I love to find out that there are people having the same problems that I am. Having a kindred spirit makes things just feel better. At least you know you aren’t alone in your troubles and having them be in my own age group is the icing on the cake.
Last week, I did a post about how hard it is to avoid temptation when you are trying to lose weight. Doing the right thing is just so hard sometimes. Not all the time (thank goodness), but certainly sometimes. I asked our wonderful readers if they had any little tricks or ideas to help me with this issue. I got some great replies that I would love to share with you.
1. Cindy said….Yay! I’ve been looking for blogs/posts for months that would be appropriate for the older set! 🙂 Have only been following the Sisterhood for a couple of weeks and your post today cements that I will stick around and see what is offered for us older gals. I am 53. I don’t need the senior workouts that I’ve found…too easy…but also can’t do the stuff the young gals are doing. Lordy the only burpee I want to do is after eating something yummy! I am not interested in a hugely restrictive diet but in maintaining moderation….or changing up a couple of things to help with a metabolism that is slowing down. Blah, blah, blah! Anyhoo. Nice to see your post.
2. Mary said…. I am just a few years shy of where you are and have such a difficult time too. During the week, I do great! I find weekends harder though, because we usually have company or some type of dinner or event to go to and guess what? I enjoy myself a little. Hey, we have to be SOCIAL sometimes. Anyway, I don’t keep sweets or snacks in the house…and if I do want them, I go buy a small amount of them or enough for the birthday, (or anniversary, company, whatever the need) and serve it all. I feel like the best I can do is allow myself to have that one weekend cheat day, where I do have a piece of garlic bread, or maybe TWO cocktails if I want them — but they are smarter choices like vodka, club & a splash of cranberry or a white wine spritzer. (No Pina Coladas, Rum Runners or Daiquiri’s) I also continue in that direction to make healthy, yummy choices that satisfy me — like grilled shrimp or seafood and veggies or steak and peppers, so I don’t feel deprived. I do not have any fried or processed foods, limit myself to one serving of bread per day, and if I am going to have a fat, I only have one per meal like: an open-faced turkey sandwich with cheese or mayo, but not both. I think being one of the “Big Sisters” too, we need to focus on strength training, flexibility exercises and cardio exercises that fit our level. The strength training is the most important, because we need that to keep our bones strong, and our metabolism revved up. Keep up the great work, and let’s keep our Big Sisters Motivated!
3. Victoria said….I myself am struggling. Like you, I will do great for a few days and then next thing I know…I’ve fallen again. For me, I my work hours are all over the place. It’s hard to set eating patterns when I am not eating at the same time each day. One day lunch is at noon the next it isn’t until 3 pm. There was a time when I was within 20 pounds of my goal weight. But life happened and my doctor prescribed an antidepressant for the depression. That happy little pill put everything I worked so hard to get off back on! It’s been over a year since I stopped taking them and I still can’t lose what I gained.
I think the weight will come off all of us when our head, heart and body is in alignment. I’ve tried to find support groups or teams to help each other, to no avail. I don’t have a Facebook and it seems that’s where most groups are. So I just rely on myself and try to learn to love me as I am right now while trying to find my way to the healthy me again. Weight loss is a difficult journey, there is no straight line to success. It is full of far more ups and downs than we realize.
4. NJJazz said…just passed the 61 mark…………… love that there is an older sisters group. Like it or not – our bodies are not what they were at 20 or 40 – they dont react the same to exercise or diet – our emotions are different and our approach to health and fitness also needs to be different. There is no great wisdom in hurting yourself – trying too much too soon or too quickly – and then not being able to exercise at all until you heal – and there is no reason to starve yourself short term to lose weight only to gain most of it back when you cannot continue to starve yourself. So my learnings have led me to – slow and steady – and change gradually – and remember the continuous improvement mottos from earlier work days. In our 60s I feel like we have some earned right to just be who we are – and the shrinking jean sisterhood – helps us be the best we can be. That doesn’t mean stick skinny for everyone ——— but that can mean feeling great and be comfortable in your own skin and also feeling good about working on that. My experience is also NOT to change everything at once………… take inventory – what do you really want to work on – pick just a few things and make a plan. try things. if you fall off that plan – brush off and get back up and on the plan again. Guilt is way too heavy to carry around long term. OK and finally – don’t avoid what you really want to change…….. I have 2 items – I need to open up to a relationship = and I need to trim some body fat. Those are my 2 senior sister goals……………….. so my baby steps to those 2 things are – letting go of a not so healthy relationship to make room and open myself up for a new one – and to learn to swing a kettle bell for toning my adult body. ( belly fat is darn near impossible to lose ) but not completely impossible. I look forward to reading everyone’s posts……………… most of us have lived our lives for husbands – or children – and now it feels good to focus on US . We sure deserve it.
These are just a few of the comments I received, but it made me happy that people are fighting the same fight as I am and they are working through the trouble spots, just like I am.
Okay, I am heading out for a walk before I come home and watch the Notre Dame game with some sensible snacks. Yay me!!
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