Weight loss in older age-groups

Pyxis

5:2
I heartily concur with PennyForThem and SevenOfNine. I started the 5:2 just over a year ago after reading Dr. Moseley's book and the research that's been done on the efficacy of this over the last 10 years.

I can't deny that the two fast days were, initially, quite hard, and on the two occasions when I've not fasted i.e. when I was on holiday and when I was ill, it was hard getting back into it. But it does get easier and easier to do.

What makes it SOOOO good for me is knowing that, yes, I'm very hungry today, BUT tomorrow I can eat! I'm only hungry two days a week, instead of seven, as on a normal low-calorie diet. Psychologically it suits me in that way.

Plus, the hungry days enable you to really appreciate food, but GOOD food. Somehow the need for lots of food diminishes.

I cannot get over how easy it has been. It does seem to change the way your body metabolises food in a way other eating regimes don't. Plus, because I am not snacking as much or buying as many 'treat'-type foods, I am saving money! The book was, I think, £6.99, and so was a very good investment.

The other thing I started at the same time was upping my Zumba Gold classes from once a week to as many as I could afford/fit in. I had never, ever been able to find a form of exercise that I enjoyed enough to keep going to. I love music, especially Latin rhythms, but had done very little dancing.

Zumba Gold is formulated for the unfit, the over-fifties, or people with some form of restriction that prevents them doing the ordinary fast and furious type. The dance steps are easy, but as it's not a Dance Class, it doesn't matter if you don't do them absolutely correctly.

I now find that, for the first time in my life, I've picked up some dance moves, and can't wait to get to the next class!

The combination of music, Latin rhythms and having a good laugh raises endorphin levels, and I can't wait for the next class!

My instructor has a scheme that when you've done 9 classes, you get the 10th free! So you save money!

I don't own any scales, so I go by what clothes fit. I've gone down 3 dress sizes. In that respect, it has cost me money, because I've had to buy new jeans twice now! I know, I'm an MSE traitor!

BUT, as I must be healthier, I should save the NHS a fair bit of money in obesity-related treatments over the next few years! And that will save all you tax-payers a bit of tax, too, n'est-ce pas?

Katiehound

Sorry this is making me chuckle.... but don't think that is saving money 'though!
Hey, but when you cut back on grocery shopping because certain items are not recommened for weight loss (perfect for weight gain!!) then that must be saving money!!

The last thing I tried was the Dukan diet (and I am still following a lot of the ideas), which is very similar to Atkins. I need to keep away from sugar (in all its forms) because that is my downfall. Cruises don't help in under indulging... but I have kept most of the weight off......however I am wondering about the 5:2. Please can someone point me in the direction of a /the book? ( and yes I will hunt for it on Amazon, and may even register my Nectar card for even more savings!!!!)

I would love Zumba Gold but it doesn't exist round here and ordinary Zumba is just too full on. Carry on with the swimming.........

margaretclare

Thank you to all for the most recent responses. I think what put me off the idea of 'all inclusive' was when we've been to somewhere that was populated largely by older people. I hate to be ageist, I really shouldn't be, especially in present company, but...the main ethos seemed to be 'you've paid for it so you might as well eat it' and that included going back for second and even third helpings, especially of a full fried breakfast. As if they were expecting a famine, even though there were also lunch and dinner menus!

I shall probably give the fasting a go once I've got a bit closer to where I want to be weight-wise. And will see what I'm like when we get back from Switzerland, which will be mid-June. We're invited to a wedding in late August, I have a very nice cream silky jacket that I haven't worn yet (in MSE style I got it in Debenhams sale a while ago now). We're delighted to be invited to this wedding, especially as we hardly know the people concerned, not sure why they've invited us, but hey, a wedding is a wedding. My cream silky jacket will go very nicely with any of my David Nieper dresses - MSE again, not going to buy another dress, I have enough.

Yes, Katiehound, the most success I've ever had was with Dr Dukan. What I'm doing now is very similar, except that with Dr D I wasn't allowed any bread or any fruit at all. Dr Clark allows one slice of bread daily and one orange (for the Vitamin C). With Dr Dukan I aimed at getting down to 60 kg - that's approx 9 1/2 stones. That would involve losing 12 kg from where I am now - approx 1 3/4 stones.

Love SevenOfNine's parting shot!

Pyxis

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1780721676/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=479289247&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1481235966&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1VBKF8CH5Q6VJR4YM5AD

This is the Amazon link for Michael Moseley's book.

I would recommend reading it all the way through first, as it's much easier to do when you know the rationale behind the health benefits.

Have you thought of ringing one or two of the Zumba instructors to ask if they could start a Gold class?

PennyForThem_2

No, that is a link to carbon monoxide poisoning.

This is the link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Michael-Mosley/s?ie=UTF8&field-author=Michael%20Mosley&page=1&rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3AMichael%20Mosley

SevenOfNine

MC - yes, absolutely true words "you've paid for it so you might as well eat it".

Reminds me of a joke a cruise comedian once told............"You get up for breakfast at 8am, 11am it's elevenses, 1pm lunchtime, 3pm afternoon tea, 7/8pm dinner, then midnight buffet. Come on board as passengers and go home as CARGO".

I once lost 2 stone on the Atkins, that led to another joke I read, "my arteries may be furring up on the Atkins & I'll have a heart attack, but at least I'll fit in the coffin."

Well done all the dieters, whatever works and we still feel fit and healthy can't be bad.

KatieHound - PennyForThem has given a pretty accurate description of the 5:2, I think it's proper name is The Fast Diet (as in fasting, not quick). Be careful as there is a similar one (but IMO harder) which has a mediteranean (sp?) diet for the 5 eating days.

I prefer the basic 5:2 Fasting Diet as it involves no change to eating habits for the 5 eating days. My advice would be short, DO NOT CHEAT, every calorie on the two non consecutive 500cal days COUNTS. I have not introduced even a modicum of exercise, no change whatsoever to food/eating habit/lifestyle on the 5 days. Good luck.

Katiehound

Thanks for the link (not the carbon monoxide!!) I will check out the book next month. Off to Ireland tomorrow... ought to be packing the car instead of cruising the forum!
Good luck to all us " people who might one day be slimmer!!"

Gloomendoom

Katiehound wrote: »

.however I am wondering about the 5:2. Please can someone point me in the direction of a /the book?

You don't need a book for the 5:2... unless you like giving money away.

It is easy. Two days out of every week you restrict your calorie intake to no more than 500 calories (600 if you are male.) On the remaining five days, you eat as you normally would. In effect, you are cutting your overall weekly calorie intake. The beauty is that, unlike a traditional diet, you are only hungry for two days and it is unlikely that your metabolism will decrease to compensate for less food.

However, it is important not to overeat on the "eat normally" days... otherwise you are back to square one.

Pyxis

I really do recommend buying the book, the current Amazon price of which is only £2.95 inc. postage, because there is more to it than just not having more than 500 calories on two days a week.

There are several health benefits to be gained from adopting this regime permanently, even after achieving the size you're aiming for, but these benefits are also affected by HOW you eat on the other days.

The book explains the rationale behind this, and also explains the research that backs it up, and this understanding improves motivation and compliance.

(One example, the length of time between eating is important. I used to be a grazer, thinking that this was a healthy way to take in food. I now know that this is the worst thing I could have done, because a drip-feed of food keeps your circulating insulin levels up, which has detrimental effects on other body systems.)

margaretclare

Reminds me of a joke a cruise comedian once told............"You get up for breakfast at 8am, 11am it's elevenses, 1pm lunchtime, 3pm afternoon tea, 7/8pm dinner, then midnight buffet. Come on board as passengers and go home as CARGO"

It was meant as a joke but it was so TRUE!! Almost everyone I've heard of who has been on a cruise has come back heavier than they started out. Usually, if you ask how they enjoyed it, the first remark is 'The food was wonderful!' We were talking to a man who'd been on one of those European river cruises, up the Rhine and the Danube, very historic, and they'd been as far as Passau. This is one of the most historic places, a beautiful old basilica which was one of the foundations of Christianity in the 5th century at the time when Attila the Hun was sweeping westwards....I went 'Oh! Passau! Lucky you, I'd love to see it' and all I got from this man was how wonderful the food had been. And usually, as that comedian rightly said, you can eat all the hours of the 24.

I will get that book and read it. I'm a great believer in doing my research properly. Too many former tutors in my ear going 'Where's your evidence for that statement?' My problem with it may be I'm not very good at counting calories. I've tried calorie-counting before, that's why I'm happier with what I'm doing now. And before anyone says 'you can get an app to do myfitnesspal' I haven't yet got a smartphone. Very MSE again, the phone that I have makes and receives phone calls and that's all that I ask it to do. But I don't knock anyone else. As I keep saying, if you've found something that works for you then stick with it.