My weight loss story is unremarkable compared to many on this subreddit (23kg or 50lbs down in 2 years) but, as an old guy (62), I thought it worth posting because it may give encouragement to fellow oldies who may think that weight loss is something that only youngsters can do.
In Spring of 2021 I weighed 91.6 Kg (202lbs) which, for someone who is only 170cm (5ft 7) tall, is a lot and put me in the ‘obese’ BMI category. I’d like to blame that on WFH during the pandemic but, the truth is, I was nearly that heavy in early 2020. (I’d started a diet at the beginning of 2020, it was going great, but lockdown killed it). My goal weight when I started my diet was 70kg. Today I am 68.4kg (151lbs) and I’m happy to say that I have a healthy BMI.
I'm not one to count calories. My method is simply to give up the 'fun' foods: Biscuits, cakes, chocolate, ice cream, alcohol (I find it easier to quit completely rather than cut down). Then I cut back on basic carbs (potatoes, pasta, rice). One thing I can't cut back is bread - that's my kryptonite - but having discovered how much sugar there is in breakfast cereal I don't feel so bad about eating my home-made bread for breakfast - that satisfies my carb craving for the day. I eat a lot of porridge (oatmeal) - not for breakfast but as an evening meal now and again in the winter - it’s hot and filling.
Exercise is just walking every day and lifting weights. I log my weight in a spreadsheet weekly (more recently, daily).
There were ups and downs along the way. I eased off my diet last Summer and some weight went back on. But I didn’t beat myself up over it and got back to my diet in the autumn.
I find it helpful to try to visualise the weight I’ve lost. One of the joys of the metric system is that units of measure can be easily translated between different quantities. One litre of water weighs one kilogramme. I have a bucket that holds nine litres of water and it’s heavy when full. When I was 18kg down I thought “I was walking everywhere carrying two buckets of water? - how did I manage?”.
23kg is the baggage allowance for British Airways economy class. When last I flew I remember thinking how heavy my suitcase was. I am no longer carrying a heavy suitcase on my shoulders wherever I go.
Another tip is to buy clothes to fit your target weight. As well as weighing 70kg I wanted a waistline of 34 inches or less. In 2021 I bought a pair of 34 inch waist jeans - I couldn’t get close to doing up the top button at the time but a few weeks ago I got them out of my cupboard - and they fit!
I’ve lost weight before only for it to creep back on. The difference now is that I’m retired so I can focus more on my health. Also, I know that I must weigh myself daily and log my weight for the rest of my life (yes, daily because then it’s a routine as much as brushing your teeth).
I’m happy with my weight now but it would be nice to lose a little more fat around my middle - 65kg would be great but, at my age, weight loss around my face makes me look more haggard! I visited my sister recently and she told me to stop dieting because my face looks gaunt (it doesn’t but she is used to seeing fat me). We’ll see.
tl;dr: You’re never too old to lose weight.
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