How to set a healthy weight goal as a senior

Setting a weight goal after age 60 is different from setting one in your 30s. Your body has changed. Muscle mass naturally drops about 3 to 8 percent per decade after 30, and faster after 60. Bones can become thinner. Joint pain may limit how much you walk. The good news is that small, steady changes work well at this stage of life. Doctors generally agree that staying within five to ten pounds of your weight at age 50 is a fine goal for most older adults. Losing weight too fast — more than two pounds a week — can cost you muscle and weaken your bones, raising the risk of falls. Before you pick a target, book a checkup. Ask your doctor for your current weight, BMI, blood pressure, A1C, and cholesterol. Share any joint pain or balance worries. Together, choose a number that supports your health, not a number from a magazine. For example, a 5-foot-4-inch woman who weighs 175 pounds might agree with her doctor on a goal of 160 pounds over six months — about half a pound per week. Once you have a target, write it in your phone's Health app or a notebook. Break the big goal into small monthly checkpoints. Pair the weight goal with two action habits — perhaps a 20-minute walk five days a week, and adding a vegetable to lunch and dinner. Track meals with an app like MyFitnessPal or Lose It! if it helps, but skip it if it stresses you out. Weigh in once a week on the same day, in the morning, in the same clothing. Expect normal week-to-week ups and downs of two or three pounds from water and food in your stomach. Adjust slowly. Celebrate every five-pound milestone, and call your doctor right away if you lose weight without trying.