Keto women over 50

(Arlene) #27

Gina, My definition of “old” keeps getting further and further out. I am 60 now. I look in the mirror and think to myself “I don’t look like I think a 60 year old should look”. In my mind, 60 should be old, but now that I’m here I have found that it’s not old at all. My daughter is a massage therapist. She works on a man that’s well into his 80’s. He’s a marathon runner and in excellent shape. I don’t think age matters in the least. What matters is that we respect our bodies and take excellent care of ourselves. Most people go through life abusing their bodies and taking care of their cars, homes, etc. Our bodies deserve our respectful care and attention.

(Laurie ) #28

DebRox,
I’m going to eat what you eat! It sounds delicious! Also, little victories… I was (finally ) down 4 pounds this morning. I am not losing at the rate that some are, but this was exciting for me. It’s been a long time since the scale moved the other way. 4 pounds I will never see again. YEA!

#29

Thank you! I’m not going to give up because I know this works. I had been an avid Atkins person years ago and it was phenomenal, until I got pregnant with the “surprise baby”. I completely stalled out after a while, post-pregnancy, and never regained momentum. I think the demise might have been due, in part, to my reliance on the bars, shakes and snacks- in lieu of real wholesome foods. IDK.

The whole stress factor,I’ve come to understand, had an enormous effect on my body shape… Which is how I ended up with the Michelin tire around the midriff. My doc said that cortisol production skyrocketed after the fire, so she found a good supplement called “Cortico” which helps counter it. I take that daily., but its not enough to really correct the issue. In addition to walking and planking, I’ve restarted doing the deep breathing- which feels like helps me with stress, but the physical effects have yet to be seen. She had me doing hot water with a squeeze of lemon every morning, and then another 80-100 oz of water daily. I’m still doing a good portion of that now.

What I don’t know, and hopefully someone might be able to answer this- is, does increased stress and cortisol play a role in slowing down or stalling progress towards the fat-adapted status one’s body needs to attain for fat-loss? I keep reading about being fat-adapted, and honestly, I thought I was. But, now, I am not so sure.

#30

I’m 73 (how did that happen??) and to be honest, feel great. Even though I’m still fat (this morning 218 - a new low) I still participate in an active sport as well as other physical activities. There is a reality to being 73, but in some ways it is just a number. Inside I feel the same as I ever did.

I wish I had found strict keto years ago. But I didn’t. So I take it up from here and hope I haven’t done too much damage in years past. I’ve always eaten ‘real foods’ and cooked from scratch. Not to say I don’t like fast foods, but fortunately was too cheap to get it very often.

#31

What I eat is super filling too! So I find I can go hours without eating. Especially when I have a Cobb salad for lunch or dinner.

This is what mine consists of:

1 boiled egg
2 oz turkey breast
1 oz blue cheese
2 slices bacon
1/4 avocado
Cucumber
Red pepper
Shredded romaine
White wine vinegar
Generous olive oil

Sometimes I add a few blue cheese stuffed olives.

Enjoy!

#32

Ooooo. That sounds so good. I have most of those ingredients - think I’ll make a version of that today. Bacon, blue cheese, avo, green onion, left over slivered steak, romaine…

Thanks for the idea. :slight_smile:

Getting a little frustrated
(Jan) #33

Hi @PNWGirl! You sound a lot like me. Welcome! I’m 60, been Keto for a year and a half now. This is a great age to be starting Keto! While I wish I’d known about it years ago, I’m not sure I would have taken it seriously then.
Yes, the weight will come off, but probably in fits and starts. But other stuff happens in between. Stuff you may not notice…like the big gray swath that ran from my left temple toward the back of my head. Gone! Like the skin tags and other little bumps & lumps…Gone or on their way out. Like my skin - soft, healthy, zit-free, never needing moisturizer any more. Like no more cracked heels. Like the awesome muscles in my legs. Like being able to haul a whole cord of firewood up the hill, wheelbarrow load by wheelbarrow load, and stack it, all by myself in an afternoon.
A few years ago, when I’d mention that I was nearly 60, I’d get the sympathetic groans from other similarly aged women, and the discussion would turn to aches and pains. Now (this is so cool) I usually get a sincere “Really? Thought you were much younger!” To which I reply, “Well, this is how I do 60.”
Hang in there, Babe. Losing weight is nice. It’s what I’ve been trying to do all my life. It’ll happen. But I feel freakin’ AWESOME! Learn to embrace fat on your plate. It’s a struggle, something I still have to remind myself. But I’m learning, and my brain is working better than ever (and thanking me for the delicious bacon, butter, avocados, chicken skin, eggs, etc. that I was so afraid to eat most of my life!)

(Arlene) #34

I don’t have huge weight loss success, but I feel great, and I’m in the Northwest too.

#35

What you just posted is amazing, inspirational and so encouraging! Its exactly what I needed to hear, and I can’t thank you enough!
SecondB

(Jan) #36

@SecondBreakfast, I really notice a stress effect, and stress releases cortisol as we know. We lost our house several years ago through a series of improbable events, and I’m pretty sure that’s what tipped me over into full blown T2d. So we’ve been living in a rental, with a landlord that tells us she’s going to sell every few months. Each time she announces this, my hunger comes back, I lose my energy, my skin gets dry…I’m assuming all due to cortisol. Well, she finally did sell this place last November (mega stressful!), and man, was I hangry! The good news is that a friend bought the property and says,we can stay as long as we like! Even gave us a lease/option to buy in a few years. And suddenly my hunger is gone, losing a bit of weight again, skin happy…coincidence? I doubt it!

(Ruthann) #37

Hi all - another 50 yr old here. Would love to join your thread and support one another. I have been decreasing my carb intake for a few years now due to type 2 diabetes and in the past two months have been doing my best to get my carbs under 30g per day. I’m still tweaking what works for me. I do intermittent fasting with this as well. It is the one thing that seems to budge my weight. In that I am down about 45 lbs and still have about 40 to go. Glad to have found you!

(KCKO, KCFO) #38

Wow, an amazing story. Glad you’re feeling more secure and the hunger has stopped.

#39

Yes, unmanaged stress increases cortisol and that can be a factor in one’s fat-adaptation journey. Dr. Phinney himself says many times here and there that 100% fat adaptation takes months up to a year or more some folks. I know for me, around month 6 I felt ‘complete’ in the fat adaptation department, with a much more resilient mineral balance and tons of fasting ease.

The common misinterpretation that the Atkins 2 week induction period brings one to 100% fat-adaptation can set some people up for a lot of frustration - esp with regard to midlife folks and esp midlife females. 80-90%% fat adaptation is awesome, and it seems the last phases of it go slooooow.

Dry Ginger capsules may be helpful for you - Ginger reduces cortisol and insulin, and I think it’s a huge ally for midlife females. If you use the search bar in the upper right you can find various threads about it :slight_smile:

Hope this helps! :avocado: :herb:

#40

Thank you so much for all that information, Mary! I had no idea about the ginger, so I will look for some ginger capsules when I go shopping.

Despite getting whacked yesterday with an unexpected, untimely “cycle”, I’m staying positive and trying to forge ahead to become fat adapted. It’ll happen sooner or later. Not sure if exercising will expedite the process, but that is still part of my daily routine- just nothing wildly strenuous. Walking, planking, leg exercises- that’s about it for right now.

All the support and encouragement from you ladies is such a blessing to me! Thank you again.
SecondB

#41

You’re very welcome! And… the funny thing is that keto’s fat burning release of old estrogen stored in fat may well mean regular robust cycles for a few months during a high estrogen process.

Yes, body recomposition happens sooner or later. It takes a good 2-3 years for midlife women and IR people to really achieve maximum keto benefits as far as I can tell. Makes sense though - considering all our years of HCLF, and how the body prioritizes urgent matters such as healing the liver over say more cosmetic things like pudgy belly changes. However, all in good time is my credo. And I also love the fact that strength training once a week really enhances/speeds processes. I look forward to getting back into weekly training sessions eventually myself. :four_leaf_clover:

#42

OH! You hit the nail on the head! I had completely forgotten about the release of hormones. That certainly explains things. And, never has one made better use of the word “robust”. Ugh.

Well, I am determined, now more than ever, to stay with this. I honestly cannot see any other healthy, non invasive way to deal effectively with the weight and related health issues than Keto. I know that the stress-induced belly rolls will be an ongoing issue to wage war against, but at least this kind of eating plan makes for a formidable defense. Slow and steady wins the race!

Thanks again so much.

#43

Thank you for the tip on ginger. Adding it now in hopes of reducing cortisol as I have so much stress in my life!

(b vo) #44

I am in my 60s and have been doing keto and intermittent fasting for 6 months. I have lost 30 pounds but am now hitting plateaus on a regular basis. I have also had to change my estrogen supplementation as am getting a lot from burning fat cells. I would love to have a group of women with the same hormonal challenges to work with as I tackle losing the rest of my weight and improving my health.

(Susan Lawrence) #45

Exactly! My face does look older I have to admit. But my body looks great now. I’m moving like a much younger woman. And my energy is amazing!
I’m 66.
( I started the Zorn fast this month and I’m up to almost a 134 hours. I’m doing it for a autophagy and to make my mitochondria really happy!)
You are a young thing at age 60!:blush:

#46

Please explain how you feel autophagy is working for you. I stumbled upon the word on this forum and had to look into exactly what it is and I am quite intrigued by it.