Dear Kayla,

I am female, 76 years old, 5’4″. I weigh 172, and I’m STUCK in the low 170s. I want to know what “eating normal” looks like. I have been eating abnormally for my entire life. When I was less than 50, I was abnormally skinny. Maybe I simply need to accept that, in my 70’s, I will weigh more than “normal.” I walk about twice a week – usually for 45 minutes. My doctor told me, at my age, not to use my treadmill anymore as it can cause me to have leg and foot problems. I lift 1 – 2 pound weights daily for upper body strength. I get exercise around my house: gardening, vacuuming, doing laundry, cleaning – dusting, mopping, changing bed sheets, cleaning bathrooms – toilets, sinks, tubs/showers. And, I struggle with getting enough sleep at night, so I nap almost daily – 2 – 3 hours. My blood pressure is great – 120/65. I take medication for hypothyroid and a blood thinner (history of blood clots).

All-in-all, I think I’m healthy. I don’t eat sugar at all. I eat protein, fat, and low carbs. I fast most days and usually eat OMAD. Of late, I’ve been eating 1-2 meals a day, because I’ve been eating 1 small meal in the morning – cottage cheese and berries – for building/maintaining muscle mass – mostly in my legs.

I’ve been listening to James Caldwell’s YouTube videos. I’m envious of the people who have been able to drop mega-pounds using your and James’s methods.

I’m having a difficult time having with a positive attitude in my 70s. My mother died when she was 96, so I think I will live a good long time. My doctors are positive about my health, but would like it if I lost 20 pounds. Believe me, I’d love it if I could lose 20 pounds!!

The reality is, I don’t want to beat myself up any longer because I’m not 150 pounds.

What say you??

Signed,

Leslie Ann

Dear Leslie Ann,

Here’s one thing I believe wholeheartedly: mentally beating yourself up for not being at a lower weight is far more unhealthy than carrying around an extra 20 pounds. To put it another way, if I personally had to choose between a positive mental attitude and being 20 pounds heavier, or having a negative mental attitude and being 20 pounds lighter, I’d choose the positive mental attitude and extra weight, hands down. But, I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian.

If I were in your shoes, I’d ask my doctors for further explanation on the recommendation to lose 20 pounds. What are the risks of not losing? What are the benefits of losing? Are there any risks associated with losing? Once I had those facts, I’d sit myself down and decide whether it was worth the effort to drop the weight, or whether I was okay with the risks of staying where I was.

You’re the one in the driver’s seat here. Not me. Not your doctors.

If you decide you want to drop the weight, I have no doubt you can do it. I’d encourage you to go slowly with it. You don’t need to drop “mega-pounds.” Focus on small, sustainable changes that make your life better. Enjoy the process. Above all, keep that positive mental attitude.

What does normal eating look like? I think this is a question each individual must answer for themselves.

Back when I was overweight, I never felt like I was eating like a “normal” person eats. I based that on my observations of people who were at a normal weight and didn’t struggle with food. My husband was my daily reference. I noticed how he’d just eat whatever. He didn’t look at the nutrition labels. He certainly never agonized over it. He just ate. This was a pattern I noticed for most of the people around me who were thin. The ones who agonized the most seemed to have the most trouble with their weight. I concluded that all the dieting I had done had made me overthink things. I decided that what was important to me was to be at peace with food, be at a good weight, and be reasonably healthy.

This is what “normal” looks like for me:

• Most of what I eat is home-cooked. A lot of that is from scratch.
• I eat a lot of carbs, protein, and fat.
• I eat sugar. (I love to bake!)
• I avoid artificial sweeteners because of their taste.
• I opt for the full-fat version of everything.
• I don’t avoid seed oils.
• I don’t try to “eat clean.” I just eat the food.
• Go-to dinners on rotation in my house: spaghetti with meat sauce, man-pleasing chicken with roasted broccoli, beans and rice, pizza, and taco bowls.
• I don’t buy organic unless it happens to be cheaper.
• I don’t drink sugary sodas regularly, though I’ll have one if the mood strikes me.
• I’ll have wine, beer, and other types of drinks on occasion.
• I don’t eat fast food often, maybe once every few months. When I eat it, I do not feel guilty.
• Eating out in general is pretty rare.

Those last two bullet points are based on budgetary considerations, not a philosophy about food, but I figure it’s pertinent, since the average American eats fast food 2-3 times a week.

Overall, I’m happy with where I’m at. I sit down, I eat, I enjoy myself. I’m comfortable in my own skin. I feel good and healthy, but you never know. I could keel over tomorrow. At the end of the day, I’m at peace with where I’m at.

I say, do whatever brings you the most peace in your life.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best!

Kayla Cox