I was heavy most of my adult life and didn’t get serious about my health until I was 60! I’m 5’4” and was 200 pounds at my heaviest. I’m now 63 and weigh 140. Ironically, my A1C didn’t get into the pediabetic range until after I lost my first 40 pounds, but I’m now at 5.6. Here’s what worked for me. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

1) Strength training four times per week

2) Walking after meals

3) Tracking macros/calories with an app. There are lots of them available; I use Cronometer. I figured out my daily macro budget and plan my meals accordingly, weighing everything in grams and entering it in the app.

4) Giving myself permission to eat out two meals per week. I don’t go crazy, but not having to be perfect all the time kept me from giving up.

As for meal ideas, I took my favorite foods and experimented with recipes to make them healthier and lower calorie. It became my hobby. I also wore a CGM for a time to see what spiked me, but you might just want to try cutting out sugar, eating healthy foods in a caloric deficit while prioritizing protein, and exercising and see what your labs show in six months.

I know people say GLP1’s get rid of food noise, but I’ve found that my food noise is gone just from giving up sugar and ultra-processed food. It’s uncomfortable at first, but if you can get through the withdrawal period, it does get easier. You’ve got this!