watchers,,,several times,,but the cravings dont go away and that makes it hard. I did the low fat thing,,blech!
Then I invested a lot of money in Physicians Weight Loss..lost a LOT of weight, but only had 700 calories a day...my metabolism took a beating,,and when I started craving peanut Butter, I gained it all back and then some, and went into a deep severe depression. Never again!!! I am so glad I found this WOE, and it makes me feel good to know I am doing it without a financial investment other than the groceries I buy!!
We are gonna do this!!! :spin:

CYA lighter :wave:

Whew!! Finally back online!! Got my new computer and have to reload everything, but I am not complaining!!
I think I have broken my stall,,,,, :D ...I have been more or less stalled since Christmas...well,,,I started drinking more water and caffeine free drinks,,and I had a two pound loss this morning!!! WHoohoo!! Plus, I am eating more protein and less salad too.I think I got into a rut there for awhile, eating the same stuff every day. And I dropped the salad dressing and have been using mayo instead.

Gor a birthday coming up on the 11th of march,,the big 56, but its not really botheriing me cause I am feeling younger everyday!
Lots of snow here!! 8 inches saturda ngiht, four mor coming tomorrow night. We are ready for spring thats for sure!!

Well..gotta get to bed, cya lighter! :wave:

Hi Musicmama :wave:

What a great idea to start a "Senior" thread. I have to admit I looked at the members to see if anyone was my age and there are very few. Most of my friends have accepted their bodies the way they are even tho a lot of them are overweight like myself. I went along with their theory all last summer and gained at least 10-15 pounds more than I usually carried...you cannot just eat what you like. I started this WOE on January 7 and have lost 15 pounds.

I will be 65 on 03/03/03. After two months of LC'ng I have more energy than I thought I would ever had. My DH can't understand that I can now stay up til 11:00PM just about every evening when I used to go to bed at 8:00 PM and I still get up at 7:00 AM. I used to blame it on old age. I have never napped and I don't ever want to start. I like feeling young and good. I used to have bouts with low blood sugar and now I haven't had an episode in two months. I go to the Doctor on March 5th for my blood work (BTW I am on 20 grams of Lipitor and my stats are excellent due to the medication) but the doctor said my tryglycerides could be lower so I hope they will be when I get my blood work back. I am also on a blood pressure pill and hormone replacement and hopefully will be able to get off all of these pills in the near future. My blood pressure has already gone down to 115/70 which is pretty good for my age.

Well, I've gone on enough about myself but I am so excited about this plan I can't contain myself. BTW, Musicmama I wanted to mention that I live in Monticello, IN on SHAFER LAKE. We're just about neighbors and fellow Pisceans.


So, whether or not I ever lose another pound I feel so much better than I did and so much more in control of my food. I am in this WOE for the rest of my life and I am finding it very easy to stick to.

Thanks again for starting a good thread...will visit it often.

Rose :rose:

Hey there neighbor!! Glad to have ya here!! ;)

You know, I have some dear friends who live by the same philosophy about accepting their bodies as they are,,fat and all, They reach fifty and give up on life. One told me to "wear sensible shoes, and forget about it!" Well EXCUSE ME!! But I am not of that mindset!! :thdown: What a waste of potential,,not to mention LIFE!! There is so much to do,,and so many places to go....I aint givin up this soon!! SO much for "aging gracefully"" I am fighting it to the hilt!! :mad: I lost 40 pounds and bought sexy underwear and red patent high heels!!! SO there!!! ;)

I have a great incentive for wanting to stay young though,,,my husband is 16 years younger than I am,,,and I have to keep up with him!! We have been married 15 years and let me tell ya,,he is having so much fun buying me things now!! I have never had so much perfume , and new clothes!! He is really supportive, as are my grown kids and my grandkids,,,they are all getting the biggest kick out of me!!
I am not on any medications at all,,,I guess I should be thankful for that, eh? I an going to get my blood pressure checked though, cause when I went to the gym to work out,,they took it and it was high, I have always had low blood pressure, so what sup with that?? Anyway, I feel great. I know what ya mean about staying up late and getting up early!! :D I do too. I love the way this WOL makes ya feel,,,that alone should be enough to make us want to stay on it for life!
Well, guess I will go check out a few other threads and then get to bed,,work tomorrow.
Thanks for posting,,,,,looking forward to more!!

CYA lighter :wave:

I'm with SueJ
 

Hello Ladies:

I am trying to lose 61 lbs and being 50 isn't easy. The metabolism just doesn't work the same when you are younger, but "age is just a number" and I think I look pretty darn good for 50. Currently, I have stop drinking tea/coffee to see how much more I can drop during the Induction Phase.

I would love to join in from time to time and exchange ideas and things like that. Currently on the 4th day of Induction. Been doing Atkins since 12/29/02, but wasn't dropping weight the way I thought I should. Have been stalled for about 1 month, so I figure I'd give myself a boost. 9 out of 10 I was taking in hidden carbs. So I am really watching what I put in my mouth from this day forward.

Glad to know that there is still life after 50 :p Have a great lowcarb day ladies and I will be back. :wave:

Quote:

It doesn't matter how slowly you go...as long as you don't quit -- Confucious

Hi everyone!!! Been off for a few days,,just busy.
Yesterday we went to a restaurant with my grand daughter,,,and alas!! It was all mexican and there was no vegetables on the menu at all,,,just rice and beans and then all the other mexican fare. Well,,,I chose a chimichanga without rice,,,and today I swelled up like a toad!!! I have to admit, I ate the chips and salsa..but today was right back on track with about 25 carbs all day,,,so should be a better day tomorrow,.........guess ya learn the hard way, eh?? :(

Well,,,,gotta get to bed,,,,,,work in the morning,,,,

Cya lighter :wave:

Good Morning! Happy to see a group of people close to my age. I am 67 as of Jan.15 this year. I have been on this woe since Mar,17-02 when I started I was 260 lbs so there has been a good but slow loss with many stalls one that lasted 8 weeks no lbs no inches lost I nearly gave up at that time . Before I found Atkins I tried WW and Nutrisystem + eating lowfat have 20 cookbooks all about low fat cooking. They are all going to a Thriftstore. Now my BP has gotten much better, I sleep better and stopped taking my arthritys medication. My skin looks and feels so much better must be all the water I drink :) My friends and children tell me I look so much younger than my age. Makes me feel good. Hugs to all of you :wave: Lynn

Hi everyone,,,great to see all of you here!!! :roll: Its a real encouragement to know that there are others dealing with the same frustrations about the slow metabolism.
Well,,I turned 56 today,, :rolleyes: ,,,and no cake or ice cream,,,actually, nothing special.My hubby celebrated by getting me a new printer/scanner for the computer,,,,I was excited about that.
I have been retaining water badly ,,,my legs and ankles are swollen and painful so I have started eating mostly protein for a day or two to see if it gets it moving. Cant figure it out........ :( :confused: .
I dont weigh anymore,,,its too discouraging. I havent been to the spa either,,,the weather here has been blizzardy,,only now beginning to warm up. Everything has finally melted, so maybe I can get there now, hate to pay for something I dont use!
We are looking for a house,,our septic here is bad and the well water is undrinkable,,,and I have a thing about drinking water from a plastic jug,,hafta mke myself, so I dont drink much at all. Thats probably why my ankles swelled. That and the cheat at the mexican restaurant. Cheats are just not worth it!!!! :thdown:
Well, today I have had a total of 11 carbs,,,,,maybe I should go eat something before i go to bed. :D
Have a great day,,,,cya lighter! :wave:

Who's a senior, not I!
 

I am 50 and losing at a snails pace too, it's nice to find this thread for us in our "Golden Years". :D

I have been a yo-yo dieter all my life and that probably has not helped my metabolism any. I was a size 20 in 1996. I dieted (starved) from 220+ to 145lbs. in about 9 months doing very low fat/low cal. I was hungry all the time, had bowel problems, headache and just didn't feel good. I am large framed so that weight loss looked pretty gauntly and nasty. My pharmacy customers all asked me if I was ill. Yes it was nice wearing a size 6/8 but with bones and lose gray ashen colored skin everywhere it was not a healthy look.

I am now a size 12 or even a 10 depending on the pants, more muscular and toned then ever before and am striving to get rid of just a little more fat, particularly in my a$$. That has always been a problem area, it's genetics.

Since starting LC in Aug. '02 I have lost 5, gained 6 and now lost 7. I am walking on the treadmill atleast 5 days a week. I started out just walking 2 miles but I am up to 4 miles a day and find that this much effort works better for me in losing.

I did BFL for two challenges but never completed either challenge. Whenever I got to the 10th week the scale would be up atleast 6 lbs. and it would freak me out. Later I found out it is not fat gain just muscle and fluid but because I have let the damn scale brainwash me I couldn't put up with the gain and stopped lifting so heavy.

It's nice to know that I am not alone with the very slow weight loss. I shall visit this thread often. I love the support and friendship on this forum and look forward to my LC journey with the "Seniors" :D here.

Welcome Herb......sounds like you are really doing well with the exercising,,,that is my weak spot,,,and the water. However, today I decided to break those habits.... :thup:
I have had 3 44 ounce glasses of water today, and only two diet pops,,,,,,,that is a record for me I think!! I am a diet pepsi addict,,,,for sure! :( But I found myself holding fluid badly and today with all the water,,and the carb cut back,,,,i have been in the potty all day!! A lot of the bloat has gone too...so I gotta make this a habit!
I am determined to tackle the exercise thing too,,,,I joined ladies only a month ago,,,have only been once,,,because I am afraid to go by myself!! But in the morning,,,I AM GOING!! I am gonna have the trainer take me around and give me my workout plan,,,,gonna get things moving!! I want to look good for Easter!
I have fooled around long enough,,,time to get on the ball,,,,if I am gonna be really committed to losing this weight,,I gotta do it all!! Tomorrow I will tell ya about my experience at the spa! ;)
And I gotta start taking my supplements again too,,,,,I just got depressed and lazy about it all,,,and its time to shake myself. SO,,,from here on in,,,its gung ho all the way!
Here I was being thankful that even though I am over 55 there were some perks to it,,and a friend told me today that some businesses are raisiing the discount age to 62!! :mad: Ohwell,,,,,
Have a great day all!!!

Cya lighter :wave:

:( Well,,didnt get to the spa today as planned,,,,going saturday after work though,,,i get off early. However,,I DID do a 30 minute workout at home!! First time for that!! So I am getting started at least. I got a book online called Banish Belly Butt and Thighs and there is a website that goes with the workout,,,pretty interesting.

Put a roast in the crockpot for supper,,,so didnt have to cook when i got home from work.

May be moving to the same neighborhood that both my daughters live in,,,if so,,we can walk together in the evenings this summer!!And its close to the park where the track is,,,,,hmmmmmm...I may get into this exercise thing after all!!! :D

Well, gotta get to bed,,,work in the morning again!

cya lighter :wave:

music

Not everybody likes to exercise. I love to walk and with having a treadmill at home it makes it that much easier to do. I call it "my quite time".

Banish Belly Butt and Thighs, that sounds interesting!
I bought some firm tapes a few weeks ago, I have only tried them a few times but really need to use them more frequently.
I have free weights and use them often, my underarm flap isn't nearly as bad as it use to be. I will be wearing tank tops and sleeveless blouses this summer with confidence.

Keeping our muscles toned is very important in our "mature" years. Good to prevent flabby skin and because it makes the bones thicker and stronger.

That will be great when you move into your daughters neighborhood, having a work out buddy is awesome!!

Take care,

HN

Hey all---
 

Yup, I'm an "oldie but goodie" too, I hit 56 last December. The LC WOL started 1-30-03 for me, I've lost 24 #, I feel like I stalled cuz the darn scale isn't moving like I think it should, BUT, my clothes are fitting so much better! My body knows it is 56, but, my mind still thinks I'm 25 & I never want to grow up! Keep up all the good work :thup: It is neat to have a thread for us goodies! :wave:

Well,,,here it is saturday and I didnt make it again!! We had to be at work at 7 this morning,,,and I didnt get to bed till after 1,,,so I am pretty tired...just got on here to check in .

About that "hangy down part" of the upper arm,,,that flap,,,what is a good exercise to do,,and how heavy a weight should I use?
The way it is now,,I could hurt somebody with the backlash!!! :eek:

Had two ladies at work tell me I am looking great,,,that made me feel good!! Then tonight my son inlaw wanted me to go out to eat with them,,,to a buffet,,,,I ate fish, shrimp, chicken, steak and broccoli with cheese,,,topped it off with strawberreis and whipped cream!! I am proud of myself! :D I still ahvent had any water though,,,2 glasses i think..i need to go get some.

Wow Auntie,,,24 pounds is great!!! Keep up the good work, and dont be impatient! I had an 8 week stall...and I dont even weigh anymore. I decided I dont care what the scale says,,,I am judging by my clothes, QWhen I get inot a smaller size,,,maybe then I willweigh. I keep getting smaller at the top,,,smaller in the shoulders,,and my face looks really thin,,,,,,I cant wait for the hips to catch up!!! :(

Yeah Herb,,,i hear ya about that not everybody likes to exercise stuff, I am one of em!!! I am okay once I get started,,,but its the getting started thats the hard part! :(

Welll,,,gotta go,,,,,,,CYa lighter :wave: