I mean - do any of you just choose quality of life vs. endless watching of food?

[Anonymous]

I am 42. I am 5'7, and I weigh about 155 lbs. I wear an 8/10. I have been this weight for 20 years. I've had 3 kids, gained 60 lbs with 2 of the pregnancies, and can stll wear the majority of my clothes from 20 years ago. But, I am just on the cusp of having a BMI that is considered 'overweight'. My doc says I should lose 10 lbs.

I love food, I love to eat, and for the most part, I eat pretty well. Today, for example, I've had a whole wheat pita with 1 oz of cream cheese and a ton of spinach, strawberries, and a bowl full of spinach, broccoli, chickpeas, tofu, and a fat-free peanut sauce. If I snack, I eat SkinnyPop popcorn or a string cheese, or an apple with some greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter. I am not eating fried foods, a ton of cheese, a ton of sugar, white-flour based products etc. and we hardly ever eat out - because that's just not in my normal diet. I'm not purposefuly avoiding those things.

I mean - isn't it OK that I feel healthy, I eat healthy, my blood work is good, and I rarely get sick? I feel like I should be trying to lower my BMI, but then I think - at what cost? I don't want to count every calorie. I eat a ton of fruit and veggies. I walk, I play outside, I ride my bike.

Isn't all that good enough?

[Anonymous]

I agree with you. Just know it gets harder to maintain the older that you get. Also things like blood pressure start to increase so getting in the heart rate elevating exercise is important. I am 48 and the last three years have been tough in terms of aging and small medical concerns. Do what you can but no need to be obsessive.

[Anonymous]

If you’re happy, go for it. I’m 49 and I’m starting to see folks (friends and coworkers) who are my age or slightly older fall apart. As you get older, 10 pounds easily becomes 20 pounds. People’s lifestyle start to show. Watching what I eat and working out consistently is important to me so I can keep up with my kids and be active when I’m 60 or 70.

[Anonymous]

OP, I am almost exactly your same stats - 42, 5'8", fluctuate between 150-160 lbs. And I have the same philosophy - I mainly choose foods that are good for my health, but also enjoy treats in moderation, and refuse to stress over any of it. I'd rather be slightly on the heavy side but enjoy life and not feel anxious about food. I'm still a size where I can dress for my body type and people wouldn't look at me and think "overweight", but I'm definitely not skinny and that's ok with me!

I am trying to focus a little on getting more exercise. I'm generally pretty active, but trying to ramp up the biking and hiking. I don't expect to lose any weight with this, but it makes me feel better and I think it contributes to overall health and wellness (physical and mental).

[Anonymous]

I'm about the exact size and eat a really healthy diet to maintain a size 8/10 at age 46. To lose weight I basically have to starve myself.
I've never been super thin or below a size 4 or 6--even when I was a rabid cross country runner (running 20 miles a day) and subsisting on rice cakes and water in high school and college.

I'm just not built like a pencil (a fact that has annoyed me my whole life). I'm sturdy and always have been. At 46 I just don't care anymore and so I've embraced being me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm about the exact size and eat a really healthy diet to maintain a size 8/10 at age 46. To lose weight I basically have to starve myself.
I've never been super thin or below a size 4 or 6--even when I was a rabid cross country runner (running 20 miles a day) and subsisting on rice cakes and water in high school and college.

I'm just not built like a pencil (a fact that has annoyed me my whole life). I'm sturdy and always have been. At 46 I just don't care anymore and so I've embraced being me.

This is OP and YES - I just don't care. I'd rather be healthy and happy than healthier and watching every morsel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you. Just know it gets harder to maintain the older that you get. Also things like blood pressure start to increase so getting in the heart rate elevating exercise is important. I am 48 and the last three years have been tough in terms of aging and small medical concerns. Do what you can but no need to be obsessive.

NP I agree with this. I am 39 now and put a lot of effort into staying healthy & fit. I want to look as good as I can for as long as possible. Maybe I'll stop caring about my weight when I'm like 60-70. But for now the effort is worth it to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm about the exact size and eat a really healthy diet to maintain a size 8/10 at age 46. To lose weight I basically have to starve myself.
I've never been super thin or below a size 4 or 6--even when I was a rabid cross country runner (running 20 miles a day) and subsisting on rice cakes and water in high school and college.

I'm just not built like a pencil (a fact that has annoyed me my whole life). I'm sturdy and always have been. At 46 I just don't care anymore and so I've embraced being me.

This is OP and YES - I just don't care. I'd rather be healthy and happy than healthier and watching every morsel.

Yup, same. Also mid-40s, and a size 8 mostly, up to 10/12 for fitted tops (I have broad shoulders). I've really leaned into intuitive eating during the pandemic, which has meant more sweets but also less obsession with food. Mostly I eat what I want, which includes plenty of veggies, protein, and water, and treats, too. I love working out, which I think helps overall. But yeah, I'm trying hard to embrace what I like about my body (I put on muscle very easily, especially for a woman) vs. what I don't (all my fat seems to go directly to my thighs--and aside from altering my DNA, there's not a lot I can do about that). Being skinny would take SO much work, and for what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 42. I am 5'7, and I weigh about 155 lbs. I wear an 8/10. I have been this weight for 20 years. I've had 3 kids, gained 60 lbs with 2 of the pregnancies, and can stll wear the majority of my clothes from 20 years ago. But, I am just on the cusp of having a BMI that is considered 'overweight'. My doc says I should lose 10 lbs.

I love food, I love to eat, and for the most part, I eat pretty well. Today, for example, I've had a whole wheat pita with 1 oz of cream cheese and a ton of spinach, strawberries, and a bowl full of spinach, broccoli, chickpeas, tofu, and a fat-free peanut sauce. If I snack, I eat SkinnyPop popcorn or a string cheese, or an apple with some greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter. I am not eating fried foods, a ton of cheese, a ton of sugar, white-flour based products etc. and we hardly ever eat out - because that's just not in my normal diet. I'm not purposefuly avoiding those things.

I mean - isn't it OK that I feel healthy, I eat healthy, my blood work is good, and I rarely get sick? I feel like I should be trying to lower my BMI, but then I think - at what cost? I don't want to count every calorie. I eat a ton of fruit and veggies. I walk, I play outside, I ride my bike.

Isn't all that good enough?

Your title is misleading. You have a rather black and white thinking. It is possible to enjoy good food and not watch it endlessly. You don't need our approval but, if your doctor says to lose weight I think it is probably a good idea. Maybe don't eat so much at lunch? Have what you had but, smaller portions?

[Anonymous]

You eat healthy, you sound healthy both physically and mentally. Don’t worry about what the doctor says. You’re doing better than most of us. Enjoy!!

[Anonymous]

I feel like the default should be: stay physically active, eat what feels right.

And we should only deviate from that if there is a problem. Like if weight starts to interfere with your ability to be active or impacts mobility. Or obviously if there are heart disease or blood sugar issues that call for a shift in diet. But it's weird to me that the default is always "Lose 10 pounds, watch your calories and fat/sugar/carb/etc. intake." I'm not saying dieting is bad, I just don't understand why it is the default.

My body can do everything I ask of it, and it demands food to do those things. I give it food. I could probably calorie restrict and "optimize" my weight, but why? I don't have a single physical or medical indication that my weight is an issue. As far as anyone can tell, I'm very healthy. So no, I don't want to introduce the constant and stressful watching of food intake to my otherwise healthy, happy life. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm about the exact size and eat a really healthy diet to maintain a size 8/10 at age 46. To lose weight I basically have to starve myself.
I've never been super thin or below a size 4 or 6--even when I was a rabid cross country runner (running 20 miles a day) and subsisting on rice cakes and water in high school and college.

I'm just not built like a pencil (a fact that has annoyed me my whole life). I'm sturdy and always have been. At 46 I just don't care anymore and so I've embraced being me.

This is OP and YES - I just don't care. I'd rather be healthy and happy than healthier and watching every morsel. [/quote]

I've lost 40 pounds and yes in the beginning I watched what I ate. But, now I know what to eat and not to eat so I don't have to. I know how to maintain my body weight. Aren't you concerned that your doctor advised you to lose weight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm about the exact size and eat a really healthy diet to maintain a size 8/10 at age 46. To lose weight I basically have to starve myself.
I've never been super thin or below a size 4 or 6--even when I was a rabid cross country runner (running 20 miles a day) and subsisting on rice cakes and water in high school and college.

I'm just not built like a pencil (a fact that has annoyed me my whole life). I'm sturdy and always have been. At 46 I just don't care anymore and so I've embraced being me.

This is OP and YES - I just don't care. I'd rather be healthy and happy than healthier and watching every morsel.

Yup, same. Also mid-40s, and a size 8 mostly, up to 10/12 for fitted tops (I have broad shoulders). I've really leaned into intuitive eating during the pandemic, which has meant more sweets but also less obsession with food. Mostly I eat what I want, which includes plenty of veggies, protein, and water, and treats, too. I love working out, which I think helps overall. But yeah, I'm trying hard to embrace what I like about my body (I put on muscle very easily, especially for a woman) vs. what I don't (all my fat seems to go directly to my thighs--and aside from altering my DNA, there's not a lot I can do about that). Being skinny would take SO much work, and for what?

Late 40s - and I think I am pretty much there, too. But I might feel differently if I were actually overweight as opposed to just a bit heavier than I was in my 30s. At this age, at this weight, I don't find it worth the effort to stay as thin as I was. But I am pretty happy with my weight now, which I maintain by being a conscientious grazer, is how I sometimes describe it. I don't restrict calories or go on diets but I am aware of what I am eating, and if my clothes start feeling tight I will make small modifications (like skipping appetizers for takeout, or giving up dessert for a while).

Ask me in my 50s how I'm doing with all this - I can't imagine that even keeping this weight will get easy when I get older!

But yes, to me, I enjoy food more than I enjoy being my skinniest. But I also like being the now version of thin, and I can't say how I will feel or what I will do if this gets harder to maintain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the default should be: stay physically active, eat what feels right.

And we should only deviate from that if there is a problem. Like if weight starts to interfere with your ability to be active or impacts mobility. Or obviously if there are heart disease or blood sugar issues that call for a shift in diet. But it's weird to me that the default is always "Lose 10 pounds, watch your calories and fat/sugar/carb/etc. intake." I'm not saying dieting is bad, I just don't understand why it is the default.

My body can do everything I ask of it, and it demands food to do those things. I give it food. I could probably calorie restrict and "optimize" my weight, but why? I don't have a single physical or medical indication that my weight is an issue. As far as anyone can tell, I'm very healthy. So no, I don't want to introduce the constant and stressful watching of food intake to my otherwise healthy, happy life. Why?

I love this approach. I'm the late 40s person - and gd if I don't thank my body every day for still doing what I ask of it without too much grief.

[Anonymous]

I feel like I lived like that and suddenly I was 210 pounds. I'm back down to about 175 now and feel a lot better and don't obsess about food but I am much more conscious. I think at your weight I wouldn't care at all.

But I don't think I'll ever return to just 'do what feels good' because for me that ended with not feeling good.

My labs and clinical health never showed any significant problems, but man do I feel better now. Chronic conditions vanishing, I can keep up with my kids. You're clearly not me or where I was but just, cautionary tale and all that.