For experts and women over 40, please!!

[BigBear85]

Hello everyone I am a very frequent visitor of this site and I notice all the advice that people share with one another. I'm coming to ask for help with my mothers weight loss. Even though I've lost a lot of weight I noticed that she really can't follow my plan and routine so I'm hoping someone here who has experience and knowledge can help me.
Here we go, from my perspective I think that my mother should stop focusing on weight loss and just focus on living a more healthy life. For example... she smokes, eats southern style cooked food and doesn't really exercise. She's currently 49 years of age and is really caught in her ways but does want to be healthy. She has a slightly low count in her hormones from a thyroid problem which keeps her metabolism from working fast. So with all of this said.. How can I help my mother get healthy and ultimately loss the weight she wants.

 

[Trusylver]

BigBear, it is a matter of making small changes over time, small changes are easier to fit into an existing lifstyle rather than making big changes that are unlikly to be able to be stuck with in the long term. Adding in a little bit of walking for exercise and looking at portion control are good starting points.

 

[foncused]

... and, for me, the biggest thing is getting your (your mother's in this case) mind on track. To change to a healthy lifestyle is going to take a change in attitude... somehow you are going to have to help her see the damage she's doing to herself and how she's reducing her lifespan with her current lifestyle choices... "you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make it drink"... she's going to have to subscribe to change herself...
Best of luck!!

 

[KaraCooks]

The big thing is that your mom has to make the decision to do this. You can't make these changes for her.

If she wants to live a healthier life, then yes, she'll need to stop smoking, eat healthier, and start exercising. But you can't make her do that. Until she chooses that ... there's not much you can do.