In order to be thin after age 35?

[Anonymous]

I'm 44, just lost 29 lbs over a period of 4.5 months using myfitnesspal.com (free). Focused on calories and proper portion sizes and increasing exercise.

[Anonymous]

I hate to be a potential downer for some people here- but the chances of your being able to be thin is whether you were before having kids.. yes- you can get gungho and overcome this no doubt.. but don;t get discouraged.. Alternatively, I was always thin and did get the freshman 10 for undergrad but otherwise was a size 0 or 2.. I shot up after two kids and this has been a struggle (I'm short and small framed and 5 lb is a size difference for me). I was a size 8 for two years and then just had to dive in and diet (lost 30 lbs)- I was working out a bit especially between kids (regular gym).. anyway, I'm back to a regular 2 tight 2p- but it's a struggle-and I mean this, I just don't look good- I am that small boned/framed. Anyway, I see my mom who fluctuates the same way and wonder if post preggo I;m predisposed to this pattern. I guess OP- are you trying to be thin now or have always been? There are success stories on both parts

[Anonymous]

This is just too much spartan craziness for me. I love life too much to starve myself and not enjoy my wine and a once in a while gin and tonic. Not to mention pizza. I guess I'll just be chubby then. They say over 40 it's either your ass or your face anyway. I can cover my ass with Spanx. I can't cover my face.

[Anonymous]

Thin. Always was but I'm now watching the scale creep. Trying mightily to stay under 115. The scale prefers 120.

My strategy is to avoid added sugar (desserts/sweetened drinks). Alcohol is harder. I limit that to 2-3 drinks a week.

I think we should eat the fat and put down the white foods like breads and pasta. It's hard to do I know. If you eat grains, go for the high fiber and drink water. More exercise wouldn't hurt either.

BTW, I am middle aged, edging toward senior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me that regimen wasn't until age 42. It was still very easy for me in mid-30s until early 40s. This year has been the turning point. I love to exercise so I use to be able to eat/drink anything. Now I have to watch diet closely in addition to my already insane workout routine. I hear it only gets worse...

I am so screwed.

likewise...

[Anonymous]

I'm 42, weigh what I did in college and have a six pack stomach. I'm a DH, so I know things a different, but I think that if anyone follows my plan they'll have similar results. Here's my secret:

First - get violent reflux and be allergic to every PPI and H2 blocker on the market. After you experience Acid shooting up your throat a couple times, you'll have an incentive to go on the blandest plant based diet possible. Next start developing high blood pressure, even though you're already at a healthy BMI. If you're lucky like me, you'll have the same terrible reaction to BP meds that you did with acid blockers, so to control that cut out anything with salt and spend spend lots of time with your new best friend, the eliptical. I've been so successful with this plan that I've had the unique experience of being told by my GP that I'm underweight and was put on Ensure and other weight gain products to keep from wasting away.

Hope this was helpful, I'm now going to go off and daydream about drinking beer and eating pizza (FML).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 42, weigh what I did in college and have a six pack stomach. I'm a DH, so I know things a different, but I think that if anyone follows my plan they'll have similar results. Here's my secret:

First - get violent reflux and be allergic to every PPI and H2 blocker on the market. After you experience Acid shooting up your throat a couple times, you'll have an incentive to go on the blandest plant based diet possible. Next start developing high blood pressure, even though you're already at a healthy BMI. If you're lucky like me, you'll have the same terrible reaction to BP meds that you did with acid blockers, so to control that cut out anything with salt and spend spend lots of time with your new best friend, the eliptical. I've been so successful with this plan that I've had the unique experience of being told by my GP that I'm underweight and was put on Ensure and other weight gain products to keep from wasting away.

Hope this was helpful, I'm now going to go off and daydream about drinking beer and eating pizza (FML).

BUM.MER

[Anonymous]

Huh. I'm a 50 year old woman and I eat well. Not hungry, and I eat maybe 2 meals a day: breakfast is a big omelette with veggies and sausage or bacon, dinner is fish and veggies or meat and veggies and a salad. And chocolate. And coffee/tea all day. Paleo/primal. Lots of fat, lots of protein. A bit of fruit.

I walk daily---two dogs in an apartment need exercise! And lift 3-4x week. Sprint a couple--ie the dogs and I run. No work, lots of fun. I'm 5'5", 130, size 4-6. And I can do pullups! So it isn't all horrible.

[Anonymous]

And how old are your kids PP?

[Anonymous]

I am so with you. I am 41 and most of my life have been slim, not skinny. I didn't work out crazily, i.e. about 3x and pretty moderate. I ate well, but pretty much what I wanted. Flash forward to post 38 and I have gained weight with same regime. I now have to cut calories a lot, really increase intensity and frequency of workouts just to maintain status quo. It's been a very hard adjustment for me. I understand a bit why people give up, but I am still trying to stay slim and healthy.

[Anonymous]

I don't know, sometimes I think it's all so strange post 40. I was 135-140 at 5'9 most of my life. Now I am early 40s and I am 160 but I do lift a lot more and am in fairly good shape. I am still able to wear the clothes I wore when much less weight. It's all a bit of a mystery to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And how old are your kids PP?

.

Grown. I chase the grandkids now and have a blast! Only drawback is that after nursing 3, the boobs are shot....

[Anonymous]

The reason I asked is because I just don't have the time and opportunity to work out like I should. I'm a single parent and I can't afford a gym membership. I think I'm going to have to stick with workout DVDs at home. I walk as much as I can at work (I'm a teacher) but it is for short periods of time (not sustained). I can't leave the house at night to walk/run, etc b/c my child is asleep. It is frustrating b/c I've noticed the pounds are harder to keep off in the last 2 years (I'm 37 now).

[Anonymous]

I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned strength training yet. My understanding is that the main reason it becomes so hard to keep the weight off as we age is the natural loss of muscle mass that accompanies aging. Muscle burns calories even when you are at rest, allowing you to eat more (this is why men have an easier time losing weight -- they naturally have higher muscle mass than women). The good news is, a regular regimen of strength training can slow/reverse this loss of muscle mass and allow you to still enjoy an occasional piece of cake or nightly glass of wine without gaining weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I'm a 50 year old woman and I eat well. Not hungry, and I eat maybe 2 meals a day: breakfast is a big omelette with veggies and sausage or bacon, dinner is fish and veggies or meat and veggies and a salad. And chocolate. And coffee/tea all day. Paleo/primal. Lots of fat, lots of protein. A bit of fruit.

I walk daily---two dogs in an apartment need exercise! And lift 3-4x week. Sprint a couple--ie the dogs and I run. No work, lots of fun. I'm 5'5", 130, size 4-6. And I can do pullups! So it isn't all horrible.

PP, so basically you can control your weight because
you don't work and
you have no young children.

Well that's a no brainer. I don't know if you are independently wealthy or living off of welfare, but most of us work and do not have the luxury of having time to ourselves. I bet you'd be more overweight if you had to work. So your solution will not work for most of us.