In 366 days I will be 50 and I want to be in the best shape of my life. Who's with me?

[FitBeforeFifty]

I am currently overweight, at 12st 5lb, and a BMI of 27. I am perimenopausal, addicted to sugar, and a bit of a coach potato. I WFH and snack A LOT.

Last week I went on holiday and wore swimwear for the first time in years. I felt like crying when I saw the reality of what I am doing to my body with too much sugar, booze and not enough exercise. I've been kidding myself that it's ok, but it isn't.

In 366 days I will be celebrating my 50th birthday. I feel as if this is my last chance to properly get a grip on things and reverse some of the damage I've done before it gets even harder.

These are my goals for the next 12 months:

• get to 10 stone and the middle of a healthy BMI


• stick to fasting / OMAD / no snacking (I know this works for me, I just fall off the wagon too easily due to WFH / boredom)


• stick to a lower-carb (not no-carb) WOE, again I know this works for me


• daily yoga / barre (I use DownDog app, but not often enough!)


• 10k steps per day

I don't want to be fat at fifty. I don't want to be a menopausal cliche with a big gut and a load of excuses as to why I've still not shifted the weight and am still on the sofa mainlining wine and biscuits every evening.

This feels doable - anyone want to join me and be fit and fabulous at fifty (and beyond)?!

Just to say I'd really recommend these hypnosis meditations. Gone off anything fatty. DH asked if I wanted an omelette this morning and all I could think of was it sat in grease and it made me feel sick. Haven't eaten bacon for around 3 weeks and last time I smelt it I could really smell the grease through the bacon smell. Have failed diets before but think this is a real turning point for me.

Do you have a link please?

Hey there! Good work everyone, we are all buckling down, too early to see results though so we need to keep positive.

I have been eating healthy food up to 1400 calories per day, between 12 and 7pm.

I weighed myself yesterday in Boots (not the footwear but shop )

I have chucked out my scales because I suffer from 'weight disbelief syndrome' - any weight gain is immediately put down to dodgy scales.

But the Boots weight machine is boss and I shall not complain or question

Also, I think I might shorten my eating window - perhaps 2 - 7pm?

@ScarlettMcCain I have finally found my perfect haircut and it makes such a difference to how I feel about myself.

I'm in. I'm a couple of years off 50, and berating my peri-belly, need to cut out the extra sugar, alcohol, last carbs and up the exercise - I'm in okay shape and workout from home a few times a week, and walk my dog 10k+ steps a day but really want to get into decent shape.
I'm 5ft11 and 12 stone, could lose a stone and would probably look and feel much better.
However, am currently on holiday so not planning to start just yet 😁. Am swimming and walking daily, but am eating out and enjoying it for another week or so...

The one I'm using is an android app Clear Minds Hypnotherapy, play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clearmindhypnotherapy.app
I couldn't find a free one I was happy with and paid for a subscription. The one I mainly use is healthy weight loss but there are a few good ones on there. The blokes voice is a bit irritating mind as it sounds like he has a really dry mouth.

I was queuing at boots pharmacy the other day and saw the weight machine. Was a bit too close to the queue for my liking!

Today is going to be a test - that I can get straight back on to my normal after a social event involving food and wine the night before...
I kept waking in the night and struggled to get back to sleep - had to take Ibuprofen for a headache. I suspect I am going to spend the day a bit tired and feeling less than great. Wine is definitely becoming not worth it at all to me.

Good luck! I did exactly this last year before I turned 50, set a goal to lose 50 lbs by 50 ( I was heavier than you! ) Fear of Covid complications due to obesity and the milestone birthday really helped me to focus and I managed to lose the weight and get fit. Felt amazing on my birthday! I did similar to what you're doing, low carb, no snacking etc. If I'm honest I've since let the odd pound or 2 creep back on over the last 6 months and haven't lost them again so have had to refocus this week but you have reminded me how worth it it was! I can wear nice clothes with confidence, run 10k and feel lighter and more energised. You can do it!

Well done @Moorlander ! I'm so looking forward to being back down to a sensible weight and staying there this time!

I had a burst of activity this morning around the house but then ended up eating 'early' at 1 pm and having a nap (expecting this due to the poor sleep/alcohol last night). All good though. Hopefully I can get back to a longer fast tomorrow.

Have been ill all week then as I recovered went out for meal and booze ending the night with more street food. On the plus side have been eating better at home and have serviced the exercise bike. Stage one.

Try going vegan for a couple of weeks, - specifically Whole Food Plant Based. Best thing I ever did! (Never imagined I'd be vegan!) -now 7 years in)

Check out The Happy Pear on YouTube.

That's what I do @spinachmonster (in addition to IF)!
I think it was the forks over knives that first got me into it. Been a few years since that and I slip off because of wine/laziness but keep a lot of it each time - this time feels like it is it though (I also think that my relationship with alcohol has changed which is key). I'm still cheating a bit though as I'm having allplants meals which I'm pretty sure have some oil in.
I would love DH to do it - tried to get him to watch gamechangers but...

Had a relaxed day yesterday, drank several frozen cocktails. Also my exercise mojo dies in the heat.
However I've just booked to go swimming at lunchtime and am planning not much more than salad and fish to eat today.

Morning all! Hope everyone is managing OK in the heat.

Weighed myself today - 3lbs down! I'm delighted with that obviously even though it's probably mainly water weight. Good motivation to keep going though.

Sea swimming this afternoon once it gets a little cooler, and the beach empties. Looking forward to it.

Hello all. I'm a bit late to this thread but can I join please? I could have written the original.post myself. 50 next year and I don't recognise myself . Definitely peri-menopausal , loads of weight around my middle, wfh and snack way too much. Feel generally sluggish. If I could lose even a stone I would be made up !

Not having the best of days here…broke fast early at 1 pm again (mainly as had a half day at work due to the heat). No salad left. Eaten lots of veg and some fruit but loafing around rather than keeping busy had led to snacking, including sweets!

Lost 1.2 lbs this week, which I’m fairly pleased with as not counting calories and had the boozy Saturday! Miss how good I felt before Saturday evening though…plan to getup early tomorrow and buy salad.

3 lbs - brilliant @FitBeforeFifty !

Hope you enjoyed the swimming @SandrasAnnoyingFriend ?

Hi @iwonttaketheeasyroad !

Worked out I started dieting on 4th, on my scales I've gone from 15st 3 to 14st 10 in 2 weeks. On boots scale to 14st 13. Swimming costume arrived, need to find my goggles to start lane swimming later this week. I have CFS/me so can't do too much, averaging 4-5,000 steps a day.

Hi please can I join? Am currently four stone overweight and getting peri symptoms need to take this seriously to prevent health issues going forward I feel way older than my age (42)

@Minimalme I'm very pleased with my haircut, except I wish I'd had a bit more off in this heat

@FitBeforeFifty I actually lost a stone or so last year just by cutting out a lot of the rubbish I ate and exercising more. Trouble is, I've since changed jobs and have very little time to cook well/ exercise! I'm hoping that the summer holidays will give me more of an opportunity to do both, as I'll have less clubs to run the DC around to...

@Stressybetty our pharmacy had/ has a weight/ fat/ blood pressure machine which would look accusingly at me every time I went in there. Happily (?!) since Covid we're no longer allowed to, we have to order and collect everything outside. Although perhaps it would have been more of an incentive for me to lose a few pounds if I had to face that every week!!

Swimming was a great idea yesterday but I did my hair afterwards so can't now go again for a few days. Going to go to a Body Balance class tonight, the room is air conditioned so it's actually a nice break from the heat. Love the class as well, it feels like it really tones you up if you go regularly.

Going to recreate yesterdays lunch when I break my fast later - cold rice bowl with leftover vietnamese roast chicken, pickled veg and lots of herbs. Also made a few slushies yesterday that kept me cool and filled me up a bit. Best one was sugar free passion fruit cordial, fresh raspberries, a little mint and lots of ice.

Eating well is so much easier in this heat, it's the autumn and winter that screw me up

I lost a ton of weight by staggering changes. I only added in exercise near the end and even then it wasn't every day and it wasn't by trying to meet 10k steps.

You have to do stuff you enjoy, and you will find that eventually you're forcing yourself to fast and do endless movement and you'll quit out of exhaustion or boredom. Please introduce changes gradually. Weightloss is mostly what you eat and drink, the exercise is a bonus. Stopping added sugar was the biggest helpful factor for me, as it took away any cravings for alcohol and big portions with it.

Can I join? I’m 30 next year and really want to start my 30’s healthy and happy, not fat and miserable.

Hello! Long time lurker here. I was so inspired by @FitBeforeFifty‘s post. I have been having similar thoughts, but have done nothing about it. This thread has spurred me into action. I want to be in good shape by the time I am 50. I have 1222 days until I reach that milestone, so have called this Project 1222! I have a lot on my plate at the moment, unwell elderly parent, MS, major challenges at work, so I am going to be kind to myself. I have set some goals based on a book I read a while ago called Midlife by Dr Muir Gray. It talks about a whole range of aspects for a healthy midlife. Here is what I came up with:

• be a healthy weight. For me this is about 10 stone. I have about 70lbs to loose, so I am going to be kind to myself and say I want to loose 1lb a week until it is done. This means I should be at goal by end of next year. I hope by doing it slowly I will embed the lifestyle changes I need. I don’t eat badly, just way too much! Portion control is what I need to work on.
• Have a regular exercise regime. I am starting with walking (which I love), and once that habit is embedded, I will start weights and flexibility exercises.
• Develop a reading habit. I adore reading, and used to read a lot, but life has over taken things and I never make time for it. It is a big stress reliever for me, so I see it as part of a health lifestyle. I’m going to try and make sure I read daily, even if it is only for 20 mins.
• Update wardrobe, make-up and hair. I am horribly out of date, look frumpy and I don’t like it. I need to break this down into some smaller chunks, but over the next year or so I hope to make some progress on this.

I have invested in a habit tracker app, so I can see where I am doing well, and where I am falling short. I am also logging all my food to help with that portion control.

This has turned into a long post - sorry! I feel better for having shared it though. Made things more real…