Anyone over 60 stay slimish - how do you do it?!

[NotSoFastCuckoo]

Please don't say Zumba! (I can't do exercise unfortunately).

I don't want to go on a diet. Just looking at handy tips! And I genuinely wonder how slimmish women over 55 stay that way? Is it simple and effortless habit or steely self-control?

Answers on a postcard?

Interesting paper on how it's probable that a large number of "normal weight" post-menopausal women are obese by body fat level:

Measuring Adiposity in Patients: The Utility of Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent Body Fat, and Leptin
Nirav R. Shah , Eric R. Braverman 2012

While there was agreement for 60% of the sample, 39% were misclassified as non-obese based on BMI, while meeting obesity criteria based on percent body fat. Only 1% was classified as obese based on BMI, but non-obese by percent body fat. A total of 48% of women were misclassified as non-obese by BMI, but were found to be obese by percent body fat. In sharp contrast, 25% of men were misclassified as obese by BMI, but were in fact non-obese by percent body fat (i.e. the muscular body morphology)...

BMI significantly underestimates prevalence of obesity when compared to DXA direct measurement of percent body fat...

This misclassification was seen more commonly in women than in men and occurred more frequently with advancing age in women. A more appropriate cut-point for obesity with BMI is 24 for females and 28 for males (see Table 4). These new cut-points increased diagnostic sensitivity with small losses in specificity. Clinicians should consider using 24 as the BMI cut-point for obesity in women, in order to maximize diagnosis and prevention of obesity-related co-morbidities. Public health policymakers should also consider these more accurate cut-points in designing interventions. The Healthy People 2010 goal was to reduce rates of obesity (defined using BMI>30) from 23% in 1988–1994 to the target of 15%. Not only was this goal unmet, but in light of this data we may be much further behind than we thought. Our results document the scope of the problem of false-negative BMIs, emphasize the greater misclassification in women of advancing age, and confirm the improved precision available by gender specific revised cutoffs.

An individual's body composition might be a good index to metabolic health and how healthily someone ages. There are good advances in making diabetes and various other chronic illnesses manageable but for many of us, if it's possible that managing body composition prevents those illnesses, that might be a useful way to prolong our health in later life.

I went up 2 dress sizes, 8 to a 12, due to menopause, contentment etc. Decided to do something about it so cut down on everything, one biscuit less, one less potato etc, one treat a day (packet of crisps, piece of cheese, chocolate, just not all 3!) Every Thursday I just eat fruit and veg; beetroot straight out the jar is my favourite at the moment! I walk everywhere although if it was raining I'd take the car for sure, only drive once a week when I do the food shop. I look after my grandchildren most weeks and we always walk down town and back. I've just taken up swimming again and I walk to the pool and back, about 3 1/2 miles altogether.
However, I've always been skinny, it took a while to sink in that the weight was creeping in as it's only ever happened when I was pregnant! When I had to buy size 12 jeans I thought that if I don't do something then next year it'll be size 14, then 16, it creeps up on you after the menopause.
I don't stint at Christmas or holidays but the main thing is is that I don't drink as I don't like the taste. I'm now under 9 stone, 5 foot 6 so at the low end of BMI but more importantly for me, the size 12 jeans are miles too big!

You can't do exercise (whatever that means) and don't want to change your eating habits.
Fat city is your next stop.

Ethyl I already said I can't do exercise because of health issues RTFT.

I never said I didn't want to change eating habits either.

But like the nasty little twat you sound (and unfortunately no amount of healthy living will ever change that its probably congenital) it went over your head (so thick too!).

Anyway, I've found the other ideas/hints interesting on this subject.

Oh and if you're a snacky person, eat fruit first and have big drink of cold water. Frozen strawberries are lovely, you can suck them til they thaw, takes ages!
Whatever you do don't think you're on a diet, that just makes you want to eat more.

My mum and gran were always size 6/8 even after 60. They were active and just ate healthily. I think genetics played a part though!

Embrace the freedom to be what you are at a certain age. I did.

So liberating. We are totally invisible anyway and I get that, so I do what I want, eat what I want, drink what I want and wear what I am comfortable in. I am not obese but am not skinny either, nor would I want to be, Size 14/16 and that is fine for me now.

Makes no difference if you lose a few KGs unless you are doing it for the attention of someone else or it is health related.

Time to relax and enjoy the non competitive time in comparison to our twenties.

Only thing I will say is, get out every day and walk or swim or something. It does your heart and demeanour good. I usually follow such exploits with a feed of something lovely though..... Ah well.

Oooops. I may be in the sin bin for this!

Luck

I was brought up in a home that never had fizzy drinks, chocolate, crisps, sweets and biscuits. My mother made small cakes and I'd have one with a cup of tea, when they were fresh. I've noticed that other people buy these things, but it never occurs to me to buy snacking food.

You don't miss what you've never had.

I've noticed other differences between me and my friends.

They have a starter, but I don't. I want space for the main meal and pudding. At a buffet, they will overload their plates and have huge portions. I'll have a smaller portion but go back for more if I need to.

I think I was lucky to be born into a home where there was no money for "bits" and where I learnt to be satisfied with a certain portion size. Luck, nothing more.

You do not need to go On a Diet
You just need to learn to eat the right amount for your correct body size.

That is a LOT less than has become normalised in recent years

Being overweight is bad for you
so if you cannot move more, you'll need to eat less

I'm 60 and have a bmi of 20.7. I'm roughly the same weight, 8st 5lb, as I was when I was 20. But I am a different shape! My waist is much thicker and my bum appears to be trying to colonise my thighs! I was a size 10 in 1978. I am still a size 10 ish, but my waist is now 5 inches bigger and my hips 3 or 4 inches bigger.

I do have quite a dread of getting fat and so if/when I gain a few pounds and my clothes get too tight, I cut down on what I eat, mostly by limiting carbs. I also try to be mindful of portion size and not put too much on my plate.

You have to be disciplined or flabby

So many other posters have said this simply isn't true though.
I do think genetics play a big part.
As, of course do your habits / expectations as TheOtherPamAyres said.
Yes, of course - everyone knows that eating fewer calories and moving more is going to be good for virtually all of us, but I do think it has to be balanced with enjoying your life.
As NoIsACompleteAnswer says, your ability to stay slim changes as you get older, and those who have previously stayed slim, tend to put weight on after the menopause, unless they do something about it.

I disagree about genetics. Just from my experience I think.it does play a part.

My birth mother (I never lived with her) ate a very 1970's diet. Lots of fried food, lots of meat. She ate LOADS of chocolate. She drove everywhere. She never did a moments exercise, apart from one keep fit class in 1977 which she declared "not for me".

Since I was 32 I have been to the gym 4 or 5 times a week. I have always watched my weight, eat healthily most of the time.

I was a size 10 or 12 untill tbe perimenopause hit. My body shape changed from a pear to an apple. I have a HUGE stomach. I look exactly like my mum did at my age despite our life styles being so different.

I do Zumba. I do Pilates. I do cardio. I do HIit classes. I eat fucking salad. I look like my mother.

I despair...

Another thing that I've noticed about the difference between me and my friends - I don't drink wine anymore. I don't buy wine.

I tell them: "I didn't give up drink, drink gave up on me". As I aged, I found that I didn't recover well from a glass or three of wine. Drink gave me head-aches and terrible hangovers, meaning that I couldn't function properly the next day. I felt that it just wasn't worth it.

Some friends polish off a half bottle of wine or a few cans a night and I don't know how they do it. I can't anymore but I like the way that I have a lot more energy now and sleep better. I feel healthier.

thanks y'all. its all kinda interesting. I'm liking the freedom aspect keyboardkate the way you described it sounds so good, thank you.