My mum always warned me I'd get to 'that age' and get fat

[foreverwashing]

I've not changed my diet or lifestyle. I generally hit 10000 steps every day but I've suddenly became really doughy and my clothes feel so uncomfortable.

Is it just age? Is it inevitable? I'm not sporty but I want back to the old me :(

It's not inevitable. I'm slimmer at almost 50 than I was at 30.

I used to have trouble putting weight on. In my twenties people were always telling me to eat a good meal, even though I ate like a horse and was good friends with ice cream and cake. I was stick thin.

Mid thirties now and if I sniff chocolate I wake up 2kgs heavier.

In the last 3 weeks I've cut carbs. Still drinking alcohol (dry wine or neat scotch), but no bread, no pasta, no rice, no sweets, no sugar. I've lost 5 kilos. This is the first Easter in years that I haven't gorged on eggs bunnies, creme eggs, Maltesers, crunchie eggs, Toblerone. I miss chocolate but bloody hell it feels good to put a t shirt on and not have rolls sticking through.

I used to have trouble putting weight on. In my twenties people were always telling me to eat a good meal, even though I ate like a horse and was good friends with ice cream and cake. I was stick thin.

Mid thirties now and if I sniff chocolate I wake up 2kgs heavier.

In the last 3 weeks I've cut carbs. Still drinking alcohol (dry wine or neat scotch), but no bread, no pasta, no rice, no sweets, no sugar. I've lost 5 kilos. This is the first Easter in years that I haven't gorged on eggs bunnies, creme eggs, Maltesers, crunchie eggs, Toblerone. I miss chocolate but bloody hell it feels good to put a t shirt on and not have rolls sticking through.

Same for me. I was almost 15 stone in my mid 20s and got down to 11 with ww. After another big push when I hit 40 got me down to 9 stone 6 and I easily maintained that for a further 4 years. Since turning 45 though, what has always worked for me suddenly doesn't. Monday to Friday I don't eat til lunchtime and eat turkey or chicken salad or 2 hardboiled eggs with lots of salad. Dinner tends to be something like homemade chilli with cauli rice. Weekends more relaxed food wise and -a fair amount of- wine. I stayed the same weight for 5 yrs doing this. Age 45 BAM! half a stone out of nowhere. Had thyroid and other bloods done (all 'normal') and Dr simply said "it's your age" I don't feel I can cut back further during the week and if I'm honest, I feel I deserve to enjoy wine at the weekends (am prepared to be told that that's the culprit but I always got away with it before). It also appears to make no difference to my weight if I exercise or not!

There was meant to be a strike out of a fair amount of wine. How do you do a strike out please?

This seems to have happened to me and I’m still a few years off 30. I’m absolutely devastated about it.

How old are you?
It’s not inevitable but it takes effort and commitment. Our metabolisms slow and hormonal changes cause us to retain weight, particularly around our middles.
I’m slimmer and fitter at 55 than I was at 45 but have to eat (much) less, drink less and exercise much more (30,000 steps most days).
It’s not rocket science, it’s a choice.

Any advice on how to fit in thousands of steps per day when you do a desk bound job and have to drive to work? I'm not being flippant, it's a genuine question.

And yes to weight around hips and middle, that's where mine has landed

@Bluesheep8 do a 30 min walk every lunchtime, an evening walk after kids are in bed (assuming you have kids). Easier to do on these light, warmer evenings. I do it by walking kids to and from school (7 mins each way) and walking to and from my work (20 mins each way). I found 10,000 steps was less than I thought.

I don’t do paid work but don’t want exercisr to bugger up the rest of my very busy day either so I go at 5.45 most mornings or at 8pm when everyone has eaten. 2 hours brisk walking takes care of the bulk of it (usually around 21,000) and the rest is picked up during daily activity.
Personal choice, obviously, but works for me. I was I’ll a few years ago and don’t want to be again. I see a lot of other people out walking and running early in the mornings.

I’ve found the same since my mid thirties (now late thirties). The only way I can stay slim is by not eating chocolate/biscuits/cake except as a treat very occasionally. I have maybe a bottle of red wine over a weekend and one night where I eat the meal I want eg crap. Other times I eat carefully and keep to under 1500. I genuinely feel better for it anyway so it’s not a diet - I just watch my portion sizes and eat less carbs. And I lose my sweet tooth entirely too which is good. Had a few months not doing this and have put on half a stone. So am newly back to it and a week in and feel much healthier already. I always exercise a lot but that means little for weight gain or loss for me.

I don't have children. I do get a 30 min lunch break but also have to eat lunch within that time and don't like to rush when eating so that leaves perhaps 10 mins for a walk. Plus the nature of my job means I'm eating at my desk and still working. I like the suggestion of a walk in the evening though, particularly with the lighter nights. Not an excuse, but it has to be borne in mind, I have MS and a frozen shoulder so getting going/getting dressed in the morning takes longer than it probably does for other people, meaning that time for an early morning walk before work isn't available for me. Plus I have to go to bed really early to manage fatigue in order to be able to work full time.

I'm not ready to stop eating food so have had to take up long distance running instead!

That wasn't meant to sound like excuses, I just meant that there are things I have to factor in.

Yep same here (I’m 38). Unfortunately for the time being I prefer chocolate over being slim .. well why not, it is Easter!

No need to cut out any particular foods or food groups. Gluten free, dairy free, keto etc only serve to create a calorie deficit, there is no magic food that will make you lose weight, or indeed stop you from losing weight, it's all about calories in v calories out. ... Spot on with that, pp!

I'm 47 and the weight has been slowly creeping up on me and I too feel all doughy like the Pilbury Dough Boy! (Whoever that was ..my DH calls it me which is nice of him!). I was just over 9 stone and am now heading towards 10. I can't change my diet ..I've tried cutting down carbs and it's hell. The only way is to exercise. They recommend 30 mins a day and I'm trying that. It has to be cardio and you need to get your arms in the air!

Keto is amazing for weight loss but watch out that you don't lose too much too quickly. When I started it a couple of years ago, I was really strict and unfortunately ended up with a flat bum and small boobs in a short space of time! I was also hammering the gym though...

Bluesheep, could you park your car half a mile from workplace? That's 20 minutes a day of walking that might not overwhelm you.

bluesheep

Have you considered a treadmill. One of the reasons I don’t use one is that it’s easy to stop half way through, which I obviously don’t want to do! If I’m 5 miles from home with no bus fare, I have to walk home!
But it could help you on days when you’re not sure how reliable your strength is?
You can get a pretty good electric one with different speeds, inclines etc pretty reasonably on Amazon etc. It’s a bit dull but you can watch something, listen to music and if you find it’s becoming problematic, you can just stop. Might be a solution? Also no need to faff about: straight out of bed onto the machine, shower afterwards and get on with your day.
Save the evening walks for nice days when you’re feeling good. Some walks are just grit your teeth bloody miserable but it was a joy in yesterday’s sunshine, watching everyone out enjoying themselves.

NoClue is right - as you get older you have to eat less to maintain your weight. If you ate the same food everyday for the rest of your life you would slowly gain weight.
Find a TDEE calculator online and work out what you should be eating to be the weight you want

I’m quite worried reading this, I’m 43, I believe I may be peri menopausal and eat like a pig and don’t gain weight, if I don’t eat much for a couple of days due to a cold or whatever I drop quite quickly, this is not normal, 20 years ago I couldn’t even look at a jam doughnut without gaining a pound. Might have to book a GP appointment
NOT a stealth boast by the way!

desperadoDan

I’m not a doctor, wth do I know so please do get checked out for your peace of mind, but when I was seriously ill a few years ago one of the things I was told was that if you’re appetite’s very good that’s usually a good sign (mine wasn’t, after being quite greedy all of my life).