UserNameOverload

Hello ... new here. Not new to being overweight. From teenage years till menopause it was 15-20 pounds over, and going on a lower calorie diet and exercise did the trick. But I did yo-yo all those years. (And I worry about the long-term effects of yo-yoing.)

Then menopause hit 10 years ago and I let it get really out of control. 50-60 pounds overweight. Pretty much gave up on dieting. Have osteoarthritis in my hands, hip, and back (and other back problems). Already had one hip replacement last year. And what have I done? I have gained 10 pounds since.
I am mortified.

I can't blame it all on not being able to move much due to the pain and mobility problems. I simply overeat sometimes, and almost always it's desserts. I have been on a cookie eating marathon since fall.

Today I finally got on the scale again and saw I am as big as I have ever been:178 pounds, at 5 feet 1.

And I am scared because I am 61 years old.

So here I am. Starting over.

I created a food journal and today I did well ... until evening. I had a late night snack of 2 portions of instant oatmeal with some low-fat milk. My total calories were 1400. Compared to how I've been eating, this was practically a starvation day. LOL.

Anyway, just wanted to find a support group, say hello, and get serious about this.

Wondering if there are any groups here for women in my age bracket?

Thanks for listening.

libby135

Overload, You sound just like me. I am just under 5' and will be 61 in March.
I weigh 189 and my goal weight is 135 or less. Perhaps we could be diet buddies. On the motivational board we run a thread from Monday to Sunday
and some of us weigh weekly on the Friday weigh in and Daily weigh in.
Come and join us. There are only 3 regulars right now and you are welcome to join us.

Kathy13118

Welcome!

There are women of your age on this forum, I'm sure!

(I'm pretty sure there may be men 'of a certain age' reading the posts, too! )

There's a good group of women of all ages sharing their progress here.

UserNameOverload

Hi, Kathy & Libby, thanks so much for your replies. I have tried several times responding to this thread, but each time I get a "you can't post here" pop-up even though I am logged in. I don't know what's wrong. I have put the same thread up over on the newcomer side and that seemed to work, though.

rainbow24

I get that on a regular basis as well. I just log out and log in again before posting.

rosabella2012

UserNameOverload: You are not alone! Good for you for wanting to deal with your weight where it is right now! I let mine get way beyond where you are now before I got serious about doing anything about it. I'm 5'2" or just a tad over and weigh 293 at last weigh-in and 55 years old, having my own issues with peri-menopause, asthma and arthritis. I've found much support and encouragement in these forums. Vicki

libby135

Hi all. We still have goodies in the house and for the most part I am avoiding them. I hope you had a good day today.

UserNameOverload

Hi, everyone, would it be a good idea for you to post your replies again to this very same thread I started in the Newcomers area? I would love to have everyone's reply in one thread so we can help each other.

I really do love the support on this forum. I feel more positive just by making the decision to come here, dust off my diet journal on my computer, and making the commitment. I cannot have tempting food in my house, though. i simply do not have the willpower or impulse control.

Tonight for dessert, I had raspberries with low-sugar maple oatmeal. It was delicious. But the Late Night Cookie Monster is visiting me and I just keep drinking water and have had herbal tea as a compensation.

I think I need to work hard at not freaking out over what seems like "hunger" pains. I know I can't really be "hungry." I need to keep telling myself "this too shall pass."

libby135

Just keep drinking that water. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full.

UserNameOverload

Thank you, Libby. I didn't realize it was a 20-minute interval. I am finding it a wee bit easier (a few days in) to deal with the "hunger" pangs. Water and herb tea help at night.

I'm having more trouble with a "mental" need to "eat something I like" sometimes, especially at night. I craved graham crackers last night and if my store had had the small box, the one that contains 4 servings, I would have bought it and eaten the whole box. I know I would have. The only thing that saved me was that the store didn't have it.

All I know to do is approach this as a "one hour at a time" kind of deal and hope that over time I will have become unaccustomed to caving in to these snack cravings.

Also if I could find something to "chew on" like a graham cracker I think it would help. Yogurt and fruit is tasty, but sometimes I like something crunchy and hard to chew on. Carrots don't really cut it.

I have written more in my thread over on the newcomers area and invite anyone to write over there if they care to. So many wonderful people on this forum, all with great insights to share. Thankyou all.