Age 50+ Bios

[Maggy]

Hello everyone

I'm brand new to this site & figured I would join a few of the groups that I'd fit in with. I'm definitely over 50 so I'll start with this one.

I'm 61 yrs old & live alone in a very small town in the mountains of western Washington state. I have one cat, a mini dachshund & a min pin for pets. My son & his wife live in Seattle, not too far away, and they come up frequently & bring my 1.5 yr old granddaughter who of course is absolutely gorgeous! lol They're also expecting another baby mid-year so I'll be a grandma a second time!

I'm on disability but have worked many jobs in the past including cab driver, tugboat operator, grounds maintenance & logging crew laborer & EMT/ firefighter. My hobbies include computers, gardening, genealogy & reading. I love sci fi, fantasy, action movies & comedies but not into chick flicks.

I'm just starting a serious diet & exercise program today & gradually getting into it. I had let my weight climb over the last few years from a combination of depression, menopause, quitting smoking & just plain laziness & self-indulgence. I'm not set to do any particular diet program but will eat smaller portions, more fruits & vegetables, less breads, pastas, potatoes & sweets. I'll see how that goes & will make adjustments as needed.

For exercise I plan to use weight training since I've done that before & already have a full set of nice free weights & a good weight bench. I have a painful foot condition plus agorophobia so won't be walking until I can work on those things (one step at a time). I'll use the weights 6 days a week & cycle days working on particular body parts - bi/tri one day, chest & shoulders another, back & legs the next day. That should at least get me building some muscle & moving again.

My special hope is as simple as being able to fit into my old jeans again & being able to garden without getting tired before I start.

[smarkey]

PERSONAL INFORMATION: I'm 51, married for now, raising three great teens. We have animals ranging from a lizard to a horse. I love to read and cook and garden and hike and being a mom is the best.

DIET: Roughly South Beach with a vegetarian/no artificial sweetener angle. Would like to minimize the dairy, too.

EXERCISE REGIMEN: Trying to find time for yoga three times a week, otherwise, walking and working outside when weather permits.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT: 5'2" and 160 lbs, give or take.

GOAL: Hope to lose 40 lbs - not in a hurry. 1-2 lbs a week would be great. Will trade fat for muscle and take the extra weight.

SPECIAL HOPES: I want to get back to being active, feeling fit and energetic. My goal is less about weight and more about doing the things I love. My real goal is hike in the mountains that could take five days.

CHALLENGES: Three teens who eat anything in site. The house is full of food of all kinds for good reason. I don't do all the cooking, but enough to test my resolve. My job can be stressful. Sitting at a desk all day is a trigger for snacking.

ACHEIVEMENTS: have lost about eight pounds, and have joined this forum.

[UnrepentantThinner]

Hello everyone,

So, there is hope for weight loss after 50? I am 57 and just skipped my first period. Guess I'm a late bloomer. I don't have any other symptoms yet either - hot flashes, etc., but I did have PMS all my life, so I have paid my dues. I know it is coming and likely to make this weight loss effort even more difficult, but I figure it's now or never!

I have gained 50 pounds over the last 20 years. They just crept up on me, and I have reached a point where I am very uncomfortable. Also, for the first time my blood pressure is elevated. The Dr. has given me six months to get it down. I am hoping to lose 30 pounds in that time frame. What do you think? Doable? I have tried to lose weight in the past and would get 10 or 12 pounds off, but then regain. You all know the story.

I am serious this time and have chosen South Beach. I've also told everyone I know and joined a gym. I will post here of my hopeful success. Perhaps by keeping it foremost in my mind I will reach my goal.

Any tips for a 50+ dieter that have worked for you?

[Sactolady]

PERSONAL INFORMATION: I live in Sacramento with my 27 year old son and roommate. I have 2 cats and a dog. I have been dieting my whole life through. I probably started in Junior High School. I have been teased through-out my life by family, friends and co-workers because of my weight. In 2006 I had gastric bypass, but it didn't work. I gained 50 lbs back. I am working on losing those 50 before I end up back where I was. I love photography, walking, and gardening.
I work with preschoolers for the Head Start program, and that keeps me active.

DIET / EXERCISE REGIMEN: I am 5'4" and as of this morning I weight 264 lbs. I'd like to get down to 220. That is a comfortable weight for me.
My exercise Regimen is pretty much chasing preschoolers around for 8 hours a day, and trying to keep the weeds out of my garden.

SPECIAL HOPES / ASPIRATIONS / ACHIEVEMENTS / CHALLENGES: I have Fibro Myalgia, which makes it difficult for me to do as much exercise as I'd like.
My hope is to be able to get back into a size 18. Yes, I know that is still pretty large, but its much better then where I was.

[AnnieDrews]

Hello! I just turned 50 last week and I really need to get back into the habit of posting on 3 FC. A little bit about me…

I joined 3FC in January of 2010. By counting calories and exercising I lost a total of 41 pounds by late fall of that year. During 2011, I pretty much maintained, but also fought with about a 4 pound gain over and over. I still had 10 pounds until I would reach my original goal. Needless to say, after the holidays at the end of 2011, I found myself up another 5 pounds. I have been attempting to get back on the losing wagon since the start of 2012, but have not had much success. Hoping that becoming more active here will help me to be more accountable and stick close to plan and get the added pounds off and get to my goal.

I have 2 sons (ages 19 and 15) and will be getting re-married in May of this year. I sure would like to be at goal by then, but if I can just get back to my original loss I’ll be happy.

I live in Oklahoma, like to do crosswords, garden, camp, crafts. My big love is cooking. Although I have learned many healthy recipes or adapted others, I still have lots of things I enjoy cooking/baking that really are a hindrance to my goals. I am working to put baking on the back burner (pun intended) until I reach goal.

So not sure where I fit here. I honestly don’t feel like a “Golden Girl”. The term makes me think of the TV show from back in the 80s and those ladies always seemed so old to me. No offense to anyone here. But I do need to fit in somewhere.

[mrslosingit]

I'm robyn,f,51,5'7,married,no kids.i stuggle with weight most of my life.I'm about 200lbs and want to lose 50lbs and keep it off.I'm trying to eat healthier and exercise 30mins daily.I like walking or stationary bike best.I stuggle with compulsive eating.My downfall is sweets and than junk foods.I live in southern ca.Work in school cafateria which doesn't help.There are some healthy choices there.Looking for support and buddy

[ladyinweighting]

Originally Posted by mrslosingit

I'm robyn,f,51,5'7,married,no kids.i stuggle with weight most of my life.I'm about 200lbs and want to lose 50lbs and keep it off.I'm trying to eat healthier and exercise 30mins daily.I like walking or stationary bike best.I stuggle with compulsive eating.My downfall is sweets and than junk foods.I live in southern ca.Work in school cafateria which doesn't help.There are some healthy choices there.Looking for support and buddy

Hi Robyn,

Feel free to join in the Golden Girls thread. We are VERY friendly and supportive and we love to have new gals join us.

Lynn

[the slim me]

All of you are welcome to join us on Golden Girls. We are all ages from 60-70 and on every diet you can think of. the one thing we have in common is wanting to lose weight and support each other. Many other things too, but always those. Wonderful group of people. Come check us out.

[the slim me]

I ment 50-70

[waterlady1]

I’m Kathie, aged 61, living in rural Ontario, Canada. We moved from the city 7 years ago and love living in this part of Ontario, almost of the shore of Lake Huron. I have been married to my high school sweet heart for 40 years. He has a vending business. So the truck is full of chocolate bars, chips, pop (soda for some of you). There is more junk (muffins, candy, cookies) in the garage in boxes. We have 2 daughters. Christine lives in Ottawa, which takes all day to get there from here. So we see her 2 or 3 times a year. Carolyn lives on a small island off the coast of Honduras, where she does a lot of scuba diving. She gets home once a year and we visit her on a spring holiday. No grandchildren.
I work 3 or 4 days a week as a water operator. This means that I go around to check on small drinking water systems in mobile home parks, rural subdivisions and summer camps. I started this job 7 years ago when we moved from the city.
I like to sew quilts and belong to a quilting guild. This is a new hobby for me, so I am learning. I also like to read from time to time. We live in a great neighbourhood, with lots of social activities. I drive a lot for work and listen to Sirius radio, mostly Stars (Dr. Laura, Just Jenny, The Broads) We have three cats. But I really want a dog. So far, DH is really against having a dog. Perhaps when I really retire, I will get one. The cats are company and I do like having them all.
About 3 years ago in 2009 I lost 30 pounds, from 168 to 138. But now I have most of it back, starting counting at 164. Prior to that, my weight was fairly constant at 165-170. I did get rid of a lot of “fat clothes” three years ago. I need to lose at least 10 pounds, closer to 150, to fit into most of my wardrobe. Most people would be thinking of losing weight for health, but it’s mostly vanity for me. I found FitDay good for me, which I still like. I also followed Spark People. Now I need a change, and found Spark People too busy for my computer. 3FC looks better, less confusing. I hate counting calories and tracking my food, but it’s the only way I can keep control. I also need to weigh myself every day too. This is the only thing that works for me. I have tried other diets, but I make a lot of homemade foods, eat local and seasonal foods. So tracking my own calories is best for me. I will try to be more active, with gardening, walking, kayaking, whatever. I have started yoga again too. Yoga may not burn a lot of calories, but I find it very relaxing. So then I can stay out of the junk food. Another goal is not eating between 2 and 6 in the afternoon. This is a bad time of day for me, as I can snack and nibble too much.
I need to be a part of a group, to keep myself accountable. I am hoping that 3FC can do that. This is my first post on 3FC.
yoga:

[lilywinsit]

My name is Lily and I started last month on 3fat chicks. I'll be 63 in August, Been married to my DH for 40 years , and we have a daughter who has end stages MS and 2 sons, oldest is married and has our 2 beautiful granddaughters 9.5 & 11 yrs. Younger son is engaged to a wonderful lady with 2 girls 13 & 16 yrs. more granddaughters! Both sons love women 5 yrs. older than them DH retired last year so we are still adjusting to 24/7 with each other!

Been over weight most of my life, tried almost every diet out there, some worked temporarily, others not so much. Managed to loose 37 pounds on a lean Atkins plan 10 yrs. ago and have been bouncing back and forth in a 20 pound range ever since.

In those years, physically I became Diabetic and worked my way up to Insulin 3 years ago, had my left hip replaced 6 yrs. ago and my right knee 5 yrs ago. We moved from a small farm where we lived for 27 years into a Beautiful 55+ Modular Home park 4 yrs. ago. I fell the next year and broke 2 ribs, very painful and it's taken me 2 yrs. to get over it. Needless to say I have not done a whole lot of exercise in the last years. Walking and balance are problems but I try to stay active. hoping to do more now that I have lost weight!

Started a Cleanse and De-tox program in Jan 2012 to get healthier and hopefully lose weight, cutting out the sugar and white foods from my diet. Eating lean meats and seafoods, lots of green veggies and tomatoes, 2 fruit a day, 2 breadsticks, a greens drink, herb tea, lots of water, vitamins. See my weight ticker!

So many health improvements, weight loss, and Most Important... I'm off Insulin - WHOOPPEE for 2 months now!!! and my blood sugars are staying very good as I slowly add back a few starches, dairy products, I'm still taking the Metformin.

I love going out into nature, mountains & trees, rivers & streams, oceans & sunsets, just seeing the incredible scenery that surrounds us... and taking those images back with me to paint on canvas, I am an artist and paint with oils and acrylics.