[Boomer]

I would like to lose about 20 pounds.

Losing that amount would still not put me where those BMI charts say I should be. But I know if, at my age, I lost enough to hit that “ideal” BMI weight, my rather round, smiling face would sag to my shoulders. I would look like a bloodhound.

I do not want to be a stick figure, just need to reign it in, especially in the middle. I hate wearing Spanx when I have to get all gussied up.

I know the drill, of course. Eat less. Move more. I have been working on that and have lost a few pounds.

But I would really like to hear about the successes of others in or around my general age group — people who are nearing retirement, have retired, and especially those who have been retired for a while.

If you have had weight loss success and don’t mind sharing what you did, I sure would appreciate the inspiration.

Boomer the Butterball

[graciegirl]

On Monday saw the doctor for check up, labs were good and I had lost four pounds, not a lot, but it had been four months. The only different thing I had done is walk twenty minutes every day.

[JSR22]

I lost 25 lbs in 4 months and have kept it off. Low carb is what worked for me.

[baustgen]

Substituted Wal-Mart meal replacement shakes for lunch every day. No other restrictions. Lost 35 pounds in 6 months. Going for 25 more.

Only other change in diet was no more Coke.

[tophcfa]

Low carb works better than anything. But if you want the weight to stay off, it has to be a lifestyle choice, not just a temporary diet change.

[CFrance]

I had gained weight due to a medication I had to be on for five years. After the medication ended, of course the weight stayed on! I went to Weight Watchers, lost 35 pounds on the SmartPoints plan, have kept it off for over two years. This was not the Freestyle SmartPoints plan they are offering now. The one they offer now allows too much food and doesn't work for many folks. There are complaints all over the internet about it. It seems to be a marketing ploy to try to give people what they want.

The deal with the SmartPoints plan placed emphasis on portion control, not denying any foods. I am now a lifetime member. I go to meetings when I'm home because the group leader I found is so much fun. But I use the old plan for maintenance. You can find the SmartPoints plan on itrackbites, an app for your phone.

[JSR22]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Low carb works better than anything. But if you want the weight to stay off, it has to be a lifestyle choice, not just a temporary diet change.

I stopped eating sugar. Easy way to keep off the weight.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by CFrance

I had gained weight due to a medication I had to be on for five years. After the medication ended, of course the weight stayed on! I went to Weight Watchers, lost 35 pounds on the SmartPoints plan, have kept it off for over two years. This was not the Freestyle SmartPoints plan they are offering now. The one they offer now allows too much food and doesn't work for many folks. There are complaints all over the internet about it. It seems to be a marketing ploy to try to give people what they want.

The deal with the SmartPoints plan placed emphasis on portion control, not denying any foods. I am now a lifetime member. I go to meetings when I'm home because the group leader I found is so much fun. But I use the old plan for maintenance. You can find the SmartPoints plan on itrackbites, an app for your phone.

I absolutely agree that weightwatchers has a very healthy plan that includes lots of vegetables and carefully sized protein portions and great limitations of fats and sugars. I have seen it work on family members and friends and on me.

[bluedivergirl]

I have lost 65 lbs, and kept it off for over two years.

I eat low carb. Lots of vegetables and protein. I very rarely eat potatoes, rice, pasta or bread. No straight sugar, ever.

Low carb is, for me, the easiest way to keep weight off. The drawback is you cannot cheat. To maintain the weight loss, you must continue to eat low carb.

[JSR22]

Originally Posted by bluedivergirl

I have lost 65 lbs, and kept it off for over two years.

I eat low carb. Lots of vegetables and protein. I very rarely eat potatoes, rice, pasta or bread. No straight sugar, ever.

Low carb is, for me, the easiest way to keep weight off. The drawback is you cannot cheat. To maintain the weight loss, you must continue to eat low carb.

I eat the same foods you do and I am keeping the weight off.

[billethkid]

Portion control....NO SECONDS......purposefully focused on higher fiber foods....lots and LOTS of fresh fruit and vegetables.....drink lots of water (more than 65 ounces per day....minimum 16 ounces per meal).

Do not under estimate the impact of being active. Use some device i.e. smart phone app, pedometer, et al and monitor the number of steps taken per day. Using a target of 10,000 steps per day includes a dedicated walk of a mile or more every morning. You will initially be surprised how far below 10,000 one is........use a lower target like 5,000 depending upon age, physical ability, stamina.

Deserts? A once in a great while, not very often treat.

Weigh once per week to monitor progress (or lack of it).

We have lived this way for the past 25 or more years....and it works as advertised.....and it is free.

[CFrance]

We had a friend who would go for his yearly checkup. One time the doctor told him he needed to lose 30 lbs. So he dieted and quit drinking beer and lost 30 pounds, after which he resumed drinking beer and gradually gained back the 30 pounds. Did it all over again the next year, and the next. Finally he realized this wasn't working and made permanent changes.

The point is, he was going to end up feeling deprived if he gave up beer and certain foods for the rest of his life. It just wouldn't be sustainable, as his past failures proved. So instead of dieting he made lifestyle changes he knew he could live with, and picked up the exercise. He's kept the weight off for 20 years.

I have a sweet tooth and know darn well I could never cut all sugar out of my diet. I like potatoes every once in a while. I like all that stuff. I'm never going to I pretend I could stop eating certain things forever. But I can say I will only eat certain amounts of them at limited times. Low carb or keto or Atkins would never work for me. I couldn't sustain that level of deprivation.

[B-flat]

I've lost lots of weight and only to regain it since I was a teen. Finally at 32 years old I put down the alcohol, then started on a jogging/running program. I lost 95 pounds and said I was always running from the fat man. That worked for years but when I could no longer run due to the risk of doing damage to my back and knees I stopped and some of the weight came back on. I was on the climb and moved up to 234 pounds. A cousin of mine suggested the Isagenix program, so we tried it. It's 2 shakes per day, one solid moderate meal, a 10am and 2 PM 200 calorie snack. I've now lost 41 pounds and have kept it off for a year. The key with Isagenix is that the shakes really stablize the blood sugar levels and the craving for extra food in between meals is not there. The only caveat is Isagenix program can be expensive. We've tried the powdered protein shakes for the supermarkets and big box stores, they don't very good once you've tried the Isagenix way. Walking helps with the cause too.

[Boudicca]

I’ve lost 14 pounds by a combination of small, low carb meals, and most importantly, no food after 6:00pm and not before 9:00 am. If I eat out with friends I request a small takeout box with my meal. I halve the meal and put it out of sight in the takeout box. It’s been slow going - 6 months, and we had visitors during that time. It’s alway more difficult to keep to a regimen when guests are in the house.

[NotGolfer]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Low carb works better than anything. But if you want the weight to stay off, it has to be a lifestyle choice, not just a temporary diet change.

What they said....... Don't buy junk or processed foods and eat "clean".