lost a stone in my 50s...it's possible.

[BigDahliaFan]

I was on here under a different name about 3 months ago getting some inspiration for weight loss.

Well, I've lost a stone now, slowly, but I have. Another 1.5 to go...but you know it's going in the right direction finally. I was always slim till menopause hit. So this has been hard.

And...folks...it's boiled down to eating less, eating more veg and moving more.

It's been pretty easy though.

I've cut out snacking almost completely, if I do it's a banana or an apple. I'm not drinking in the week unless there's a reason for it. Didn't drink a lot in the week but could go through a bottle of wine over 5 days.

Eating breakfast lunch and dinner.

And - though I don't think this has been a big part of it, got off my arse to go to the gym 2/3 times a week.

@BigDahliaFan resurrecting your old post as I just wanted to say thank you for posting this. I was hunting around for inspiration at Christmas as I’d put on 2 and half stone since peri menopause/starting HRT, having been slim my whole life. I’ve pretty much done what you recommended, eating less, moving more and I am feeling so much fitter! I have lost a stone so far and it’s still going in the right direction. It has been hard work, but I feel so much better both physically and mentally. I’ve also accepted that if I want to continue to be slim as I get older, I have to eat less, watch what I eat and make more healthy choices . . . Gone are the days where I can eat/drink anything! 😀

I'm now 10kg lighter than I was when I first posted in October, which is a stone and a half. Intermittent fasting is what's done it for me - overnight oats around noon, then a proper dinner. No cheese, butter, red meat, pastries. Minimal chocolate/cake. No booze.

Wow, well done @Stroopwaffels you have totally overhauled your diet! It is hard to cut out things you enjoy but good to feel healthier and sounds like you’re losing weight at a sensible rate 😊

I’m going to see if I can lose at least another stone though I suspect it will start to get harder soon.

Well done OP. Have given me hope. I am 6ft and have lost 8lbs in last two weeks. Using the nhs app. More veg, soups and stir fry’s. I also exercise twice a week (swim and treadmill). Goal is to lose another 30+ lbs. Marathon not a sprint. And I am 54

I'm still on track too - 56 is fast approaching, I am still doing SW online and I have lost 22.5lbs now. I've had a wardrobe clearout and also dragged back to the easy to reach part all of the clothes that had been pushed into dark corners because they didn't fit! We've booked to go to the Maldives in April and I have 4lbs left to reach my target. I hope I will have reached target by then, but if I don't I am ok with that too. There are no deadlines here, I just keep plodding! I gained about 4lbs over new year as we were away but then lost over 7lbs in January. My body fat % has dropped by 7% between Sept (new scales) and now.

Well done everyone!
Age is just a number after all and menopause isnt a terminal condition!LOL
Im over 50 and peri and have lost nearly 6st this last year! I can honestly say I have never felt healthier and fitter then I do right now.
Not to mention I feel so much happier and more positive. 😀

That’s great new @newbeliever . I’m still only a stone down, but my measurements have changed and I’ve lost fat and gained muscle According to scales at gym. I was more confident wearing a bikini when away last week. I’m still overweight but confident I’ll lose a bit more.

Oh well done OP ❤️. Really inspired

It's had positive effects on the cholesterol too down from 7.2 in October to 5 in January and back in normal range. Would like to lose another 5kg but feeling the benefit already

I would think so! Well done on reducing your cholesterol. (BTW I have a major stroopwaffel weakness!)

Really inspiring to hear all your updates!

@BigDahliaFan amazing to wear a bikini on holiday, I would love to feel confident enough to wear one again.

@Stroopwaffels also fab to hear about your other health benefits such as reduced cholesterol, I hadn’t thought about that as I’m don’t know what mine is but I’m sure the healthier diet I’m following will have an impact on that too.

I'm 54 and need to lose a stone to get down to a healthy BMI. I cannot seem to lose it. I know I need to get into my fitness pal or do something but I feel I eat well.

I just seem to stay the same weight within a couple of pounds. I've been this weight since I was post menopause, at least 5 years. I blamed COVID for the weight gain but actually it is menopause and lack of movement.

What's the best way to kick start?? It's like my body likes this weight which seems to all be on my belly!

Aged 59, post menopause and 2 stone off in 8 months

Like the op, its been upping the fruit and veg and protein, swapping out white pasta and rice for wholemeal and brown, wholemeal bread, and for me its been cutting the bread

Also upped the movement which while it doesn't really have a. huge impact to weight loss, it does wonders for the MH, as well as helping tone up , and obviously helps strength

BMI is now well within range, blood tests are a lot better. - cholesterol is still a tad higher then the GP would like but 2 points lower then it was. Still carrying a bit of middle aged spread but it is going - slowly

Its been slow, a pound a week mostly and the lighter I get the slower the loss, but its still going the right direction :)

The one thing I do that keeps me right, is to not allow myself to think Im on a diet, rather Im changing habits. I still eat out, still drink, never say no to a piece of cake if its being offered and if I do have a day where Im shovelling chocolate into me, well thats ok, I draw the line and get back to the healthy choices.

@suki1964 its a nice feeling isn’t it? And I love the attitude of changing habits.

im holding on to the thought my mum in her 50s and my sister both lost weight and looked great.

I need to do this. Thanks for the inspiration and I'm placemarking so I can come back later and study all the wisdom and encouragement on this thread. Gotta do it! (I've eaten waaaay too much butter, chocolate, snacks the last few weeks and I can feel it getting harder and harder to contemplate turning it around so I need to address this now not put it off any more.)

it is a great feeling tbh :)

I like so many women kind of got into the mindset of its the menopause, its natural, nowt I can do about it and Ive got to say I didnt really care. Until my MOT at the GP's. When I saw how my health was being affected, that really did spur me to do something. I was pretty active anyways and I used to use that to shield myself from admitting I was actually obese -"sure I climbed a mountain. sure I just done a half marathon " forgetting that I got stuck trying to get through a stile and it took me 2 hours more then the fittest to get to the top of that mountain and mountain support got me through ( it was a event, 200 of us )

I think a bit of middle aged spread is always going. to linger but Im not getting stuck in stiles anymore :)

Its nice to be wearing clothes that fit and enhance rather then just cover me but for me the most important thing is keeping myself healthy. Mum is 85, she took to her chair 15 years ago, her now deceased husband did the same, and the less they did the less they could do. Im her carer, I also still work, I have grandchildren, I have to be as fit as I can be. No longer do I fall into the car after work and struggle to get out when I get home and collapse on the sofa. Sure Im tired, but I now longer hurt and I have enough energy to get on and do something in the evenings, go for a walk or cycle, do a bit of housework so its not all needing done on a day off, go out with friends, play with the grandkids

I'm backsliding again, half a stone has crept back on since I posted back in October, so I need to take inspiration from you lot who are smashing it. I'm finding it so hard to shake off the chocolate craving and to get my arse up off the sofa and moving - admittedly not helped by a lingering arthritis flare-up in my knee that has stopped me running, which I really miss.

Dont run, walk :)
What I mean is , dont let the aches, pains and buggered joints stop you moving

My shoulders are away with the fairies , so I dont do more then shoulder shrugs and whilst I will use weights ( yes you can get 1 kg ones ) I certainly dont push beyond the crunch

@SoundTheSirens , think on as to why you are backsliding. dont get me wrong, I do so a lot ( hence a long time to lose what I have ) The one thing I keep sight on, is I want the weight off and for my body measurements to be healthy. So I cock up, I have bad days and weeks, but I keep in sight the need to be healthy so I never stop trying

Weight still heading downwards, slowly. Need to stop mindless snacking after dinner....might take up knitting again.

Also my motivation is now that I've told myself I can't retire till I've lost another stone and a half to take me to 11 stone. That's a motivation - I want to do some travelling when I retire and I want to be skinnier and healthier when I do it.

That’s a good idea, think I might use that one too!

The weight loss has definitely slowed after losing the initial stone, feels like it’s about half a pound a week at the moment. Two lbs down since I last posted.

@SoundTheSirens I was going to suggest walking too if you can’t run. I’ve been doing C25K and I’m enjoying it but I’ve also introduced walking on the days I’m not running. My DH and I have started walking most evenings to get our steps up, stops us vegging in front of the TV and less likely to grab an unhealthy snack. Like you I also love chocolate and I’ve had the odd massive slip up where I’ve eaten a huge amount!! I’m not sure I will ever train myself to not eat it but I find doing exercise helps as I tend to make more healthy choices.

All in all, I feel far healthier compared to how I felt after Xmas, can now run for 30mins, my clothes all feel looser and I feel much better about myself and less ‘old’! 😀

I've lost a few pounds eating a few fast 800 meals. I haven't been too well the last few days but still eaten well.

I was doing really well with exercise and need to get back to it but not until I feel well. DH has had an awful chest infection and we tend to go to the gym and walk together.

Still heading in the right direction. I've lost fat and gained muscle according to the swizzy scales in the gym.

I also had a little today of waiting after a meeting and going back to the office to eat the lentil soup I'd bought into work for lunch rather than buying chocolate and crisps as I was starving on the way back.