Keto women over 50

(Denise) #869

I’m 69 the 28th of this month, so pretty much say I’m 69 now :wink: There aren’t any women in my area, that I have actually met, that are diabetic, and doing anything for it other than Metformin or another drug. So I feel more alone, and thank God for this forum. I really miss having friends offline, that we really would have something in common though, especially Keto, the exercise, and the nutrition.

I’ll keep checking this “board” for women over 50 and see what it’s like. I may join too at some point.

I don’t know if you are new to the whole Forum, but welcome if you are. It’s been so much help to me and I am fairly new too, hadn’t posted that much til lately :wink: Denise

(Jane) #870

I turned 63 today and sure don’t feel that old!!! LOL

Well, I did before keto helped with my chronic joint pain.

#871

Happy birthday, Janie!!! :boom::balloon::heart:

(Andrea Veltman) #872

I’m new on this site and it’s overwhelming. I understand the basics, read one discussion here about stalling (informative!) would like more about our “older” bodies, hormones, etc. I’m 57, on Keto about 7mo, lost 9lb in about 3-4 mo, then stalled despite careful tracking and reducing to 20-30 total carbs per day. Just gained it all back due to stress, frustration and holidays. Husband is the cook in our house and he’s ready to quit, I’d like to give it one more try. I own a landscaping business and don’t have very much time for forums. What are your top reads for me on this site?

(Robin) #873

@AndDms Andrea, I doubt you’ll get much help after saying you don’t have time for forums, so we should send you our best reads.
Most of us have put a lot of reading time into this in order to find our way. You may need to wait until you have more of your own time to invest. There’s a gold mine of resources here, for you to discover.

(Edith) #874

I would suggest using the search function and search on the topic you most want information. Then read through what pops up. If you don’t find the answer, then ask your question. That will help you target what you want/need.

(Laurie) #875

Or, to come at it from another direction: Instead of reading a lot, you can post about your own situation and problems. You have given some specifics, but we don’t know your height and weight, goal weight, or what you eat.

Two people who want to lose 200 pounds vs. 20 pounds will elicit different responses here. As will two people with different eating habits.

For starters, can you get your carbs below 20 per day?

(Andrea Veltman) #876

Thank you! I will try the search function and read some more, go back to my Carb Manager app and then post specific questions. Though here is one fist:
Several books/experts say not to worry about tracking, just ovoid/minimize certain foods. Do you have preferences either way and why?

Same about fitness trackers: do you use one or not and why?

(Robin) #877

This is one subject that is totally You-Do-You. I started out tracking carbs, fat, protein, and calories on Carb Manager App. Took about three months to feel confident that I know how to stay on plan and I left the tracking behind. I’ve never tracked ketones, or blood glucose, etc.

But many people are really into the numbers and tracking and seeing results and trends that way. It interests them and probably helps keep them accountable. To each their own. The one thing most of us hold fast to is staying under 20 carbs.

(Edith) #878

You may want to track carbs until you get a good feel for what 20 grams is. It’s less than one thinks and it is easy to go over.

(Denise) #879

I don’t track my macros anymore, but did the first couple or 3 months, kind of like you probably @robintemplin. I tried to start up again, for whatever reason and I just can’t stick with it. As you know, the only number that is ticking me off, mainly because “my” 2 doctors I have keep bringing it up. I think/hope that will stop when they see I am not going to take any statins. I did add a nice, Fish Oil supplement just to feel sure I am getting my Omega 3s.

I’m glad I don’t have to be a fancy eater, nothing wrong with gourmet cooks and all that, but I just look at food as fuel I need to do the things I love best :wink:

(Denise) #880

I had a hard time finding this thread again, and I really wanted to be around some women this a.m. and maybe talk about some things. I’ve been a loner pretty much, since my later 20s. My best friends all got married and had kids, and we just went our separate ways. I moved around a lot, just U.S. but still had no, real roots. Turned around and I am going on 70 years old, and can’t, or just don’t want to do the things I used to.

Keto has been an awesome thing for my health but I can’t seem to quit thinking about the past and wishing I could change it. I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I still “feel” that way. I live alone, independent, maybe too much so, but I felt I had to be. Damn those fairy-tales, and romantic movies. I’m smiling but I would have done better having more realistic dreams.

That’s all I want to say for now. Just felt sharing with the “girls” I might feel better. Just sitting drinking my coffee but I do understand people here include lots of people in other time-zones :wink: Denise

(Robin) #881

It’s easy at our age to look back and identify what decisions ands actions led us to where we find ourselves today. Thank goodness, we didn’t know that back then. I would have missed out on a whole lot of fun years if I had been able to see my actions through’ s today’s filter. I was a wild child and up for anything. Substances, guys, adventure. I don’t regret any of it, just thankful that I am still here, and of clear mind!

Your story reminds me of my husband. Any social life he ever had was the result of someone else taking him along. He has few social skills, like the ability to chit chat or to begin an interaction. As a result, at 71, he has no real friends except me. Whereas, I still maintain a small group of dear friends who know me inside out.

My husband wishes he had friends, and likes to be included in some of my social gatherings. But he isolates himself when he is there. So… does he REALLY want a social life, or does he WISH he wanted one? There is a difference.

I believe we can work on self improvement our entire lives, but I also believe there is a basic core of our personality that may never change significantly.

I sympathize with your situation of wanting/needing more human contact… wishing you had a close friend (or two) and activities to enjoy outside of your home. I am really impressed by your continuing to work toward that natural human desire. I am rooting for you. I hope you find something that sticks… and brings you contentment. Keep sending out signals… someone will hear you. :vulcan_salute:

(Denise) #882

My social life consists of my little dog, and going to the market. The masks really put a damper on that even though some aren’t friendly even without wearing a mask.

(Edith) #883

Maybe you don’t need to regret being who you are? If you are a loner, that’s okay. My dad constantly dwells in the past and is VERY unhappy for it. The other thing he does is wish he was something he isn’t, such as a brilliant composer or scientist. These thoughts and the past keep him miserable.

I used to feel bad about the fact that I could never find one thing to pursue and become an expert at it. I find something I want to try, get pretty good at it, and then move on to something new. I am more like a Jill-of-all-trades. Actually, I prefer the term Renaissance woman.

One day in my 30s I was going for a walk and I had a realization that it was okay to be a Renaissance woman. It makes me a dynamic person.

You made choices for yourself that felt right at the time. Now is not the time to second guess those choices. They were correct for you when you made them. Embrace who you are, a strong, independent woman.

Now with all of that pep talk, there is nothing wrong with trying new things. Years ago, when my daughters were swimming, we were at the pool every morning. There was always the same group of older ladies going to the gym and taking a water aerobics class. I don’t think they were friends, but they had the comradery of the class. Maybe there is something similar you could try?

If you are relatively healthy, you could possibly even work for a home care company like Home Instead and help take care of people who are not as healthy or mobile as you. I worked for Home Instead several years ago. I called it volunteering with a stipend. The pay was not great, but I loved it!
Many of the elderly are lonely. I made some wonderful friends as a result, too.

Sorry if I overstepped what you were looking for in your post. :blush: And, yes, I was just thinking the other day how much mask wearing takes from us since we can’t see people’s facial expressions. Facial expressions are so important to who we are as humans.

(Denise) #884

No biggie, honestly, it’s not as if I don’t know what my problems are, and how to fix them. I rarely share what I am feeling at any, given moment because the next thing I know, I see I have today, feel reasonably healthy, independent, errands I can run myself, and still have a lot of hope :wink:

(Laurie) #885

Hi @Goldengirl52. I’ll be 70 this year too, and I can relate to almost everything you said. I didn’t have the typical life, but sometimes it was wonderful and interesting.

I have many regrets, and blame both myself and others. At the same time – as I think @robintemplin was saying with regard to her husband – I recognize my own mixed feelings. For example, I might wish for this or that, but it just wasn’t in my nature, or I didn’t want to put up with whatever went along with it.

My sister spent many years working with elderly and palliative patients (NOT a job I could do). She said she learned a lot from them. I asked her what she meant, and she said even when they knew they had just days or hours to live, they could still find joy and pleasure in simple things.

I’m not there yet, but I do find I’m living more in the moment. Sometimes. It’s a bumpy ride.

Also, everything is more exhausting. Getting dressed in the morning is no longer a single and trivial event. Now, I put on my left sock, then my right sock, and all the other things, until it feels like I’ve done half a day’s work already. Nothing is a simple matter.

Like you, I know I have a lot to be grateful for. Gratitude is easy and effective. For one thing, I’m glad I don’t have to work for a living. There is a reason that older people tend to retire (if they can). There are exceptions, for example, my 85-year-old neighbor who still works at a physical job because she loves it. Nice for her, but I never had a job I loved!

(Denise) #886

We have a lot in common, and you brought up more things about me that I hadn’t mentioned. I like the saying “have you been reading my diary” :wink: I’m so with you on the “I’m not there yet, but I’m living more in the moment”.

I can’t remember now, but I’m sure you’ve told me Laurie, how long you’ve been doing Keto? I get frustrated with not feel full, my tummy wants more food within a couple hours, even less some days. I try the water thing, you know, drink a couple glasses to hold off being hungry, but like today, it isn’t working.

I admire people that always seem to be bright and energetic, no matter what age, but especially those much older than I. The Betty White type you could say :wink: But I figure they have their heart-break, regrets, sadness about the world once in awhile

Btw, I tried caregiving and got the hell scared out of me because, both the people I was assigned to came unglued over either something I did, hung up their clothes wrong, or the other one set a pan on fire in the kitchen.

(Marianne) #887

I can so relate. I’ll be 63 in Feb. Never felt better in my life. Like you, I had debilitating joint pain before keto. It was horrible. I walked like a person twenty years older. I attribute that to inflammation because it completely resolved after a week on clean keto.

(Marianne) #888

Welcome!

I am coming in really late to this thread. If I had to choose, I’d say to concentrate on the “Newbies” category on this site. Also, another fantastic site is dietdoctor.com. They are offering a 30-day free trial. They are a not-for-profit and are totally legit. Put a reminder on your phone to cancel your membership after 28 days or so, and you won’t hear from them again. No spam or any other junk. This will open up a lot of free content to you that is scientific, completely understandable and relatable. When I started, I just drank it in.

Before keto, I never “cooked,” nor did I want to. My husband and I are past 60 and do not have children, so it wasn’t a necessity. Pre-keto, we’d have whatever junk we wanted to throw together for dinner. It was delicious (as junk food can be), but was killing us - especially me.

Anyway, it sounds like you are a busy person. When just starting out, I did three simple meals a day for the first 3-4 weeks, although I had never done so before. I don’t mind eating them same things over and over with little variation, and that was a tremendous help. Breakfast would be 2-3 scrambled eggs in butter with one or two pieces of bacon or sausage, and coffee with a splash of heavy whipping cream. Lunch was whatever I could throw together - romaine salad with chicken, home made blue cheese dressing (simple), hard boiled egg, 3-4 oz. cream cheese. Dinner was always a piece of flash seared meat in a scorching cast iron skillet, (usually pork steak or pork chops with supplemental bacon grease or ghee, or a couple of hamburgers [73/27]), with steamed brussels sprouts with salt and bacon grease or ghee. (Yes, you can eat like this and lose weight.) Always delicious. If you don’t tire of things easily, this will save you a ton of time and toil. After 3-4 weeks of eating three meals a day, my body naturally said “enough,” and I went to two meals a day with no problem whatsoever.

I was terrified in the beginning and didn’t have much of a clue what I was doing, but I listened to people here and did what they suggested. Main think is, eat, keep the carbs as low under 20/day as you can, and meet or slightly exceed your fat and protein macros each day. There is a free macro calculator on ketokarma.com (at the bottom).

Good luck!