16:8 intermittent fasting

I can relate to this. I am a person who has always been naturally thin. Now early 40s and I have to be a bit more careful than I used to be.

The adjustment I have made that is not "a diet" and seems to have worked well for me is I eat a fairly light breakfast at around 7:30. I wait until around 1:30 and eat a solid lunch. I then eat dinner with my kids in the 5:30-6 timeframe and I don't again after that. (Leaving out vacation, social situations, etc. For those, I eat whenever.) This accomplishes a few things for me...at dinner I'm naturally not that hungry because I just ate a solid lunch in the early afternoon. So I eat a relatively light dinner but will eat whatever. So I'm not starving and I tend to eat less. And then I have a solid 13+ hours of fasting, which from my reading is supposed to be good for weight maintenance.

This is all pretty unscientific. But works for me and is easy to make work with my lifestyle. I can't be making separate meals for myself, etc.

My body is generally used to it and I am not every super hungry at any point.

Me too - I think a lot of us have metabolic changes going on the mid-40's. Following!

^^Also, increase vegetables (but not added fat) and water.

-Track calories, eat less carbs, more protein.

-Do more cardio, including HIIT, get in more steps daily (walk to further bathroom, park further, take walks).

-Track monthly cycle, as that also contributes to weight fluctuations.

Are you in the PMS bloat stage?

Anonymous wrote:No sugar and limit starchy foods as much as possible. Also, never eat when not hungry.

+1

No sugar and limit starchy foods as much as possible. Also, never eat when not hungry.

Buy new clothes.

I recommend tracking on MyFitnessPal also, and planning to give yourself a little reward or treat if you meet certain milestones. I have been doing great with tracking but fell off the wagon for the past month or so, and I've gone up a few pounds as a result. My plan (starting yesterday is to track everyday and keep my calories at 1200, and workout 5 days this next week, and if I do all of this, I am going to let myself buy some inexpensive skincare products I've been wanting to try.

I'm in the same boat, OP. This week I started tracking my food consumption through my fitness pal. It's helpful to see how the calories add up and makes me think twice before having a glass of wine or another cookie at the end of the day. We'll see how long I can keep it up but I think it's helpful to have this information.

Drink a ton of water, cut out booze and sugar and do an extra HIIT session

I reduce (but not eliminate) white carbs. Or at least I used to. Now I can’t seem to control the eating and just gaining.

You are gaining weight because your metabolism is slowing down while your lifestyle is the same. You don't need to go on a "diet" per se but you could consider eating less junk or exercising more. How often do you give your self that treat?

I'm in my early 40s and have always been thin enough to not worry about it. I eat healthy and don't have major food cravings but I also don't deny myself if I want a treat. I exercise moderately but could definitely increase that.

Anyway, the last couple years I've noticed weight creeping on. I have a 3 pound swing or so but it starts with that "high" number on the swing becoming the "low" number on the swing and moving up gradually like that. And my clothes are fitting differently. I've always had a pretty flat stomach but I notice a pooch in my low belly now.

So how do I combat this? Or is it just part of aging? I've never dieted before and I don't like the idea of a "diet". I'd rather just make some sort of permanent change, but I'm not sure what.

Anyone have any advice to prevent this weight and frumpy body from developing during this 40s decade?

I already don't drink alcohol except for a very occasional (like once a month) glass of wine, so don't suggest that!