Weight loss in older age-groups

margaretclare

I've been struggling with weight over the past few years. I was warned about weight when I went for pelvic surgery and hip surgery, then about the risk of developing Type II diabetes. I did manage to lose some weight, got down to about 10 1/2 stone but never managed to get to where I should be for my height. I gradually started to creep up again, little by little by little, another stone then a little more...

About a week ago I heard the name of Dr Charles Clark and got his book from Amazon (very MSE, I paid £0.1p for a used copy!) It's called 'The New High Protein Diet'. And it makes sense. The only time I've ever succeeded in losing any weight, in recent years at least, was when I tried the Dukan diet. Trouble was, that was unsustainable, and I could not live without any bread or any fruit at all.

I've come to the conclusion that what we should eat in retirement is much different from what we were in the habit of eating when we were much more energetic than we are now. We used to need carbohydrates for energy. Carbohydrates turn instantly into sugars and what we don't burn up running around is stored as fat. Why aren't we told all this? Why is it assumed so blithely that we shall inevitably be fat little grannies and accept it as if we could do nothing about it? Whenever we read about weight loss it is inevitably linked with wanting to be slim to wear a wedding dress or a bikini on the beach for this summer's holiday, which is not relevant for the older age-groups. I have been warned over the years by various medical people about the bad effects of weight, but not one has actually given me any useful advice.

Some of the comments/reviews here say it all much better than I could. I'll keep you posted. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0...=1&*entries*=0

I seem to have lost a pound since starting this on Monday. We were out for a picnic yesterday to celebrate St George's Day. The 'picnic' we had was actually a darned good meal containing everything - salad, hard-boiled egg, cheese, ham, tomatoes, cress. DH put salad cream on his but not on mine. On the way back we stopped at a Little Chef for tea. I just had tea. DH had toasted teacake. When we got back I had a sliced tomato and a slice of ham. This morning, eggy-onion and one slice of wholemeal bread with butter.

zygurat789

margaretclare wrote: »

I've been struggling with weight over the past few years. I was warned about weight when I went for pelvic surgery and hip surgery, then about the risk of developing Type II diabetes. I did manage to lose some weight, got down to about 10 1/2 stone but never managed to get to where I should be for my height. I gradually started to creep up again, little by little by little, another stone then a little more...

About a week ago I heard the name of Dr Charles Clark and got his book from Amazon (very MSE, I paid £0.1p Ah yes there it is - moneysaving for a used copy!) It's called 'The New High Protein Diet'. And it makes sense. The only time I've ever succeeded in losing any weight, in recent years at least, was when I tried the Dukan diet. Trouble was, that was unsustainable, and I could not live without any bread or any fruit at all.

I've come to the conclusion that what we should eat in retirement is much different from what we were in the habit of eating when we were much more energetic than we are now. We used to need carbohydrates for energy. Carbohydrates turn instantly into sugars and what we don't burn up running around is stored as fat. Why aren't we told all this? Why is it assumed so blithely that we shall inevitably be fat little grannies and accept it as if we could do nothing about it? Whenever we read about weight loss it is inevitably linked with wanting to be slim to wear a wedding dress or a bikini on the beach for this summer's holiday, which is not relevant for the older age-groups. I have been warned over the years by various medical people about the bad effects of weight, but not one has actually given me any useful advice.

Some of the comments/reviews here say it all much better than I could. I'll keep you posted. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0...=1&*entries*=0

I seem to have lost a pound since starting this on Monday. We were out for a picnic yesterday to celebrate St George's Day. The 'picnic' we had was actually a darned good meal containing everything - salad, hard-boiled egg, cheese, ham, tomatoes, cress. DH put salad cream on his but not on mine. On the way back we stopped at a Little Chef for tea. I just had tea. DH had toasted teacake. When we got back I had a sliced tomato and a slice of ham. This morning, eggy-onion and one slice of wholemeal bread with butter.

Margaret, for someone who delved very deeply into a very obscure subject and found out all about it and was very vociferous against it, I find it absolutely incredulous that you can make such a comment.
Carbohydrates, sugars fats exercise its all common knowledge, or should be to anyone with a mildly enquiring mind. Stop wanting to be spoonfed and do it yourself.

margaretclare

Well, gee thanks for the helpful comment (or not!) I have no wish to be spoon-fed and I normally do 'do it myself'. I have one criterion to follow. Does it work - for me. I'll give it a go and see if it does.

My point in putting this into the 50+ forum is that I've found so little advice geared towards people who are inevitably going to be much less active than they used to be and therefore not burning up the energy that they used to. It may be that weight loss advice should be specifically designed for this group of people, as well as those in younger age-groups who are inactive because of disability/injury.

RevTimms

margaretclare wrote: »

I've been struggling with weight over the past few years. I was warned about weight when I went for pelvic surgery and hip surgery, then about the risk of developing Type II diabetes. I did manage to lose some weight, got down to about 10 1/2 stone but never managed to get to where I should be for my height. I gradually started to creep up again, little by little by little, another stone then a little more...

.

I suppose I am in what you call the “older “ age group, and to be honest I really think it has nothing to do with age.


Its all about eating too much and not exercising enough. I appreciate that age may come into the problems of exercising, but eating too much is eating too much regardless of age.


I used to play a lot of sport when I was younger and when I got to around 40 the weight started creeping on until I became around a stone heavier than I wanted to be. I did winge and moan about it. However, I eventually did lose that stone when I was encouraged by a lady in her 70s who lost an amazing amount of weight and now looks incredible. She says she had been overweight since she was a child and said she just kept making excuses for herself until she decided to do something about it.


She had been told time and again by doctors to lose weight but she made the same excuse. “no body has told me how to”.


She said that she realised that no one should have to tell her how to lose weight. There was no magic formula. No fad diet/cutting carbs/eating baby food was going to do it. Her exact words to me were “I just stopped pushing food that I did not need, down my overweight face and started moving around more. It really was as easy and as hard as that.”


I don’t think that 10 ½ stone is that bad though, unless you are very small. My wife is 5’7” and she weighs 10 stone, and I have to say she looks amazing. I know I am biased, but she really does. She does dress rather elegantly which does help, but if you are only 10 ½ stone you cannot be that fat, so you may be being a little harsh on yourself.


Best wishes whatever you decide to do, but Zygarat is right. No one should need to spoon feed you.

zygurat789

margaretclare wrote: »

Well, gee thanks for the helpful comment (or not!) I have no wish to be spoon-fed and I normally do 'do it myself'. I have one criterion to follow. Does it work - for me. I'll give it a go and see if it does.

My point in putting this into the 50+ forum is that I've found so little advice geared towards people who are inevitably going to be much less active than they used to be and therefore not burning up the energy that they used to. It may be that weight loss advice should be specifically designed for this group of people, as well as those in younger age-groups who are inactive because of disability/injury.

Then you've put it in the wrong place, this is the "Over 50s Money Saving forum.
Mt perception is that the media overflows with eat less, exercise more and even the government are giving us advise on what to eat which the medi have always miss quoted. It's not and never was "Eat five portions of fruit & veg a day"

RevTimms

margaretclare wrote: »

. Carbohydrates turn instantly into sugars and what we don't burn up running around is stored as fat. Why aren't we told all this? Why is it assumed so blithely that we shall inevitably be fat little grannies and accept it as if we could do nothing about it? .

We are told about it, that's the thing. I don't know anyone who assumes that we shall be "fat little grannies"
I have not come across this assumption.

Farway

Margaret, yep,in same catergory, over 70 now, but I have lost over 5 stones

And in good MSE mode, it was free

I used, and still do http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

It is calorie counting, but no fads, if you want a cream doughnut, fine but it all counts up, and perhaps an alternative, more nutritious substitute would be a better option?

I like it because not only works, but most on there are supportive and all realise that an Oops day is not the end of the world

PM me if you wish

margaretclare

Yes, 10 1/2 stone is too much for me. 8 1/2 stone is about right. I'm not even 5 ft tall.

The slimmest I've ever been was in the early 1960s and, with 2 toddlers and a part-time job, I was on the move all the time.

I can't really be as active as I'd like to be. There are reasons why not.

Farway, if you've found something that works for you then stick with it. I had tried a lot of things but very few of them actually worked.

A lot of people post on here about things which are only tangentially 'financial'. I'm not going to apologise.

Errata

A lot of people post on here about things which are only tangentially 'financial'. I'm not going to apologise.

That's true, and fair enough but is there any reason why you're also posting the same thing on the Marriage/Relationships board?

margaretclare

If you really dislike this then why not ask admin to remove the thread. I posted it here because I thought it might be particularly applicable to older age-groups. Marriage and families tends to be people who are younger.

[Deleted User]

This thread is very applicable to the over 50s, It is a pity that some people only come on here to provide destructive criticism but I suppose that is easier than providing constructive help

I, unfortunately, am one of those in that group who find it extremely difficult to lose weight but then I was born during the post war rationing years when my mother was on enforced poor rations. My body does very well on very little food so I could survive a famine. I do not eat a lot and have just sent for a book relevant to my blood group AB+ in the hope that eating certain foods and omitting others might help

Yes this thread is money saving in that eating the wrong food is a total waste of money and not cost effective. Btw I may be far too overweight but at age 66 am not on any medication and can still ride my bike without getting too puffed. My eyes are bright and my skin is clear with a healthy glow and for what it is worth, my mother was in a large ward of stroke patients, all of whom were thin. I don`t fret about being overweight, there is no point. I am happy and have a very happy and fulfilling life