my “senior citizen” weight loss
I am often asked how I lost weight and kept it off. That isn’t an easy question to answer, as my weight loss took several years, and there are different stages I’ve gone through.
my senior citizen weight gain
I embarked on my healing journey in Feb. 2007 when I was 56 years old…I was already a senior and could get my senior citizen discount at different restaurants and businesses. People would tell me that your metabolism slows down as you get older and it is natural to gain some weight, so I just accepted it as normal that I would gain a couple of pounds each year. I was pretty convinced it was my fate to be overweight, as I always tended to be on the chubby side and losing weight was always a difficult challenge for me. BUT, somehow, I managed to lose about 70 pounds (5 to 6 years ago), gained back about 20, then seem to have stabilized now. So I guess I can say I lost 50 pounds that I have kept off for five years.
This photo is in January 2007 before taking off on my first cruise where I began my diet of eating all I wanted of unprocessed whole foods.
This photo was taken around March 2013 (6 years later). What a joy to have your old pants fall right off of you!
I discovered as I got older that it isn’t as easy to lose weight as when I was younger. I was resigned to the fact that that’s what happens when you get older, right?…or at least that was what I had been told. When I saw the scale going over 230 pounds I felt pretty defeated. Losing weight was such a challenge for me that that I decided if I could ever just get below 200 pounds I wouldn’t care if I ever lost another pound. Well, thankfully, I lost more than that and I am so grateful.
first baby step
My first step towards losing weight started when my daughter suggested I try a slow detox type diet. She suggested I start by cutting out processed food…and that sounded doable to me. I kicked off my new diet on a 7-day cruise I got to go on with a group of friends.
I’ve heard that many people gain weight on a cruise, as the array of food available 24 hours a day is a food lover’s paradise. But, having so many choices of gourmet food to chose from made it easy to stay full and not even miss the foods I was avoiding. After the cruise I had actually lost a few pounds eating all I wanted of fruits, vegetables and fish, to my delight.
a key to my weight loss
One key that helped me be successful with this change of diet was knowing that I didn’t have to be hungry. Counting calories has never worked for me, as I’m not good at being hungry and having to deny myself all the time. I was happy to discover you can actually lose weight never being hungry! I ate all I wanted of unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, grains and fish.
different stages
As time goes on my diet has changes according to the seasons, and as I learn what works for me. I have tried different foods, supplements, and routines that I’ve learned about searching for ways to overcome my different health challenges. Some of the changes I made to my diet have been:
buying organic as much as possible
juicing
cutting out animal fat
cutting out gluten
cutting out red meat
green smoothies
eating more raw foods
trying different super foods and supplements
fast food
Because I’ve never been known for my cooking ability and do not like to spend much time in the kitchen, I have found that having foods available that are quick and easy for me to prepare makes a big difference. In the winter I make a lot of soups and in the summer I make a lot of smoothies. It is easy for me to chop up some vegetables and throw them in already made organic broth to make soup, or to throw a couple handfuls of greens in with frozen fruit to make a scrumptious smoothie with almond milk. It makes me feel like I’m cheating… I call smoothies my “ice cream”, as they taste so yummy.
think nutrients not calories
Count nutrients not calories has become a motto. I have found that the quality of the food I eat makes a difference in how satisfied I stay. I cannot eat a protein bar for breakfast, like many people do, and feel satisfied. But if, for example, I have a smoothie with almond milk, avocado, spinach, banana, blueberries, hemp protein, and flax meal, my tummy is full and it easily replaces a meal for me, as it keeps me satisfied for a few hours.
continuing story
I continue to read and research and learn what I can to help me on my senior health journey. I enjoy sharing the things I’ve discovered. I hope maybe something I’ve learned can be a help to you too.
Tags: Diet, Senior Citizen, Weight Loss