I'm 55yrs old and fat, 245 lbs. I'm a teacher and my legs and feet ache from standing all day. The last day of school it May 23, and I'm going to start walking every day on the green way in my town. It's 10 miles round trip, there are swings and seats along the way and some hills. I need knee replacement but havent'[ been doing too bad. I want to drop some weight before agreeing to surgery. I have type 2 diebetes now, but not on meds yet. If I can control my eating and weight I won't have to go on diebetic medication . I'm also on pain meds, and lexapro . I've tried ot wean off of lexapro a couple times and all hell broke out in my life and I'm gone back on it. I've read that it cause weight gain. I have never been fat until the last 10 yrs. I weighed 125 lbs the day my son was born. I weighed 97 lbs when i went into the army and had to gain 10lbs to get in but couldn't keep it on me ,that was 30 yrs ago before ED was even talked about. I decided with school ending and being off for the summer that by the end of the summer I will beable to do the 10 miles. I dont' care if it takes me all day. I'm going to eat right and give up sodas and drink only water. I'm heading down a bad road. If I have to wrap my knees to do this or stop every 50 feet I will. Any supports out there, advise or ideas?
I would really like to know what type of professional you are seeing and how you found that person. I am 47 years old, 5' 2", 178 lbs, and I have been gaining and losing the same 20 lbs for 10 years. I know what I'm supposed to do; move more, eat less, but I'm not doing it consistently. I need to do something different.
Thanks for the encouraging post.
You can do it. Just remember it takes time and lots of willpower. Don't give up and remember this is a lifestyle change for the rest of your life. I'm 55 and was 168 lbs. In the past four months I've lost 16 lbs. just by drinking water, giving up sodas, and making better choices. I've tired this before but was never successful as I would give up after 2 to 3 weeks. YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!!!! I "strictly" watch my calorie intake. I make sure that I take in at least 300 to 400 calories less than I burn per day. If I overeat that day, I get on my stationary bike and burn off some of the extra calories. If I go out to eat, I plan before I go to see what they have that has the least amount of calories. I've gone online and checked out the nutrition/calories of my favorite fast food places and typed up a chart of what I can have at those places. I keep it in my car so I will know. However, I try to avoid fast food. After about a month, your eating habits will change. You will find you can not eat like you use to and you just want to make those better choices. Remember it is a long process. You have to think long-term. Set your goals small at first and make those before making your next set of goals. Good luck and remember, you can do this!!!
Slow & steady wins the race!
Start out walking for 5, 10, or 15 minutes, 2x per day.
If you go too hard you may get hurts and have to quit!
I'm a school nurse & have lost 8 pounds since Jan by walking and keeping track of what I eat. More protein, fewer fats and carbs.
Swimming may be a better bet, just until your leg muscles get stronger.
I agree, consult your MD first!
Good Luck!
You guys are just so awesome. :)
Wow, this is the first time that a posting resonated with me. I am 50+ and until recently, I was a kindergarten teacher. At 220 pounds, I suffered from being on my feet/knees all day. I had difficulty with loosing weight because I am on insulin and other medications that cause weight gain.
In the past, I was a body builder and I competed regularly until I broke my back. My doctor put me on Tramacet and Gabapentin to control pain (I was on demerol and codine for years prior). These are synthetic pain killers that are better than demerol and codine for your body. I do not feel any effects from these medications other than they control the pain, so if you are after a "head space", these will not produce that. This is why, these drugs changed my life - I felt like I was alive to be off the other pain killers.
Despite eating only 1200 calories a day, I could not lose weight (because of medication) so, I added walking but the problem was ice in the winter and the uneven sideways movement walking past driveways (the grade changes). These caused more back pain so I bought an elliptical trainer (despite not having room in my house for it). I am still only doing ten minutes of exercise at a time (but I just started) so, I am hoping this solution will work.
I would love to keep in contact with you (a study buddy of sorts). My email is luvindogstobits@yahoo.ca Good Luck!
wish you luck with reaching your goal!
wow...ten miles is a good amount of distance :)
like someone else suggested, try swimming/water aerboics for less impact of joints. or cycling.
Moonbow--- Your conviction is noble, and I think it's wonderful that you have a plan as to what you will do and when you will start. But quite frankly, I feel that if you embark on a goal of walking ten miles all in one day when you are not in shape and haven't been exercising regularly, you may be setting yourself up for failure, especially with knee problems.
Go easy on yourself. Just walk a half mile the first day, and if that seems to easy and you can do a full mile the next day and increase it when you're ready. But if you insist on doing ten miles all at once, and then can't reach that goal, you might feel totally defeated.
Good luck to you!
I am 54, and only 2 months ago I weighed 250, but in two months I dropped a full 8 pounds. Running is too hard on the knees at our age--get a fancy bike and ride! I bought a Novara Safari touring bike from REI, and I ride it everywhere. Yesterday I rode a total of 26 miles. Also, of course, use calorie count to figure out your diet. Im basically eating raw vegatables and fruit, lentils, raw almonds, and some whole wheat bread I started cooking myself. When I decided to get serious about this, I finished off the last of the vanilla cream cookies, and I think thats the last junk food Ill ever eat. I find I have no craving, especially when I saw a real actual 8 pounds fall off. A couple years ago I weighed 263, and I started to think I need to cut down on something. So I changed my diet a little, using only 'common sense'. So two years later people are still commenting on how fat I am. I knew I needed more than just what 'common sense' told me.Then I started googling all the stuff and found a bike is best excercise for over 40, and then found out my diet was all wrong. After you lose that firs 5 pounds, you wont want to go back the other direction!
I was in the same boat as you 5 months ago. I've managed to shed 18 lbs. ... mostly through diet change. Walking is both good for your knees and painful. I had small goes: walk 4 houses down the block, each day I added a little, sometimes just another sidewalk square, sometimes a full house. Then I had knee surgery. Now I ride my stationary bike (no stress on joints), do exercises with dumbbells, and, most recently, bought a mini trampoline to jog on (again, no stress on joints).
As far as diet for diabetes, I balanced my proteins, carbs, and fats. If anything is under, it is carbs. I've reduced sodium and added sugar. Always eat a protein when you eat a carb. For instance, spread a little peanut butter on your apple. Cut out white foods unless it is a fruit or veggie.
Soda is a biggie, especially for diabetes. I'm fortunate I gave that up in my 20s. For flavor in my water, I buy unsweetened fruit juices and put about 1/4 cup in a 16 oz bottle of water. You could also squeeze in some fresh lemon or orange juice. It helps me feel less deprived.
I have lowered and stabilized my blood sugar for 2 months now just doing these simple things.
I have managed to lower my Lexapro to 5mg a day, but with clinical depression, I don't think I'll ever be permanently off it.
If you take Simvastatin (or any other statin), I just read a new journal article about how it may prevent weight loss. I am trying to get off that drug.
Best wishes and remember any positive change will help. You did not gain overnight and you won't lose overnight, so be patient with yourself.
Thank you for all the good information and support. I found a lot of useful things that I'm going to try. Sundownlinda, Lexapro was one of the things I wanted to cut back. I take 10mg a day and will ween to 5mg. but don't think I'll stop all together, I have anxiety attacks and worry too much.
I'm not having any more sodas after today, it was a stressful and hot day at school and I had 3 or 4 cokes and 3 bottles of water. We are packing everything up and inventories so it's exhausting right now. My legs/feet ache tonight.
Going to work on eating right, cutting out the white stuff and eating more proteins and vegs and fruits. That will be hard, my hub is the cookie monster and make homemade cookies at night, just a couple, but I don't need them.
I was so surprised and please to see the messages when I came to cc today. I was feeling somewhat down and seeing all the wonderful cc supporters was a boast.
The walking trail is 10 miles round trip. I have walked on it off and one and started at 5 mins and my back would go into spasms. I'd stop for a few mins. and go on.. It took alittle while but I got up to 2 -3 miles and then winter came and I stopped. I want to work up to being able to do the whole thing by fall. I might even go and join the YMCA so can go to the pool.
Next Wed. is the last day of work and then I'm going to go walk daily with my puppy. June 11, I'm off to Fla. and can't wait to play in the water. I never thought I would put my fat little body into a suit again, but I love the beach. I hope when school starts back I'll have dropped some weight and feel better, it's all I can do to get through the days right now.
Everyone here is really doing good on their journey and I'm glad you shared , it have me hope. Thanks,
If you'd like to message me with your favorite cookie recipe, I'll see what I can do to health-ify it. :) (Just click on my name and use the send message button)
My hubby is a total snack monster. But, he is adapting quite well to my lower sugar, less white flour, and reduced fat baking. Plus, he is sweet enough to take really fattening or highly tempting stuff out of my sight to eat them.
Hi Moonbow1,
I hear you! I began my journey 7 months ago by changing my habits slowly, but surely, to improve my health. I have diabetes and hypothyroidism. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired every day. I began by walking, beginning with 10 minutes and increasing 5 more minutes per week, since I was so out of shape. I don't ever skip a day of exercise. Now, I walk 45-50 minutes (sometimes in shorter spurts) each day or get on the treadmill for 40-50 minutes. In this way, I didn't overwhelm myself, didn't hurt myself, and could keep it up each day.
As far as changing my food choices, I've learned that this had to be a lifestyle change, not a 'diet'. I began with one of the items listed below and moved onto the next, and then the next item. Here's my list (in no particular order); maybe you could try one or more:
- no more fast food
- no more soda
- read every food label
- look up the menu for a restaurant before arriving and decide what I'm going to eat before I get there
- stop buying anything with High Fructose Corn syrup in it
- no more candy
- stop buying anything with ingredients that I don't understand
- stop buying anything with sugar (or alternative sugar) listed as one of the first 5 ingredients. I use steevia only now, since it doesn't raise your blood sugar
- divide my weight in half & drink that many oz of water per day
- eat more fresh vegetables
- plan my meals, no random snacking/eating
- no more white, processed foods (bread, pasta, cereal)
- log what I eat
- join a support group and talk about my feelings about food
It's just one step at a time, but my health is better and I'm finally dropping weight, keeping it off, and beginning to feel better about myself.
Good luck!
Thanks cindy, I copied your list and putting on my frige. Yes, no fast food! or sodas that has to help some on just how I feel. I'm tired of being tired! I did not know about steevia not raising blood sugar, going to that tomorrow.
Are apples okay as a diabetic? watermelon? do I need to count these carbs?
sundownlinda, I'll take you up on cookie recipe when I drop some of this weight then add some goodies back in. hubby is going to have to put his things up, or maybe drop 20 lbs too.
Hi Moonbow1,
Your plan hit home with me. I need to lose 72 bls. I've worked on it for a long time. I start out good and than gain it back. The problem that I just realized is that my 16yr. old has picked up my bad habits. And she dosen't want to move too much. Just like me. However, I asked her to help me, to just walk with me. To my surprise she was about to tell me the same thing.
So we also have a plan to walk and eat foods that are good for us. Now together we are looking up foods and how they help us. Just thinking about this makes me excited, but afraid to fail.
I hope that you post how you are doing and may be how you feel. I feel I need a friend.
Thanks lori
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for the list. I also copied it. I want to see it often so that it will sink in.
Apples and watermelon are great. Yes, they count as carbs. You can check the fruits you like for carb and sugar grams on CC to help you get portion size correct.
Or you can check this Glycemic Load Chart. Last column. You want to adjust the serving size so the glycemic load is 10 or under.
http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/diabetes/glycem ic-index-values.html
Eating protein with carbs helps slow down the release of sugar to your blood.
My food chart from the nutritionist says 45-60 grams carbs per meal (if you eat 3 meals a day, less if you eat 5 small meals) and 15 grams per snack. I am usually closer to 25-30 grams of carbs per meal.
Corn and peas are higher carbs than other veggies. So, change serving size accordingly if you eat those. Most veggies, 1 cup. Peas and corn, 1/2 cup.
It will take you about 2 weeks to kick sugar cravings. About week 3, I discovered fruit is so much sweeter than it used to be. :) This is a good thing!
I am 58 and have also put on a lot of weight but I have now lost 12lbs. I began walking short distances and can now do 4miles without stopping. I also have a kenee problem but I strap it up and keep going. it is not easy but I know you will get there.
Hi Moonbow1,
Congrats on taking a big step in deciding to change your life for the better.
I am Dawn (aka mistyday56). I have been on CC for a few months. However, I started on my healthier journey just after the 1st of the year. I started out at 217 and am now 35 lbs lighter at 182. I have 40 lbs to go to reach my goal wgt.
You have already received alot of great information. My best information for you is to STICK WITH THIS SITE! The people here are AWESOME! There is always someone to give you support, a boost, a push whatever it is you need.
I have been away from the site for a few weeks due to computer problems and am so glad to be back. I have been slacking off and the support here is really needed and I know will help me to get back on track.
Logging your intake and exercise help you to see where you need improvement and where you are doing well. It makes a world of difference for me and I am sure it will for you too.
Increase your exercise slowly. You will feel yourself getting stronger everyday. Keep a journal and include what you are doing for exercise in your journal and you will be able to look back and see how much you have improved.
Use the CC site as much as you possibly can. Log food, log exercise, search recipes, search new ways to exercise, try new foods, get support, do posts....it will all help you on your journey.
And always remember....we are all here to help one anohter.
Looking forward to supporting you and hearing about your progress
Original Post by linleetch99:
Find a friend to exercise with and don't be so hard on yourself. Praise yourself for every success!
Great idea Linleeth, praise yourself. We tend to be rather hard on ourselves.
