To be worried about suddenly being able to stay slim

[Lagirl20]

I’m mid thirties. Throughout my late teens and all my twenties, I worked very hard (lots of dieting and exercising) to maintain a size 12 body. In the past year, I’ve suddenly become a lot thinner - a size 8 - without changing anything, eating less, or trying to lose more weight. I’ve never been this thin, or been able to lose this much weight despite trying a lot. I was a little worried about it earlier this year so I started eating more to put some weight back on but it made no difference. Is this a common or normal thing to happen as you age? Does the metabolism speed up for some people as they age? Or should I be worried about this weight loss and visit my GP? I have no other symptoms.
YABU - don’t worry, some people lose weight as they age, it’s normal
YANBU - it’s not normal, get checked by your GP

Seems a bit odd tbh, people usually struggle to maintain when older.

Any major lifestyle changes, stress?

I’d visit your GP if I were you, unexplained weight loss can be an indicator of a variety of potential health problems, definitely best to get checked out. :)

Not to scare you but this can indicate health problems

If it is sudden, and you are worried then you have nothing to lose by getting checked out by a GP.
From personal experience, and from anecdotes from every person I have ever known it is harder to lose weight as you get older, not maintain or gain weight.

Oh I’m quite worried now. I was hoping people would say it’s normal! I am not sure what I’d say to my GP, I have no other symptoms at all

Thank you for your replies xx

They will test for cancer ect

I had the same xx

At the beginning of this year I started losing weight..no reason. Around the same time I found a lump in my breast(all good,benign) I've lost over a stone ..i am 8st 3 now. And I changed nothing in my diet or exercise!!
Nothing sinister showed up after all tests . Doctor suggested it could just be hormonal.

I have always had issues surrounding hormones and irregular periods etc nothing major but it can all be related.
Perhaps its somthing like this op. Doctor says our hormones shift/change every 7 or so years.

Go for a check up just to be sure. Even if you feel good physically. Simple blood test can put your mind at ease.

Perhaps you have a thyroid issue?

I would get it checked out. Just say you have unexplained weightloss to the GP. Try not to worry but just sensible to get it checked.

@Notimeforaname thanks! Can I ask did you have a specific type of blood test?

Get yourself booked in. I would expect your GP would ask about your lifestyle/diet/stress levels, and request some blood tests. There are a lot of reasons for your symptoms, and not all sinister at all.
It sounds like a worry for you though

I'm 34 by the way. And had put on some extra weight in the last 5 years. Now I'm back at my mid 20's weight. But I did nothing..and am apparently healthy with no problems. It's odd alright.

It's possible you've been eating less/doing more without being consciously aware of it, especially if weight gain is something you've feared. I'd get the Dr to check just in case but have a think back and see if you have altered your behaviour without realising it.

I've been roughly 8st4-7 for all my adult years, I went down to 7st10 a couple months ago and worried, I'm having odd Neuro symptoms too so that's why I panicked so much.

Lagirl20 no, they just said they would run some bloods..I'm pretty sure they look for infection markers and things like that to make sure theres nothing going on inside.
They just said all bloods clear. Nothing to worry about.

My friends mum is a GP but not my gp,however, she was in contact with me all through it asking for updates. When everything came back clear,she , like my doctor shrugged off the weight loss and really didn't seem worried. Just said possibly some extra stress/hormones. Once I stay within a healthy bmi nothing to worry about

I’m thinner now (40, 2 children) than I ever was in my 20s. And that includes when I was in a highly physical job. I’ve had a few cancer scares and been checked many times for different things. So it can just be your body changing as you get older, I think.

It's possible you've been eating less/doing more without being consciously aware of it
yes this was mentioned to me as in ''stress could have made you eat a little less/less of an appetite, without realising.

Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a number of conditions. The weight absolutely dropped off my sister when she had undiagnosed diabetes. Definitely see your GP.

@Amima

Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a number of conditions. The weight absolutely dropped off my sister when she had undiagnosed diabetes. Definitely see your GP.

I was going to suggest t1 diabetes. It's nowhere near as common as t2 especially at your age but not unheard of

Likely overactive thyroid, possible Diabetes