I lost weight at 54

How I did it without GLP-1

Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash

Disclaimer: This essay is drawn from personal lived experience and is not meant as medical advice. Consult with a doctor before undertaking a weight-loss regimen.

I will be 55 next month. And with that, I’ve heard many assert this weight-loss generalization: at my stage in life due to hormones and metabolism, among other reasons, it will be near impossible for me to lose weight.

That simply isn’t true. And I’m living proof of it.

I am petite, at 5’1”. Today, I weigh just 5 pounds more than my weight when I was a skinny high school senior. But for a time, there, some six years ago, I was 30 pounds more and looked it. Nowadays, my stomach is flatter, and people compliment me on the fit of my clothes.

This didn’t come about overnight. For the past four years, I whittled my weight down and have maintained it.

All this, without the aid of GLP-1.

I overheard a friend admiring a mutual acquaintance’s svelte figure. That acquaintance said, giggling, that she was on a GLP-1 medication and so-and-so was, too. My friend said she needed to look into it too. There was a note of desperation in her voice.

I wanted to tell her, “Don’t. Not until you’ve exhausted all avenues.”

For me, that has meant a consistent regimen that I’ve adopted like second nature.

Rain or shine, I walk 20k+ steps a day

First thing, before I do anything else, is to walk my dog in our neighborhood for 90 minutes, round-trip.

This means getting up at the crack of dawn to beat the summer heat. As a bonus, I have seen some of the prettiest sunrises. I have more stamina and energy. My dog is also healthier and better behaved.

When it rains I use an umbrella. When it is blustery, I bundle up. If I don’t get my steps in, I feel it.

I get the balance of my steps doing chores around our horse property during the day, and walking a shorter route with my husband at night.

I weigh myself daily

I do this after my walk, hobby farm chores, and shower, and before I eat or drink anything. I record my weight in Google Calendar and color-code it: black for an increase, yellow for a decrease, and purple for being below my weight goal. This way, I can see at a glance how I am doing and can pinpoint what life events are affecting my weight. It also motivates me to keep going.

I joined a weight-loss Facebook group

Every Thursday, I take a photo of my scale and report my weight to a group of strangers with a common goal of losing and maintaining a healthier weight. We do it over a period of 8 weeks and start over.

The volunteer admin calculates our progress on a spreadsheet and gives weekly shout-outs at the end of each challenge. There’s no pressure to keep up because each person decides what their goal is. Being accountable to someone helps keep me honest.

I eat one big meal a day

But I don’t starve myself. At the start of the day, I might eat a banana or another fruit. For “lunch,” I eat a light fare of cheese, chips, and/or nuts.

For dinner, I eat a diet with lean protein, low carbs, and lots of vegetables. I enjoy good food and good company.

I don’t skip dessert or deny myself sweets

In fact, I sometimes will eat dessert first. But I have a rule: it has to be really delicious and worth the calories. Otherwise, I don’t finish it. And when I do indulge, I sometimes eat only a few bites and save the rest for another time.

I drink water

Occasionally, I will drink a sugary soda or juice. But for the most part, I drink all day from my water bottle. When I eat out, I order water. Cheaper, plus it is healthier.

I am an avid gardener

They say gardening is good exercise — and it’s true. I get plenty of steps when I weed my flower beds and putter around deadheading or adjusting trellises.

I avoid late-night snacking

I’m not always good at this. There’s usually a trail of chip crumbs to my kitchen island near midnight. But on the nights I skip a snack and wake up hungry, I can usually count on weight loss.

I make healthier eating-out choices

When my family eats out, I request my burger to be converted into a salad. I skip fried and fatty foods. Instead of pasta, I ask for broccoli. I eat just enough to be satisfied and save the rest as leftovers.

If someone asks my opinion of where to go, I steer them toward restaurants that prepare menu items from scratch and have vegetable options.

I recognize that each person’s mileage may vary. Someone who observes these habits might still not be able to lose weight.

But I firmly believe that much of our weight-loss struggles can be in our heads. When we buy into the belief that peri-menopausal or menopausal women cannot lose weight, it can lead us to not even try and to resort to more expensive and invasive procedures.

We have more options than we think.

Jewel Allen is an award-winning journalist and the author of novels, memoirs and how-to books for authors. Check out her Amazon author page here.