Opinions sought please

I'm 80, with dodgy knees and feet which make walking tiresome. I've been sticking to a low carb regime for months now and have lost a stone and a half which brought me to my planned weight by Christmas. Of course (!) I have gained a couple of pounds over Christmas - chocolate is just too tempting - but now back on the strait and and narrow. I have found that losing weight has made it easier to walk, though I still suffer the following day. I don't buy special meals, though I find that sachets of calorie-counted soups (Ainslie Harriot's are tasty) fill a gap nicely. I don't have biscuits in the house, and, as I have never taken sugar in tea, that's no temptation. Fruit and veg are very important to me.

Losing a bit of weight would help some of the pain and difficulties even at your age Margaret Really helped my mum in her 80's. If you can afford the regular calorie controlled meals that sounds like a good option for you

In your place I would try to loose weight, as as, as I am sure you know, being overweight is putting increased strain on you back and ankle.

Please phone your GP and ask for a referral to a dieatrician, because with your medical history and age I think it would be best to have qualified help loosing weight rather than trying yourself.

Ready made meals would be a really bad idea as there is usually too much salt and sugar in them.

Thank you all for your replies. The consensus seems to be for option 2, lose some weight! Some of the things suggested I already do, for instance a small plate, breakfast 9.30 evening meal 5.30 and nothing bar a drink of water after that. Breakfast is a wheatabix usually with semi-skimmed goats milk. I am allergic to cows milk. I think it is going to be the evening meal that needs to be altered. I live in a village and things like Gyms and swimming pools, when they are open, are miles away, though there is talk that we might get a gym. Exercise....I will look and see what I can do. I am glad I am not the only one disinterested in food, had begun to think I was more peculiar that I had supposed! Apparently, so my Mother once told me I was always like it, ate enough to keep body and soul together and that was it, not in the least bit bothered what it was. Losing my thyroid really caused the problems, it upsets your metabolism. Even my Dr is puzzled why I don't lose weight, and yes I have consulted her on the problem and my thyroid medication is fine. Still, I will give it a go, and see what comes of it. Thank you again for all your help.
Margaret

Hello Margaret, I feel really sorry for you. It is very difficult to lose weight if you cannot exercise as your calorie requirements will be low.
Any exercise will help, if done regularly the ideas above sound good. Maybe some pain relief would help if you need it to exercise

Don't blow it, if you do you will end up even bigger with even more problems. You have done well keeping your weight where it is and maybe with a sensible calorie controlled diet you may be able to lose a little. Certainly you should feel better if you follow a healthy diet.

Regular meals are vital and limit snacks to one per day of no more than 100 Calories - if you cannot keep away from biscuits crisps etc do not keep them in the house.

Ready meals is a good idea for the main meal, maybe with some extra veg frozen is fine, as many veg salad veg as you like but watch dressings containing fat or oil, mayonaise or added butter/fat/oil - just a teaspoon per meal or less.

Cereal with milk pref low fat is a good breakfast, do watch the portion size.
Soup or a salad is a good light meal, keep carbs to just one slice of bread or a couple of crispbreads. Including a bit of protein, meat/fish/egg/cheese/ starchy beans or lentils (pulses) will help, both for nutrition and reducing feeling hungry. Again keep the fat down and read the calorie content of any tinned and packet soups
Fruit is great in moderation, normally 2or 3 a day. a bit more is fine if it helps you keep away from the biscuits and cakes

Good luck xxx

I don't know if you will see this as I'm nearly always late to these threads. I am like you in regard to food. I want to be full up without faff. Plus losing weight for health is a priority. Well, I've hit upon a solution that works for me - lost loads of lbs. Simply this: Breakfast = egg (boiled or scrambled in microwave). Lunch = soup (I don't eat meat or dairy so I have either 3-bean or country vegetable). Mid afternoon snack = banana, berries and Alpro yogurt. (I put it all in a bowl together with a splash of oat milk - yummy!!) Evening meal - a small plate of anything I fancy but I switch potatoes for kumara (sweet potato) and I avoid white rice and pasta. Mid-evening, I have a ramekin of salted peanuts (50g approx) and this goes very nicely with a G + T!! Good luck. Let me know if you want more details of evening meals.

Good quality ready meals are definitely the way to go if you hate cooking - I had a lovely fresh beef stew and dumplings from the co-op yesterday that came in at under 350 calories. Check Youtube for exercises for the elderly and/or immobile that you can do at home without any special equipment. Even a short ten minute walk is good for you if you can manage it without too much pain - my husband has COPD and that is all he can manage at the moment, any exercise is better than no exercise. If you are only overweight rather than obese then concentrating on improving your fitness a little will do more for your health than drastically cutting calories.

Why not just try the ready meals? If you don’t like the first ones you get then try something else!
Good idea to add a portion of fruit or vegetables though as the meals may seem a bit boring and manufactured!
All the best!

Once lockdown is over could you go to a pool. Gentle swimming is excellent for all your joints as is an electric bike. I couldn't ride a two wheeler but bought an electric trike and it is safe and I love it. Its not hard work but helps keep joints mobile and burns up calories. I have a list of health problems but its been my lifesaver.

Well, I must admit to not having read every entry in this post so please forgive me if I am repeating advice. I think you would do very well on an intermittent fasting regime. You only eat during an eight hour window, and while you’re not eating your body is doing a bit of housework. Dr Jason Fung has written a book about it but there are many other articles on the Internet. I really think that this would help you in many ways. (Don’t mean to insult your intelligence by stating that you should obviously eat healthily). I wish you the very best of luck, whatever choice you make

My husband was 22 st at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, and is now 17st. He has done it by not eating after 6 in the evening, and never before 9;30 in the morning, and he no longer eats bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc. And he has halved his meat consumption. He does not exercise as he is arthritic. He hasn’t felt hungry once, and is continuing to try to lose more. He was diabetic, but not now. I tell you this to try to motivate you. It can be done! Good luck, Margaret!

I swear by JanePlan. I ve been on this for two years now, lost two stone straight off and have kept it off. 28 days supply comes in a box and as it's pre-cooked sous vide in sealed trays and pouches it will keep in the cupboard for months - no fridge required. The plan includes a variety of cereals and snacks. I only add some fruit and veg (frozen is easy) and a little dairy. It's a godsend in lockdown as I don't need to order from a supermarket.

Sorry hand slipped .The plate is divided into sections which measure it out to the right proportions eg carbohydrates fresh foods proteins etc .I believe there’s one for Diabetics too .
Hope that helps you have so much going on take care .

Hi there Margaret, I am not the least interested in food either, indeed I have been eating a bowl of porridge and blueberries for breakfast every day for years, just because its easy and reasonably healthy. I would recommend a mix and match approach. Wiltshire Farm Foods for two or three days a week and cooking from scratch the others. WFF meals are OK, but I wouldnt want to have them every day. I find them a bit tasteless and lacking in veg. I actively dislike cooking so I have worked out meals which take about five minutes to prepare and about ten to cook! No fancy sauces cuts down the calories anyway. A typical meal for me might be 2oz pasta cooked and mixed with a tin of whole sardines in oil with steamed kale. Fruit for pudding with an oat biscuit and a sugar free fruit drop to round it all off. Tasty, trouble free and healthy. As for exercise, well something chair based for seniors from You Tube. Any movement no matter how minimal is better than no movement. I would say keep it to ten minutes or so at first and work up. Its worth doing something because it does make you feel better. Exercising to a bit of music is more fun. I do a video where you punch the air to a thumping beat - great fun.

Meant to add, the Joe Wicks workout is strenuous at first, especially if you are not fit. Might be an idea to go for walks if you can instead at first, then build up to his videos and just do the exercises for a few times not the full amount till you get stronger.

I agree with you Jaxie eating less of everything include some treats with healthy food , a balance of different foods to make eating interesting .
What about a diet plate that would help you with the right amounts ?

Swimming or other water-based exercise hasn't been mentioned. Maybe because we can't do any at the moment! But do look at what is available for when we are out of lockdown - you may not burn that many calories, but it helps with general fitness and muscle strength.
If swimming is difficult or not suitable, consider some sort of water exercise - water acts both as 'resistance' and a 'cushion'. If you feel nervous about joining a class, ask the local pool if they can put you in touch with a teacher for a single teaching session.
Also, consider pilates for core strength. I am now unable to do floor based exercises. If you have a spare bed, I am sure that one of the relatives could help you do this:
get a board to put on the bed, and a 'yoga mat' to put on that. This makes a serviceable 'bench' on which to do the exercises. When guests come, if they are fit and well they can move the mat & board - if not, I ask someone to help me a day or two beforehand.
If you haven't done pilates before, then after lockdown, seek out a teacher who can take you through a session on a bench at their studio.
I appreciate that both of these mean an initial outlay, but then you can do the exercise on your own. Whatever happens to your weight, you will be improving you muscle strength and balance.

Agree with the recommendation for Joe Wicks seniors videos. There's a chair one too. Quite a good workout. You do get used to it and it gets easier. Yes I think it would be a great idea to get ready made meals from one of the specialist companies like Wiltshire Farm Foods, they cook from fresh and do balanced meals. ( but not puddings if you are trying to lose weight) . Keeping mobile is the main thing with your conditions. It's easy not to bother, but quality of life is better if you get fitter at any stage of life. Exercise is mood enhancing too. Just do it slowly, what you can manage. I made the mistake at the start of the pandemic, of doing the workouts too rigorously and pulled a muscle. Slow and steady, build up gradually. Good luck.

I once ordered meals from Wiltshire Farm Foods company.
They were ok, but lacking a lot of veg, so I cooked extra veg to go with the meals. I think that would suit you very well as you don’t enjoy cooking. Neither do I. Not any more.
If you can afford it also.
I think with all your health problems, Joe Wicks workouts are not for you. Maybe try some chair exercises.
Good luck.
,

Try By Ruby frozen ready meals delivered to your door. Delicious. Some are a bit high calorie.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

A quick way to lose weight: heart attack, bypass surgery, complications, 8 weeks in hospital, mostly unable to eat: DH now weighs nearly 3 stone less than he did when he had his heart attack last November.

Is the medication for your thyroid or lack off doing what it should. Do you have it checked regularly? I am one if the folk who believe in thermal dynamics for weight loss. Like stoking a fire if you put too much fuel on you need to find a source to burn up the fuel. Or just don't put so much on. You need to control your food intake whether is protein, carbs sugar etc. If you feel calorie counted ready meals would work then go for it. Nothing ventured etc ... As for exercise there are a lot of programmes available for those with limited mobility, check out the internet but don't get hung up on exercise it's the intake of calories that will be the biggest help. Hopefully if you do lose some pounds this will make you feel better able to exercise. Best of luck.

Portion sizes don’t seem to have been mentioned. I found that I was eating far too much because it was 15 minutes or so after I’d finished eating that my stomach signalled it was over full. Try using a much smaller plate. It has worked for me as I have had a replacement knee which doesn’t work properly, plus, I hate exercising.

I also need to lose weight, but my problem is that I love food! I joined SW. I am fairly shy and struggle to be friendly. It took me nearly two years of going and sitting in the same place to make friends and feel accepted. It is not perfect for everyone. They do have a recipe book where every meal just has five ingredients. That may be useful. I know of people who have lost weight by eating only Mark's and Spencer "Count on Us" ready meals. But I would seriously look into Wiltshire Farm Foods. The choice is pretty vast and there are different sized meals. They aren't specifically low calorie, but they are carefully nutritionally balanced. They are delivered to your door and are frozen. Also look at getting a soup maker. Fling in carrots, onions, celery a chicken stock cube and water and let it do its thing. Tasty healthy homemade soup and no hassle. Good luck.