Food & Fitness After 50: How turning 55 led to losing 55 pounds

When you hear the words “Weight Watchers“ do you think of women attending group meetings to support each other’s weight loss journey? Or maybe you think of Oprah Winfrey who helped revitalize the brand when she became a client and investor in 2015? You probably wouldn’t picture, Brad, a 57-year old man as a Weight Watchers fan, but he lost 55 pounds following their plan.

The “It’s time to make a change” moment

When Brad turned 55 he knew he needed to do something. He weighed 255 pounds, but he carried it well on his 6’2” frame. However, the weight was settled right around his middle, the dreaded belly fat, and his body mass index (BMI) was 32.7, placing him the obese category. (To calculate your BMI, enter your height and weight in the BMI calculator.)

So, at age 55, Brad decided to drop 55. “My clothes didn’t fit, I was on four medications, and just knew it was time to do something, so I downloaded the Weight Watchers app and went through the food list to find all of the foods assigned zero or one point…. basically, my new free foods.” Using the app taught him the energy (caloric) value of foods and he began logging everything he ate into the app for the first couple months of his weight loss journey. Once he learned the “cost” of foods, he was able to make better choices throughout the day. “One of the biggest changes I made was my night time snacking routine, now I snack on fruit and veggies when I’m hungry.” He gave up sugar-sweetened drinks and switched to Splenda (also known as sucralose) in coffee and tea.

Weight Watchers Makes List as “Best “diet in three categories

Weight Watchers is recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diet Rankings for 2018 as the best weight loss diet, best fast weight loss diet, and, best commercial diet plan. Why did Brad like it? “I never felt deprived and I learned to make trade-offs. If I want a candy bar, I eat a mini or “fun-size” and still enjoyed the treat without the calories of a regular sized candy bar.

Lessons learned

Brad lost 30 pounds in the first couple of months and then plateaued. That is a common occurrence with weight loss; his smaller body now needed even fewer calories. This is a crucial point and when many people give up, but not Brad. He stuck with the plan and eventually reached his goal of 200 pounds, losing 55 pounds in total. Some of the things Brad learned along the way:

• “Portion control! I can still eat what I want, but I control the portions.”
• “Make substitutions, not sacrifices. I still eat steak but choose a 6-ounce filet instead of 12-ounce ribeye, and I’ve learned to love grilled asparagus.”
• “Maintaining weight loss is a constant negotiation with myself, and I give myself a 5-pound window, but when the scale creeps up, I know I have to cut down.”
• “I started eating breakfast, something I had never done, but I learned that eating something in the morning keeps me going until lunch time and makes me feel better.”
• “I travel a lot for work and I can decode any menu into Weight Watcher’s points and choose a healthy meal!”

Do it for your health and self-satisfaction

Two other factors motivate Brad to keep the weight off. “I bought new clothes and I love running into people I haven’t seen in a while and their reaction to my weight loss is rewarding. I never want to regain the weight and have to face my friends and colleagues at my old weight!” And, his health has improved. He was able to get off two of the four medications he was on, and he hasn’t had acid reflux since he lost the weight.
Brad knows he is in it for the long haul, but as he says, “You can have a bad day, not just a bad month!”

Find more weight loss tips in Food & Fitness After 50, available on Amazon.