Lose weight at any age!
Staying slim can feel like an uphill battle as we get older, says Lizzy Dening, but as these readers show, you really can create new habits at any time of life!
Step forward if you’re in need of weight-loss inspiration! Slimming down is notoriously trickier as we age and our metabolism slows down. But that hasn’t stopped these three readers (in their 50s, 60s and 70s) from making big changes to their figures and overall health. From hypnotherapy to the use of a clever app, there are some ingenious new methods out there – it’s just a matter of finding what works for your lifestyle and body.
Issy Warrack (70) lost 9lbs with the ketogenic diet (a low-carb, high-fat method)
“I started following a keto plan just over two years ago. Before that, I felt as if my engine was running down. I’d had two falls, both resulting in fracture; I was on blood pressure medication and suffered from chest infections and heart palpitations.
“It was my partner, a doctor, who suggested I change my diet, saying I had nothing to lose by doing so.
“Keto is simple once you get your head round it. Initially
I needed to understand which foods broke down into sugar in my body. It’s not just the ‘white stuff’ that is sugar, and that was a major learning curve for me – we need to understand which foods are in fact sugar-laden. I became much more knowledgeable about carbohydrates and which foods I should choose. “I began to eat meat, fish, green leafy veg, berries, full-fat milk, cream and cheese every day. Within weeks, I felt better and started losing weight. My brain fog lifted and I had masses more energy.
“My GP had advised me that I would be on blood pressure medication for life. Within five months, I was off all blood pressure meds and really felt as if I was functioning again. My concentration improved, I’m free from muscle pain and able to sleep soundly through the night.
“The main challenge was to reeducate myself on what is healthy. Life is much simpler and healthier now and the food really tastes as it did in my childhood. I grew up on a farm with all meals cooked from fresh every day.
“The cooking methods are simple and time-effective and I make the most of locally sourced and natural produce.
“I have my life back, feel younger than I have in years and full of zest for life. I’m so looking forward to many adventures with my family. I’ve even set up a wellness business (wellnesseq.net) to help teach others about keto.”
‘Life is much simpler and healthier now and the food really tastes as it did in my childhood‘
‘I’m free from muscle pain and sleep soundly at night’
‘When I go back to the old foods, such as bread or a cake, there is no enjoyment anymore’
‘I’m not giving up when I reach my goal’
Julie Elford (53), from Fareham, Hampshire, has lost more than 2st with the help of hypnotherapy.
“I needed to lose weight as I was prediabetic. I was getting a lot of pain in my knees, I was also peri-menopausal, and clinically obese. My weight was approaching 16st and I had been yo-yo dieting for years with diet clubs. But it didn’t seem to be working for me anymore – and I didn’t have the motivation to stick with a diet when face-to-face sessions stopped.
“I knew I needed more help with motivation and decided to contact a local clinic (langtonsmithclinic.com), offering hypnotherapy. I had friends and family who had health problems and had successfully tried hypnotherapy when conventional approaches had failed.
“I booked a set of four sessions with a hypnotherapist (also called Julie!) – once a week for the first four weeks, followed by one a fortnight. They began as socially distanced sessions at Julie’s clinic then
moved on to Zoom video call, which I have found just as effective.
“It’s really difficult to explain what happens in a session, it’s almost like a yoga class or a relaxation meditation, where she speaks to my unconscious mind.
“I am fully aware of
everything that is said, and any noises going on around me, but it is just a really relaxing atmosphere.
“It has made me much more aware of my need to comfort eat. I live in quite a stressful environment, what with the problems of the past year and dealing with my mum’s dementia.
“Food seemed to be my only comfort.
I now accept that unhealthy food doesn’t offer any real comfort, and that it was just adding to my problems by making me more depressed – not helping me at all in the long run.
“I used to always have cereal, but now breakfast can be anything from Greek yogurt and berries to poached eggs and asparagus. Lunch is normally homemade soups, or omelettes. Dinner is protein-based and includes fish, chicken and lean beef steak or mince. We use lots of herbs and spices and foods I’d never even heard of!
“I do enjoy the new healthier food, and find that when I go back to the old foods such as bread or cake, there is no enjoyment anymore. I think half of this is down to the hypnosis, and half is just listening to what my body actually needs.
“I was 15st 5lb at my first session, and I’m 13st 4lb now. I’m pleased to say my thighs have never been as skinny as they are – I’ve lost two inches from them! I am definitely not at the end of my journey, but I’m not giving up when I reach my goal. It is a new way of life.”