Question? For others that have lost weight?

[hemi71x]

This past April i got pissed off at myself, looking in the mirror, when toweling dry, after taking a shower.
I was at 230 pounds, for a 5' 11" 70 year, old man.
Decided to go on a diet, and loose weight.
Initially i wanted to see an even 200 pounds, and that was easy enough to do.
And the dietitian, nutritionist, at the Mather VA, informed me that an ideal weight, for my age and height, is in the 185-190, range.
So i said to myself, Ok, go for it, and get to 190.
Well this morning on the scale I'm at 189.5, so 40 pounds have come off this old mans body in 6 months time.
I did it easily enough by eating a whole lot less, eating smarter, eating better, and for exercise walking around the neighborhood three times a day, which each walk is one mile.
Going from 200, to 195, seemed to take forever, and then going down to 190, seemed to take doubly forever.

i seemed to get to a number, got hung up at that number for awhile, then lost a pound or two, then put a pound or two, back on, all over again.
Then you gotta loose those pounds all over again, to keep on going lower.

Was it like that, too, for anyone that went thru weight loss?
And keeping it off, is that hard to do?
Knowing myself, I'm not going to put it back on.
Pretty sure i have the discipline to keep it off.

When i got out of the Air Force back in 1980, at age 27, i was a 180 pounder.
But that was 43 years ago, so being 10 pounds difference in now what i weigh in at 190, i guess I'm doing good.

Anyone got any weight loss advice you can share with me?
Thank's a lot for reading.
Jim V.
hemi71x

 

[Richard Cranium]

Congrats.

Taking it off is one thing, but keeping it off is another. Hope you can do it. I need to lose at least 20-25 as I believe that most of us in that age range need to do.

 

[eldubb440]

congrats.... I'm 240 and cannot seem to lose a pound

 

[Kern Dog]

You don't look 240 here.

The OP has me on ignore so he is going to miss out on comments....
After I fell from my roof 3 months ago, I instantly had a sensitivity to sweets. Soda tasted far too sweet for me so I stopped drinking Pepsi. I used to drink 4-6 cans a day at 150 calories each. All my life I've enjoyed soda, Mountain Dew specifically. I used to get a Big Gulp on the way to work, one on the way home and drink 2-3 12 oz cans of Coke or Pepsi at dinner. The calories burned through the workday sort of allowed me to take on a lot of calories and still stay in reasonably good shape. The only times I went over 200 lbs was when I was in between jobs.

During the recovery from the roof fall, I drank water. My appetite was reduced a bit so I was eating less but I strongly suspect that the soda was primarily responsible for losing almost 20 lbs in less than a month. The weight loss slowed to a snail's pace though. To lose more, I was going to need to exercise more.
THEN the taste buds normalized and soda tastes fine again. Guess what.....? I started drinking them again because I LOVE sweets. Candy, Soda, ice cream...I just love sweet flavored stuff. I put 10 lbs back on even though I'm healed and active with home improvement projects.

Soda is empty calories. If you can resist them, it is a way to shed weight but isn't a magic bullet.

 

[1967coronet]

Yes, congrats hemi. I know what you guys are saying. I am 5' 9" now at 65 and 190.
Last spring I was 217 and started my way back down again.
I make it into the 180s then 2 or 3 years goes past and I'm back over 200 lol.
My Dr. Put it pretty simple, he said, Dan you have to burn more calories each day than you take in.
I'm no calorie counter. So I just eat 2 meals a day and no snacks or junk food.
What's scary is this is my last week at the shop. Friday is the day we close.
I got to stay busy enough to keep the weight off.

 

[eldubb440]

I'm 6 foot, but always been "thick" for lack of a better word...... I'd be baggy and sick looking at 190........ but 210 would be optimal, it's only 30 pounds

probably should have been a linebacker

 

[Kern Dog]

I'm 6 foot, but always been "thick" for lack of a better word...... I'd be baggy and sick looking at 190........ but 210 would be optimal, it's only 30 pounds

probably should have been a linebacker

What is weird is that we think we look too thin at a lower number but things do adjust.

In 2006, I went from 206 to 168 and my face looked really thin.

It took awhile but my face filled back in later after I was around 170 for awhile.

 

[gkent]

On the 11th I weighted 203. On the 12th I had a quadruple by-pass. I'm currently tipping the scales at 187. I'm 5'11 and turned 71 on the 15th.

Keeping the weight off is easy ... until winter rolls around. Then, it seems, you eat for lack of anything better to do.

Having gone through a similar weight loss a few years back, I found the best thing was getting into a seniors exercise group - not only to get strength and movement back but also to keep the weight in check. Home exercise programs suck - they're just too easy to procrastinate about.

When I was in the group I used to get teased because I'd be grunting and groaning constantly. My retort was that if you weren't grunting and groaning then you weren't working hard enough!

 

[eldubb440]

if I got down to 185, I'd need a boob reduction

 

[PlymCrazy]

View attachment 1531245

You don't look 240 here...

Don't be discouraged @eldubb440...standing next to that girl always makes me feel 20lbs too heavy myself

Ask me how I know

 

[eldubb440]

I probably haven't seen 180 since high school

19 yo here...... oh to be young again

 

[Richard Cranium]

b I'm 240 and cannot seem to loose a pound

More like 275.

You don't look 240 here.

 

[eldubb440]

More like 275.

careful there, Chief...... if I'm 275, you're 300 easy

 

[Richard Cranium]

I probably haven't seen 180 since high school

19 yo here...... oh to be young again

View attachment 1531273

Chico!

 

[eldubb440]

I could have claimed 245# at Carlisle, but I was starving....... @moparwacko stiffed me for lunch

 

[eldubb440]

@Kern Dog ........my earlier "loose/lose" was a typo, not a spelling error; just wanted to clear that up.......... pretty sure you saw it and were cutting me slack, I appreciate it

 

[Kern Dog]

Ha ha. Yeah.
I don’t call that stuff out as much as I used to.

 

[Cranky]

I'm 5' 9" too.....or 69" and hit 235 several years ago but it took me years to drop off 35 lbs. Was 192 for a low this past weekend. To get rid of 35 lbs I just stopped eating so much but since my knees complained, the bicycle hasn't been out for awhile now so I'm trying to spend more time on the weight machine and need to be on it now. This morning the scary scale said 195. Beer is my downfall.

 

[MoparLeo]

I am 69, 6' tall and was up to 335. Been over 300 for 20 years. Decided a couple of years ago to get in better shape for all my grandkids. My wife weighs 110 lbs. 70 years old. Has been this thin since we met in High School. I was 168 lbs back then.
Diet just means what you are eating. You are always on a "diet". Some good foods, some bad.
Humans are creatures of habit. We go to the same stores, take the same routes. Same gas stations etc...
We just need to change a few "habits" to do anything different.
I stopped smoking over 40 years ago. Switched from cigarettes to chewing gum. Took a few weeks til the Nicotine craving went away. Now can't stand the smell of smoke.
Took a good look at what I was eating, how much, and what I snacked on.
Candy, chips, double servings you get the picture.
Tossed all the candy and junk food out of the house. Switched habit of drinking soda's to sugar free Crystal Light Lemon-ade. From candy and chips to the skinned baby carrots. They are chewy, sweet and 0 calories basically.
Same foods just 1 serving and the rest for the next day.
Grocery bills went down, my dogs also loves carrots now and don't have to buy expensive treats for them anymore either.
I went from 335 to 275 in 6 months. Reached a plateau, kept doing the same thing and then I dropped another 25 lbs. to 250.
I have been at this weight for about 2 years now, and must admit I have been slipping back some, but my weight is level.
I haven't been able to buy regular sized pants that you can find on everyday retailers for many years and what a joy to go to the 40" and smaller pants, shorts now. Just more rewarding and motivation to geep going.
Also my blood sugar went down to the point it is normal and so is my blood pressure now. My Dr took me off the meds I have been taking for years, Great !
I need to drop probably another 30 lbs.
I already talk to my wife's Dermatologist and she said the the excess skin around my middle can be considered a health issue and my insurance will pay for skin removal.
Wish I did this 30 years ago.

 

[Ron H]

235 several years ago but it took me years to drop off 35 lbs.

Cranky, you're the spittin image of Clint Eastwood..