Obesity - retiring and can spend time on my health - help needed.

All my neighbours are very fit and in their 80s. I would suggest walking as a start to help fitness. You can build up speed and distance or join a walking group. My friend goes swimming most days. Once retired, the danger is in the cups of tea and biscuits to punctuate the day. Try to keep an eye on that.

Check that your thyroid is working and that you don't have diabetes. Both can result in lethargy and tiredness

I have also tried SW and WW - both a complete waste of time and money IMO - so the only advice I can offer is 'eat less and move more'.

Have you thought of weight loss jabs to kick start your journey?

Astitchintime

I have also tried SW and WW - both a complete waste of time and money IMO - so the only advice I can offer is 'eat less and move more'.

If SW worked they would not have been going for 40+ years. Both SW and WW are businesses so they want people to keep coming back. If you can accept that you follow their plans for the rest of your life then you might be OK but the vast majority can’t so they return to SW time after time.

I did SW for about 2 years twelve years ago, lost over three stone, have kept two and a half off since then, like any change of diet you have to want to do it.
NannySharonof3 good advice to get a check up, I expect your health professional will be delighted you want to change and may well offer suggestions. Do you have someone in a similar position to you? It does help if there are two or three of you supporting each other.

I have recently lost over 2 stone, I cant describe the difference in my energy levels. I also walk a lot. What works does vary for people. I used NHS calorie counter app, and made sure i had plenty of protein and he occasional treat. It's boring of course.

Grandmabatty

Check that your thyroid is working and that you don't have diabetes. Both can result in lethargy and tiredness

Hopefully, you will not have either of these conditions, but once you’ve seen your GP, and to.d him you wish to lose weight, go ahead and select the exercise/s you’d prefer, be it walking, swimming, gym or all three, or something else. Research the healthy foods that should be included in your diet, cook from scratch, avoiding high levels of salt, sugar and additives. It really doesn’t have to be boring! So many lovely foods to choose from. It could be fun. Good luck.

I get really cheap membership at my local gym now that I’m retired. Can also use their sauna etc. It’s really important to not get into the habit of snacking between meals, although I’m as guilty as any over that.

Walk, limit your carbohydrates and sort out your sleep if it is not good. Good luck and don’t give up

I kick started my new life staying at ‘Fit Farms’ for three weeks when it open 2006 and haven’t looked back.
My local gym club does not cost too much and lets everyone go as often as they want, so I go to stretching, Pilates etc classes nearly every day when it is open during school days and walk for about an hour everyday throughout the year. If it’s too cold/ hot I go the a mall. I’m 74.
I very rarely eat processed food but live on veg and fruit with a little meat/ fish.
Good luck in your new life.

mokryna - ideal way of life. My dream, but then I was born lazy 😂

Nannysharon, I would start with healthy eating, slowly building up your exercise and tackling the lethargy by experimenting with different ways of pacing yourself. For me that means taking frequent short breaks and always trying to stop before I get tired. Tiredness makes you crave carbs making losing weight far more difficult.

If you want to lose weight you need to accept that you have got to change your eating habits, not just while you are dieting, but for the rest of your life.

The main mistake people make is spending the time when they are dieting longing to return to the eating habits that made them fat in the first place. You will not lose weight just by exercising.

So I suggest plan ahead for a new eating pattern to go with your new life as a retiree. The eating pattern always being recommended is the Mediterranean diet, not a dietbut an eating pattern. Best summarised by an American food writer as Eat food, not too much, mainly plants. and its corollory
If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't. 'Plant' being, of course, the US word for factory.

Here is a link to a good site describing it www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/mediterranean_diet

As for exercise, as everyone says, walking is good. I also do Tai Chi, less energetic than pilates, which I used to do, but as theblate Michael Moseley showed, just as good and effective as more energetic forms of exercise.

crazyH

mokryna - ideal way of life. My dream, but then I was born lazy 😂

So am I but I don’t want to be big again … I don’t do much else.🤣

If I walk for more than half an hour I suffer from pains and stiffness afterwards. Most of my friends don't have this problem and walk much further. I hope to get back to swimming soon.

Michael Mosley's Fast 800! Intermittent fasting - I eat between 10am and 6pm, NO snacks. Lost almost 3 stones this year. And exercise. Good luck.

Bigred18

Michael Mosley's Fast 800! Intermittent fasting - I eat between 10am and 6pm, NO snacks. Lost almost 3 stones this year. And exercise. Good luck.

This is correct. This is the only proven way to lose weight.

My philosophy is don't worry about your weight being not the same as others. Do whatever brings you joy. Dance and swimming are good exercise. Tai Chi is a great way to start your day. Contact your GP about lethargy - blood panel test would be good. Just enjoy yourself and your retirement. Only exercise if it's fun.

NannySharonof3, as others have said, having a health check is a good idea, to see if there’s a particular reason for the lethargy. Then I’d recommend trying to get out in the fresh air for at least a small part of every day, and looking on YouTube at all the free exercise videos to find some exercise that would suit you and you’d enjoy doing. Starting your day with 30, or even 15, minutes of movement can lift your mood and get you in the right frame of mind to look after your health.

For me it’s Fabulous50s, Walking with Rick, and Leslie Sansome’s walking videos, but there’s a huge variety out there, dancing, yoga, chair exercise, step… They all recommend checking with your doctor before you start.

He’s not for everyone, but I’m a big Michael Mosley fan, and his ten minute Just One Thing podcasts give lots of ideas for improving your health with minor changes. I’d recommend his 5:2 diet plan as well - again, it doesn’t suit everyone but it worked for me and many others.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure it’s something you enjoy!

Join groups that keep you moving. Go to your local library or Google it.
I've joined a ladies only walking group, a over 50s flexercise class, yoga, badminton and I volunteer at church.

Most boroughs have specials schemes to improve health for older people. This can include free classes etc. check online.

If you don't buy it, you can't eat it! Works for me (as a life long chocoholic, this has been really difficult!). And do at least 3,000 steps a day - in short bursts if necessary. I can't do long walks any longer, (flipping Long Covid), but I've moderated my diet by having less cheese and almost no chocolate so I've not gained any excess weight. It's not easy 🥲

Yup - eat more healthily and keep moving! Not rocket science. If only it was easier done than said 😢!

And I don't eat anything after our evening meal until a small yoghurt, a little maple syrup and milled flaxseed the next morning. I'm getting used to feeling a bit hungry, but before this, I ate because I wanted to - not because I was hungry. On the other hand, I still have a daily glass of wine 😅