Harder now that I am older
 

Anyone else feel that the weight loss is harder since 40? :q:

Oh yes. :)

I'm 29 and it's harder!

I am 47 and it is definitely slower! I am always happy to see younger people getting the hang of it before they reach this phase of life. It is just harder!

Orchid

Ha! Everything is harder when you are older, except not giving a darn about what other people think!

Yes!
 

I turned 40 in May and my weightloss has slowed way down... So I'll blame it on turning 40 :lol: Could also be a 50 pound stall or that I'm at a weight I maintained for 6 years and have plateaud here! Another weird thing that coincided with my 40th bday was the development of poofy bags under my eyes. I want to know just how in the heck my body knew exactly when I was 40 to start acting up! Not fair!

Yes it seems that as we age it does get harder to loose weight. Just means we will appreciate it more when we get there.

Linda

Kinda sorta
 

Harder because my body resists and won't put up with the crap I used to be able to get away with. I laugh at a 34-yo friend of mine who tells me it's all about eating less. "Just wait!" I snicker under my breath.

Easier because I'm more accepting, more educated, more independent, more attuned to what's me and what's societal messages and advertizing. Less inclined to give a hoot about what anybody else thinks.

Well, this recent bout with weight loss was the EASIEST I've ever had, even at (magnum) 44. But then again, I've never tried low carbing before. And I plan to maintain for life, so I hope this particular hurdle will not come up again!

That said, I'm sure I would be slimmer if I were 20 years younger...but would I sign up to be that young again? Nope. Not if it meant going back to my younger self in all other ways. I like being me now, better.

When you get older it seems everything is harder...cept where it most important.... :D

Young again or 2nd childhood
 

Even my DH has been having aches and pains lately. He is Mr. forever young, lets go hiking, camping, skiing, yada, yada, yada, and now he comies in and complains about his body feeling sore and he can't figure out why. :) Actually, we were much more active before moving here because were used to certain areas - Acadia National Park, Sugarloaf, etc. We used to bike and hike much more often and did not feel so "old" and now we are feeling the pains. I think it is about activity for us, since we ain't 'xactly old yet. My daughter says I am the only grownup in the house. :D

I have to say I started at 40, and this was the easiest and fastest I have ever lost! And so far, keeping it off for over 9 months has gone well. But I must confest, I have started going to a gym so I could not worry on muching more during the day.

*voice of doom*
Wait till you're over 50!
It's definitely harder to lose weight (for me) now I'm over 50. However, added to my (advanced) age is the fact that I'm losing weight I've lost twice before.....so that might have something to do with it.

The Over and Over and Over- 40...50...(lbs...years)?
 

:agree: I'm with you, Patricia! NOTHING moves as fast as it used to - and that is the sad, sad truth! So we have to be kind to ourselves too - and have realistic goals. Jonny Bowden's latest book, LIVING THE LOW CARB LIFE, talks about that. Realistically, a 10% weight loss is considered to be a success - it makes a considerable difference to health and is achieveable. For us oldies, that perhaps puts our goals into a different frame.

Two years ago I lost 60 pounds on WW - took me to 200 pounds and I looked terrific - size 14 regular women's. But their chart said I should be 150 - even at 30 I struggled to achieve that - starvation, and then I was a size 9 at that weight and I am 5' 8" with a very large frame. I had my BFI done then, and it was 16%!!! So much for the scales and WW charts. But it is so easy to get sucked into the "stats". I gained the weight (60 lb) back after a serious car accident which compromised my mobility and depressed me = depressed eating too. Anyways - I guess what I'm saying is, we have to do what we can do - be kind to ourselves - stay true to what we really want - and accept what we can truly achieve. Life is not just about what we weigh....

As you get older it's a double whammee as far as weight gain and loss goes. Easier to gain and harder to lose as you get older.

The trouble with BFIs is that they don't take a lot of things into consideration. Bone structure, muscle contents, etc. I have always had very muscular legs and big boobs, even at 125lbs (which is 21BFI for my height) they were large. The rest of me looked out of proportion because I have a small frame.

Unless you're very active, we lose muscle as we age. I think I remember it being a half a pound a year. Thus, it makes sense that it becomes more difficult to lose weight as we age.

Well, I hope I don't offend some of you but..... I'm 61 and I've been at goal since May 2003. Yes, it is harder if you slow down. If you continue to walk, use those muscles, losing weight should be the same as when you were 25. I've always exercised and when I found lcing, it was just so simple. No processed food but simple food. Lean meats, eggs, cheese and lots of greens and vegi's!! Don't mess with all the stuff out there in the stores that say Net Carbs. Don't believe it!! Read the Nutrition Label...if it says 20 carbs, COUNT THAT. Don't worry about eating too many vegi's....it's really hard to gain weight eating vegi's. Just keep it simple.

No, I 'saw the light' at 44...:)

I think part of it is age, but a big part is how many times you've lost that same weight. For me, it seems to be more difficult each time. And yes, to those who say all you need to do is work out, I DO work out. Five times a week if not more.

I was overweight my whole life and couldn't lose weight and keep it off until AFTER I turned 40. I had even tried Atkins before, lost some, gained it back. But I started again around the time I turned 41 and for the first time ever, lost it and have kept it off. I think the number on the scale is still high, but I'm a size 6 or sometimes even a 4, and happy about that. I think some of this has to do with the fact I'm a lot calmer and under a lot less stress now than ever before when I was younger. It is kind of scary though- why did the diet work this time and not before? What did I do differently? It seems kind of miraculous (still can't quite believe I'm not overweight) and sometimes I worry that the magic will end and despite my best efforts the pounds will reappear...
Anyone else ever worry about this or is it just me? -- Cathy

Cathy,
I worry about this each and every day. Gaining it back is what I've done all my adult life!! For the 1st time in my life, I've maintained over these last 15 months.

Same weight as when I was 18
 

When I turned 18, I weighed 185, which is just a couple of pounds more than I do now. I moved in with my sister and learned how to eat better. I dropped some weight and began lifting free-weights. I lost more, much more. I rode my bike to/from work each day (only about 5 miles) and I worked out each day (I went to work for a health club). So, it was easy to keep off the weight. I also ate mostly protein, except for the days when I had been out until 4am and got up for work at 6am. :rolleyes: THAT, I definitely can't do any more. :D
I maintained that weight (125-130) for many years through exercise and locarb eating, before I knew anything about LCing. I became a vegan because my body did not seem to like meat, I could eat chicken, but beef made me gag. I never liked fish, so I began finding meat substitutes. Eventually I stopped eating meat completely and ate a very carb-filled diet ... and started gaining weight. Even exercise only maintained the weight gain and then it increased and I got sick. My weight topped at 210 by the time I hit 30 and the PCOS caused cancer. After my hysterectomy it was worse. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, my husband and I did some research and we found a book titled "Syndrome X" that gave detailed information about symptoms. I had about 90%! After arguing with my then doc to get an insulin test and finding out I was insulin resistant, I began the first phase of the Syndrome X diet. TOUGH! By the first 30 days and no meds, I dropped 20lbs. By the en of 6 mos I went back to get my bloodwork and found that all my cholesterol levels dropped and my insulin went from 26 to 6. I was 34 and full of much more will-power!
Life has gotten in the way of me taking care of myself and I gained 15lbs back. Many of my health issues came back! SO! I am back to LCing, and I am taking Lipitor and Actos to keep those levels low until I reach and maintain my goal. I will be 40 in Oct and my goal is to lose as much as possible before 40 and by next spring be at my goal weight. I want to maintain that weight and tighten up some skin so that I can have a breast reduction (neither mom or I can remember owning a training bra, she said one day I had baby fat, the next I had boobs!). :spin:
I fully intend that my next 40 years will be healthier and happier! :hyper: