How do you lose weight in your 40s?!

[FU40]

Posting here for traffic in desperation!

Yesterday my toddler accidentally took a very candid photo of me on my phone, and I was absolutely horrified by my appearance.

On this day last year I was 151lbs at age 39. This morning I clocked in at 169.8lbs.

I think the weight started creeping on by stealth then last winter I went on the pill to try to sort out my horrendous periods. I think I put on about half a stone in the first 3 weeks of it.

I've since come off the pill because it played absolute havoc with my moods, but no weight has shifted.

I've previously had success with intermittent fasting (how I got to the 151lbs after baby) but that just doesn't seem to be having an effect now! I even had a sickness bug last month and I dropped to 164lbs, but the weight piled back on within a week despite me not eating that much whilst I recovered.

Is this just being 40?! What the hell do I do?

I'm feeling so fed up or how I look and feel, but feel helpless to do anything as my previous means of losing weight just isn't working. It's not helped by the fact I'm very time poor. Running around after toddler and a very stressful job. I often skip an evening meal because I don't want to be cooking at 9pm, and I tend to just grab food on the go so not very good choices made.

Any kind words of advice would be gratefully welcomed! Thanks!

Intermittent fasting is the only way for me at 40. Like you I stalled on it, but then I bought Fast Like a Girl and it’s really helped me get going again.

I am 48. I went from 13 stone 1 to my current weight which is 9 stone 12.

I calorie counted every piece of food that went into my mouth and I mean every piece. I didn’t cheat either. I also cut out all the crap to help my gallbladder so everything I ate was low fat. I started in August last year. I am now buying size 10 jeans. Any diet works u just need to keep going. I did it with my sister so we supported each other.

I'm early 40s and have recently lost 2 stone using intermittent fasting so it can work in your 40s.

Like pp said, any diet works, most popular diets are restrictive novelty diets that disallow certain foods ... all rubbish. , just Keep an eye on nutrition, maybe eat 80/20 in good/ bad ratio. Eat less UPF . You can't outrun your spoon. Exercise is fantastic, you should do it for health but when it comes to weight loss it's all about what you eat there's no getting around it.

Greg Wallace had some good advice, he doesn't snack and eats a Mediterranean diet.

I'm going to try the not snacking... it will kill me! Ha.

Putting yourself first, at least with your diet. If you make better choices you will look and feel better and you will lose weight. Maybe not as fast as you'd like but it will happen.

If you drink alcohol frequently, cutting that out can make a massive difference, esp for women in their 40s imo

Wine-bloat is a thing !

Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (online calculator)

Start by cutting 200 to 300 calories a day from your intake.

Eat clean with plenty of protein, fruit and veg, cut booze, do some kind of exercise daily, start a weights program. If you're time poor you have to make the time.

Be strict and be honest with yourself.

Laws of thermodynamics will kick in and you WILL start to shed body fat and feel a lot better in yourself.

Probably the last thing you want to hear, but you need to take back control. You are stressed, this makes planning harder it also messes up your metabolism by flooding your system with the stress hormone cortisol.

Fasting worked brilliantly for me in losing weight, but I'm not sure now is the right time for you.

I recommend Dr Chatterjee's books to everyone for everything, he explains why you put on weight and gives clear plans on how to start taking back control. His methods are also sustainable for long term change.

Dr Chatterjee

That's great you've done really well!

You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, regardless of age. Find a good calorie counter to get your calorie target, then log everything you eat/ drink for a week. You'll find you're eating way more than you need.