Do you find it difficult to lose in your 40s?

I'm right there with you! I gave up sugar, and the pounds SLOWLY came off. What I didn't realize was that the whole wheat bread, wraps and etc. was spiking my glucose making it difficult to burn the calories I was taking in. I read the book Wheat Belly and the light bulb went off. It described me to a T! Helped me, maybe it will help you too. I also do B12 shots because my doctor did a bunch of blood work and found my B12 was extremely low. Worth looking into that too. Good Luck!

Hi Claire ,,, I don't know if this will help but I take a B12 every day it is supposed to help support metabolism ... & Yes it is definitely harder to loose the pounds ,,, & also give in to my cravings easier , & get tired of tracking .... etc... but I am going to keep on trying !!!

Edited by: CKIMBER14 at: 3/23/2014 (13:54)

YES! Those pounds have staying power.

When I was in my 20's if I wanted to lose weight, I would lose it. Easy!

Not anymore. But it is worth the effort, I am finding.

YES, it is. I am 45 now. It is absolutely about making a plan and being dedicated about it these days. It does not work any other way anymore. In fact, it's almost like a leap of faith. You have to be dedicated and trust that it will work. The way it works for me is that I will go one or two weeks sometimes without losing anything, or even gain a pound, but my measurements will go down and my clothes will fit better. Then I will drop several pounds at once, and no inches. It's really strange! But if it gets me to the same point at the end, I want to stick it out and give it the chance to work.

I definitely feel it's harder the older I get. Lack of sleep usually gets in the way too. It just always seems to be a SLOW process. I think we just need to know it's a lifestyle change and that's the only way to get there....

Hi everyone, yes I am finding it harder to lose the weight but also harder to stay motivated as well! Determined however to give it a good honest try!

Hi Everyone... I sure have noticed a change as well! I am 42 and it was so much easier to do when I was in my twenties, I just had to eat three meals and I was golden. Now I am exercising, logging what I eat and am still gaining by looking at those tempting foods. I am sure it will happen but slowly this time. I am trying to stay focused on healthy living and moving instead of the number each week. I don't want to get down about the scale not moving - today is my first day without artificial sugar and so far it is hard. But I make myself have one goal a month ... on what really bad habit I need to change and don't overwhelm myself with all at once mentality.

It seems to be working so far... but will see.

"With Persistence, Perseverance and a great attitude we can achieve great things!"

Hi Kristina, I'm having the same issues… the first 10lbs came off relatively easy (took about 6 weeks), but the next ten are slooooow going. I've lost just over 16 lbs now, but I'm not even averaging one pound a week now (only lost .2 on the last weigh-in). I'm in my mid 40's and I'm sure my metabolism needs a major wake-up call. At least I'm still dropping weight slowly but surely, so I'm gonna stick with it until I meet my goal (even if it does take longer than planned).

Anyone have ideas to boost my metabolism naturally???… I'm already eating 3 smaller healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks a day. Doing small portions, mostly veggies with some lean protein (chicken, salmon or eggs since i don't eat red meat or pork), and lots of water. I'm only averaging about 1200-1300 calories a day. I use the elliptical for about 25-30 min a few times a week, but I'll be adding more. Any other ideas that may help?

thanks,
Claire

Edited by: CLAIRE-3 at: 2/18/2014 (12:45)

I've had to do things differently now, compared to when I was younger, to lose weight. I lose about a pound a week. Weight loss has been slow but steady. I'm 42. I've changed the way I eat, what I eat, say no to the wrong foods. Looking for tasty and filling recipes and finding some. We may have to take a different approach now, but can achieve the results we want, sure can!

Well, I lost 10 pounds, but finding it hard to start dropping the next 10 pounds. I am thankful that I have not started gaining that 10 pounds back so I guess that is an accomplishment.

I'm so glad I stopped in here today! I've been a member for two weeks now. My activity is much higher than it's been for years, but my scale hasn't budged! (It might have even gone up by two pounds )

After reading everybody's experiences, it looks like it might help to look more carefully at what I've been eating AND log it more accurately. Also, recognize that the pounds just not move off as quickly at 48 as they did at 28...

I'm not completely discouraged yet. You might eve say that I've been enjoying getting out and moving my body, but I know if I don't start seeing some kind of positive change soon, it is going to get frustrating

Wow, you are at my weight goal! You look great.

Great attitude! And definitely we have to change as our needs and our goals change.

yes, hypothyroid at 37, pre-menopausal as well. Soy intolerant at 42 and gluten intolerant at 45...so the days of eating bread and pasta and going for a run are over. My knees, yes one knee is 40 yo than the other so when it's cold I limp, with arthritis...thankfully I live in Cali and "cold" is relative...I used to lose weight in my waist first and now it's the last place to lose...

The benefit of being in my 40's is I KNOW I can find a program and a way to lose weight regardless of what new "challenges" await me, I simply need to be trying-EVERYDAY.

Admitting defeat is not an option....

OMG YES! Never been this hard before!

Yes, I do think it does take longer for me to lose weight in my 40 then when I was younger. But, each body is different, no two are the same. So it will be different for everyone... For me it is just harder.

I do find it more challenging as i've gotten older, but I honestly don't think it's an physical "age" thing. First, due to previous injuries or lack of proper self-care, I can't do intense exercise like kickboxing that I used to. Second, right now I am not at the same strength I was. I believe we can be - it's a use it or lose it thing, so strength can be built at ANY age. Most importantly, I think our priorities change. We tend to be driven and goal-oriented when we are younger. As we go through life, our perspective changes. The reasons we are motivated change. Dieting in my 20's was easy - work out hard and eat little. I remember eating carrot and mustard sandwiches. I easily maintained a lighter weight in my 30's because I taught up to 15 classes a week as a fitness instructor.

Most of us slow down, want to enjoy life more, want to feed our souls and care for our spirits. Caring for our bodies is a way to honor ourselves and live vibrantly, to have a vehicle in which to shine out from. As females, we can no longer rely on or play the game of beauty and sex appeal to give us a sense of self-worth. Being begins to become more important than doing. Also, our habits have had longer to set in. It's time to embrace our own transformation and look to what we want to create now, what our goals and priorities really are, rather than what we did and wanted in the past. Don't you agree?

I find my weight fluctuates a lot more and it takes forever to lose just a pound.

A few years back (before my 40s) I had gained a little bit...was up to 144 my heaviest yet at that time and was feeling it. I was able to lose 14 lbs in a matter of like 6-8 weeks. But since I hit 40 and then had a hysterectomy (ovaries and therefore hormones supposedly not affected), I have steadily gained. Even doing things like P90X and Insanity, I'd barely budge a couple of pounds over months of training. I threw in the towel and now am just getting back to trying something and finding I'll be down a pound or two and then back up one. I know that's normal (fluctuations I mean), so my goal is just to see an overall decrease in weight over a month for instance. The fluctuations make it hard to gauge just where you really are and seem to get me down from time to time. I just have to try to stay positive.

Its really really hard now.

i DO feel as if it is harder now, The things that i used to be able to rely on when i was younger don't work now. i also have more demands on my time.

I am so pleased I saw this thread, it is reassuring to know it is not just me!
In my 20s if I just cut out in-between meal snacking and picked up the exercise a bit I could lose 3-4lbs a week easy.
Now I am in my 40s and I am diligently tracking every morsel, exercising my butt off and I am lucky if I lose 1lb a week. It does get frustrating, but any step in the right direction has to be a good thing, with the added bonus that I am enjoying feeling fitter and healthier, even if it is not showing on the scales (yet!).
If we all keep plugging away at it - we'll get there in the end!

I have noticed the cravings too. I also have a lot of acne around my mouth. My blood work for my hormones came back "in range", but I've been reading about progesterone loss at 40. It slows metabolism among other things. I am thinking about giving progesterone cream a try. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Hi Team, I do think it is hard. I'm in my late 40's and losing weight with exercise and tracking has NEVER been an issue. Although I started in August '13 I was able to lose 12 pounds but I don't ever think I'll get past this 160 mark. Now I recently kicked up my working out on the treadmill to 6 days a week and doing some spark videos - I can only hope this gets me past the plateau that frustrates me to no end!!!


TDUNCAN8 - I too would give in to my cravings more often than I care to admit but after try and try again I'm hoping I can stay on track.

Yes but I don't think it's because I'min my 40's. There is a definite difference in my thinking. I give in to food cravings more and come up with excuses to not exercise more easily.

I am using a Zumba app. I know with busy lives it is hard to find time. Thought I would share!

I agree. I'm a very slow loser, but then I was even before I hit 40. 1/2 lb a week is normal for me.

Yes! Like others, I'm finding if I slack off on the exercise, it just goes to heck in a hand basket. For me, I think it also requires strength training, something with weights on a regular basis and as I've learned the past 6 months or so, no via DVD series. Free weights or at the gym. So, I'm starting back with a free weight program and hoping it works.

I am having a hard time staying committed. It seems life is so challenging and I am so busy taking care of others. This year I want to try to give myself a little bit of me time. I want to spend time exercising, reading, learning Spanish, and relaxing. Still have to work and take care of my family, but I believe I can figure out a way to find time for me. I have to remember, as a friend told me- I need to be healthy if I want to continue taking care of my family. So yes, it's not selfish it will still be beneficial for my family. Yes I will love myself. 2014 is the year I love myself.

I definitely feel it is harder to lose weight now and it is SO easy to put it back on if I start to slack off in my eating habits and exercise.

It definately is! Most weeks I only lose a half pound at a time. One and 1/2 is the most I've lost in a week over the past few years.

Defiantly! Its an every day challenge to not gain any extra weight....AT 43 and only 5'2" tall, exercise is a must because even a 5 pound gain is hugh! I weight 155 pounds right now but am determined to get back to at least 135 in 2014, even 130 hopefully....that's the weight I am most comfortable at.

Absolutely! In my twenties and even my thirties I didn't have to put in the effort I do now to lose weight. Now it seems that I put in twice the effort and get back half of the results. And where did these "love handles" come from??? I don't want to be young again, but I do want to be in shape.

I have found it quite easy to gain weight the last 20 years and have found it hard to lose any of it. I lost weight only twice. The first time was with my first pregnancy before I knew I was pregnant and was on a low carb kick. The second time was the first 6 months after my treatment ended for breast cancer I lost 15 pounds. I have gained that all back and held at this weight for 2 years. I have been doing some sort of activity almost everyday for the last 3 weeks and plan to build on it and tracking what I eat. While I have not seen much progress yet I am hoping to see some glimmer of hope by the time winter is over.

Absolutely! I find it much harder! I lost 40 lbs 10 years ago and I have put back on! Now doesn't seem to be coming off as easy!

Oh absolutely! I wish myself now could speak to my teen / early 20's self and talk some sense into her

Yes... I seemed to drop pounds with no problem and much easier when I was younger. Now, it takes longer and I have to eat quite healthy and move my body everyday at a longer time to lose a bit of weight.

Edited by: X_MONICA_X at: 12/18/2013 (22:53)

Absolutely. It is a struggle......but I shall succeed.

I have been these last few months; losing the first 30+ pounds was easy. Now, I'm focusing on moderation and healthier eating. I don't know if I agree that some bodies have set points, but I don't want to burn out.

Do I ever! Especially since menopause. I never had a weight problem until my second child (late thirties). Took that weight off fairly easily, then slowly put even more on. Taking it off is painfully slow now, especially since I can't exercise much due to back problems.

I was always a big girl but I never really gained until my forty's when I stopped smoking. A few years after that I stopped being bothered by it and ballooned.
Now I feel like my issue is not enough fitness and the calories range SP gives me is too high.

Me too! It's definitely harder to lose now. I went to see a nutritionist after finding that increasing my exercise alone wasn't enough. She recommended I eat fewer carbs and more protein. I'm still finding it hard to work more protein in, but when I follow the plan, it definitely works. I can still have carbs, I just have to be smarter about them.

I never had a weight problem until I hit 40. Now it seems like I can just look at food and gain weight!

Yeah it's hard to lose weight now.

Physically maybe. Less muscle as it degenerates if not used. (maybe faster too?)
Mentally. Maybe, maybe not. We have learned that things don't come easy by now, I hope. I found that self discipline and long sightedness helped me more than youthful short term thinking.

Weight loss is much slower for me now, then when I was younger. I just keep making healthy choices and figure over time - it must make a difference! As long as your moving in the right direction most the the time, changes will come, even if slowly. I put on weight slowly over time, a pound one month, two the next, then one pound a couple months later, it was slow too. Just keep moving in the right direction!

Edited by: BETTERME8913 at: 11/3/2013 (23:40)

I spent most of my life trying to gain weight and if I did need to lose a couple of weeks of exercise would show. Now... I am watching what I eat and exercising and it seems like - nothing. My husband says he sees some toning but I don't. I will continue and at some point I know results will catch up with my efforts.

prc, when you set up your account, did you tell the website how active you are? if yes, they give a calorie range and when you track your activity, those calories can be added to your nutrition calorie range for that day.

I just started this journey. I am 46 and had a full hysterectomy 2 years ago. Since that time it seems almost impossible to lose weight. I've also noticed the muscle I had is being rapidly depleted. I started working out with Total Gym 5 days a week. I have noticed I'm starting to gain more muscle but I still have a problem loosing belly weight and that extra weight in my thighs. I need to lose 30 pounds. Right now it seems impossible but realistically I know it isn't, especially if I break it down.

Today I started to log in my food and was pretty shocked. That, if nothing else should keep my eating in line. I'm alloted 1200-1550 and I ate 1640. I just wanted to see how many calories I would normally eat without really watching it. It wasn't as bad as it could have been but it was still bad. Tomorrow's a new day. If I can hang in there with logging my food and exercising 5X a week I think I will be okay. I also noticed I needed to increase my protein and decrease my fat. Who knew natural coconut was that high in fat??!! LOL! No really. I would eat 1/4 cup as a snack and then put tablespoons in a breakfast smoothie along with blueberries, mango, spinach, apple cider and almonds. I'll have to look into that as well. Any motivational tips are greatly appreciated :0) Thanks in advance.

Edited by: PRC1966 at: 10/27/2013 (19:48)

for me, difficult could be dealt with. it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to lose weight. i am working on making exercise consistent 4xs/week and being active however else i can (walking to a co-workers desk instead of email, using the stairs, parking farther away at the grocery store, etc). I have noticed that i seem to be slimming down, even if the scale isn't moving. That's okay. I will reach my goals.

Edited by: ANIMALMA71 at: 10/30/2013 (12:42)

I think that because I had let myself get out of control with food and little physical activity that it wasn't actually turning 40 that made things harder but thats when I noticed it. I think I was trying to blame something else for the shape I was in. I know there is a lot out there that says losing after 40 is more difficult and I'm sure with hormonal changes and what not that is partly true but I also think its been said so often that thats the 1st thing people think...I'm 40,this is hard for me. Thats what I thought until I took a real look at myself and my behaviors the couple years prior to turning 40. So do I think being in your 40's makes it more difficult to lose weight? I think my aging body does work against me in some ways, yes. But I won't blame it all on 40.

I find that it takes a lot more effort. It does seem as though my metabolism has slowed down a lot. I work out, watch my calories and don't really see any results. It is really frustrating.

I used to be able to lose excess weight easily in my 20s but now that I'm in my early 40s I have love handles. I didn't use to have this problem before.

Do you think that your body has changed now that you're in your 40s? Do you find it more difficult to get in shape now?

Please share!