Weight loss. Problems, solutions, what worked for you.

@jc76, Your story sounds a lot like mine. I too struggled for most of my adult life and found my answer in my better late than never years. I posted my story in another discussion on a similar topic here:
--- Low-carb healthy fat living. Intermittent fasting. What’s your why?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/336050/

After getting down to 210 pounds from a struggle that started at 330 pounds, I decided 210 was a good weight for me and had agreement from my doctor so I have been able to maintain that weight for the past year without much effort. You can do it once you make up your mind. I really didn't want to even consider a weight loss drug.

Simple low carb lifestyle re: Dr. Westman from Duke University. On YouTube look for Adapt your life.
Watching YouTube presentations fromow Carb Down Under helped me understand why low carb food plans work for the human body. In addition eliminating sugar and processed food and eating "real foods".

I’d say I’m not exactly obese, but I feel yucky. I too have that tummy fat thing going on I’ve never had before. I read all the comments and I’d say there are probably as many ways to lose weight as there are people in the world. I feel like age has a lot to do with it also. I’m 58 and have other health issues. I just wanted to give you a little support and tell you to keep up the good work. I’d bet you’re better than you give yourself credit for. Good Luck, God Bless You!

Stefani

Isn't struggling with my weight has turned into a hobby. I've been battering my weight since 1975. I've tried everything to no avail. Now I eat a modified Keto diet and have lost m100lbs. I eat/ drink protein drinks. I eat protein, veges alittle fruit in season ( I can't re s ist a delicious fresh peach). I eat half of what I want. I eat lots of veges raw. It's ALL the CARBS that put weight on me. Weight is such a pain in the belly!

It seems carbohydrates are on the prowl when you get to a certain age. I am sure they are the culprit in my weight gain can't lose problem. When you are young you can eat most anything and burn it off but not with advancing age.

I do think a low carbohydrate diet is excellent for losing weight. It is too bad though as I like a lot of foods that have carbohydrates in them like bread, pizza, pastas. Just have to decide if want to stay fat or eat right. I make decision to eat right and the weight starts coming off. Then something like illness, deaths in family, comes and puts me under a lot of stress. Then my mind says give me carbohydrates I want to feel better and I don't give a dam about your diet. And of course the mental battle goes on with the mind winning eventually.

I am 76 now and this last weight gain is loose fat with a swollen stomach. I don't eat that much it is just the wrong foods and of course the high carb snacks. I want to be in high 170s and weigh 225. I seem to carry all the extra fat in my stomach area and around chest.

When I gained weight in my youth it would be all body weight gain. I sure like floralou comment posted today, "Weight is such a pain in the belly" I would add and the pain is very visible.

Has anyone tried the new medications that are being promoted that reduce hunger and cravings for carbos?

I told myself, Before i say anything, let me be sure What i say...after all talk is cheap, right!

Those who say they've been exercising (enough) but still can't seem to lose more Excess weight, ask: Does my exercise build muscle; am I stronger than before?

How do you do that? Test yourself. I did, a minute ago (still sorta panting) 11 push ups, the last one trembling...yes before you say, really? 11? Know it's an 80 y.o. body. And I'm a regular guy, not into muscle building hobbies.
And that is just one strength in just one Part of your upper body.

So now you know what you'd do to test your quads, right? Squats or steps. I do it often in my 13 floor building walking all floors, without looking what floor i am bc the body need to be listened to, not counting. Body is wiser; it will adjust if you've already done some brisk walking, example, earlier.

Then is your posture, balance, flexibility, grip strength good enough?
And this is just Some areas of exercise benefits to assure you that u r doing it right: enough to shed the extra weight slowly.

The other half is food. There seems More disinfo about food. But it's easy to find what is sensible healthful food. Start with Mayo Org, Cleveland Clinic or Harvard Health Sciences, to name some. These are Reputable sources you can trust. I'm sure CDC has plain, easy-to-follow tips. There are good fats and bad, as are good carbs and bad, and good proteins and not so good. It's really no complicated matter.

But first, Let's remember: BEFORE there is excess weight, there is a Deficit of Healthy Pleasures: Good friends, inquiring mind, work/hobbies that give You pleasure (one of mine is Wordle game of +/- 15 minutes), pleasure of variety of nutritious tasty foods means lots of vegs and fruits and nuts and seeds. playful activities. And restful sleep, mostly as a result.
Good luck friends!

I am 75 and struggle with the same decision making. I lost 22 pounds quite easily on 20 grams of total carbs per day and maintained keto for about a year. What helped me stick with it was listening to the speakers on Low Carb Down under on YouTube. We also quit sugar cold turkey and off keto now use mostly monkfruit sugar. We eat almost no ultra processed "food". We eat "real" food but the weight came back. The belly fat came back which indicates inflammation and metabolic issues. Heaven knows what my gut health is like but I eat fermented foods every day. Because of my age and being raised on the crappy SAD diet Americans have been led to believe is healthy I feel ill equipped to maintain a the keto lifestyle that I know to be better for my body. I made a conscious choice to return to foods that give me pleasure and comfort knowing that it will negatively affect me and recognizing that I am near the end of my life. At my age I recognize all of the strong associations of food with emotionally full events of life. I wish that I had learned about what my body really needed when I was a child but that was not my story and I am not going to be angry and sad about that. As my doc said to me when we were discussing my age and various body challenges, "Just Live!"

I am an 81-year old white guy who is 5 feet-7 inches tall. My weight peaked at 202 pounds a couple decades ago. I lost a quarter of my weight by learning how to cook, using a Fanny Farmer cookbook that was my Mom's favorite. I eat most anything, but make sure it's part of a balanced diet. Last week I consumed a 10-ounce bag of potato chips, but with several pounds of apples.

Way to go donchampagne1958.

That is not a very big bag of potato chips but several pounds of apples is. The apples have a lot of fiber is that the key?

I eat a very balanced diet. It is the snacking that gets me into trouble.

I do not think that "snacking" (eating between meals) is necessarily bad. It is important to eat a balanced diet with a reasonable number of calories per day. I work at home, typically drinking a pot of black coffee, walking the dog for at least 20 minutes and eating two meals per day: one meal in late morning and one at night. I might grab a fruit, celery or cheese snack during the day.