Anonymous wrote:Do you work, OP? Have kids? How on Earth do you have time to walk two hours a day?

Oh sorry. I see your answer above . Good for you ( and I’m jealous)! I work with a 45 minute commute, have 2 young kids and volunteer, etc. I work- out 5 days a week for an hour and I literally don’t think I could fit anymore exercise in my schedule without giving up much needed rest or downtime ( which are basically non-existent on some days already).

Do you work, OP? Have kids? How on Earth do you have time to walk two hours a day?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A little extra padding is your body's insurance policy as you age to get you through times of sickness. If you get cancer or another illness that causes you to drop a lot of weight, you have a better chance of surviving if you start at 130 and drop to 110. If you start at 110 and rapidly drop, you have nowhere to go but the grave.

That is so stupid!

DP. I don't find it stupid at all. It is a common thought in many poor societies. Chubby baby lives, skinny dies. My skinny grandma broke her hip, ended up with a replacement and issues. Heavy grandma had great mobility and no issues till death. She could bend her knees, or not even that, just lean down to work in her veggie garden with straight legs, body bent down.

I just saw my cousins back in Europe. They are same age, a bit over 50. One is very, very skinny, one is regular weight, not skinny, bit heavier than in her 30s. Skinny ones looks at least 10 years older and terrible, like she is sickly. Be careful what you diet for as you get older.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A little extra padding is your body's insurance policy as you age to get you through times of sickness. If you get cancer or another illness that causes you to drop a lot of weight, you have a better chance of surviving if you start at 130 and drop to 110. If you start at 110 and rapidly drop, you have nowhere to go but the grave.

That is so stupid!

No, it’s not. I have a friend with gastric cancer, and her prognosis is not helped by being naturally very slim. The docs told her she’d do better if she had a little extra weight, since she’ll lose so much with treatment. That’s not true of all forms of cancer or other diseases, but it definitely is for some.

Anonymous wrote:A little extra padding is your body's insurance policy as you age to get you through times of sickness. If you get cancer or another illness that causes you to drop a lot of weight, you have a better chance of surviving if you start at 130 and drop to 110. If you start at 110 and rapidly drop, you have nowhere to go but the grave.

That is so stupid!

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a question: where do you walk? I have a flexible schedule too, and walk a lot for errands (live near Clarendon in N. Arlington) but have trouble wanting to walk recreationally. It's just so trafficky around here. Do you live near a more woodsy/natural area, or do you walk on city streets?

This is OP - sorry, just saw your message! We left DC a couple of years ago and live in a small city in Florida now. One reason we picked the house/neighborhood where we are is because there's so much good walking here. I have a few regular walks that I go on from here - one that takes me along a bay for a lot of it, one that is mostly urban (we have sidewalks here), one in the big park across the street from our house.

We lived in Old Town before this, and had a lot of good sidewalk walking there, too - though the drivers seemed very distracted and dangerous a lot of the time. There were a lot of times some jerk nearly hit me because they weren't checking an intersection to make sure it was empty before bowling through. Before that I was in Columbia Heights and did a lot of city walking, plus Rock Creek Park.

I never lived in Clarendon so don't know the walks you can do there as well - but am I remembering right that there's a lot of sidewalks? If so I'd just go wander around and see if you can find yourself a sidewalk-ed route that's about as far as you are interested in. I would imagine it's possible to find. Could you go from Clarendon to Court House and back?

Anonymous wrote:You are not alone! I am comforted too (I'm the 5'8" poster). So what do you do about pants? (not to derail but... tips appreciated)

You begin to shop in places or for designers that understand the way a woman's shape changes with age, especially as you enter perimenopause. J Jill, Talbots, Eileen Fisher, Theory, Ralph Lauren, etc. You spend a little more for better tailored clothing, focusing on classics and avoiding trendy. You give up the cheap stuff from H&M, Old Navy, Target, Gap, J Crew.

Keto/super low carb and no alcohol is the only thing that works for this 42 year old. I know, sounds like death to some of you. But I’d rather live like this and feel good in my clothes than fat (like I was before).

OP, I have a question: where do you walk? I have a flexible schedule too, and walk a lot for errands (live near Clarendon in N. Arlington) but have trouble wanting to walk recreationally. It's just so trafficky around here. Do you live near a more woodsy/natural area, or do you walk on city streets?

You sound like a really nice person. Don't discount the joy and happiness that those long walks give you … a few extra pounds and happiness is more important than being skinny. Maybe just try little fixes and see if those help.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:26 - that's basically what I do. I decide what foods are "worth it" and what aren't, and eat accordingly. Like chocolate. I love dark chocolate and am "meh" about most milk chocolate. I like chocolate cake but don't really like most other flavors. So I might skip the dessert if it's something I'm "meh" about. And i'm good about portion control. I'll order something kind of decadent at dinner, but I'll start with a salad and take half the food home for lunch the next day.

I also gained weight when I turned 40 - 13 lbs in 4 months, which is crazy for a person who is as active as I am. (I have worked out nearly every single day for the last 15 or so years.) I'm slowly losing it, but it's hard when you don't like to actually "diet", which I don't. My workout routine involves lifting weights 3x/week and cardio every day, which means I"m at least muscular and toned, if not exactly skinny per se.

I like this advice. I'm also really in awe of your two hours of walking.

I'm a runner, and I'll toss this advice out as a way to maybe take off a few pounds. Could you work in little bursts of jogging to your walks? You don't have to take it too seriously or be too organized about it. You can pick a tree in the distance and run to it. Then walk for a while. Pick a mailbox, run to it. Etc., etc. For runners, this is called "fartlek," or speed play, and it's a fun way to add some intensity to a workout. Higher intensity = higher fat burning.

This is OP - and that's a good idea. I'll try that.

I work from home and don't have kids so my time isn't as stressed as for many people my age. That's the only reason I can walk so much. It feels so precious to me, getting to walk that much - I guard that time vigilantly. (I suppose that's a subject for a whole other conversation - when your favored exercise routine cuts into other aspects of life...)

Anonymous wrote:14:26 - that's basically what I do. I decide what foods are "worth it" and what aren't, and eat accordingly. Like chocolate. I love dark chocolate and am "meh" about most milk chocolate. I like chocolate cake but don't really like most other flavors. So I might skip the dessert if it's something I'm "meh" about. And i'm good about portion control. I'll order something kind of decadent at dinner, but I'll start with a salad and take half the food home for lunch the next day.

I also gained weight when I turned 40 - 13 lbs in 4 months, which is crazy for a person who is as active as I am. (I have worked out nearly every single day for the last 15 or so years.) I'm slowly losing it, but it's hard when you don't like to actually "diet", which I don't. My workout routine involves lifting weights 3x/week and cardio every day, which means I"m at least muscular and toned, if not exactly skinny per se.

I like this advice. I'm also really in awe of your two hours of walking.

I'm a runner, and I'll toss this advice out as a way to maybe take off a few pounds. Could you work in little bursts of jogging to your walks? You don't have to take it too seriously or be too organized about it. You can pick a tree in the distance and run to it. Then walk for a while. Pick a mailbox, run to it. Etc., etc. For runners, this is called "fartlek," or speed play, and it's a fun way to add some intensity to a workout. Higher intensity = higher fat burning.

In "The Obesity Code" (which recommends intermittent fasting) he says there are multiple pathways to weight gain, but that if you tend to be insulin resistant, fasting can be very helpful as one tool. Sleep is important, lowering stress is important ..you know all the things that can be challenging as a working woman and or working mother.

It’s tough at that height, no? Every bit shows.