Why is it so hard to lose weight when in your 40s?

[whispywhisp]

So, just over 20yrs ago, when I was in my early 20s, I lost just over 9 stone in weight. I'm now 42 and desperately want to shift the weight again...but I'm finding it so incredibly hard to lose. Why? Whilst I don't do the regular squash and badminton that I used to do all those years ago - mainly because I'm a working Mum and don't have the spare child-free time....I am always on my feet and try to find time to get out with the dog in between work and school-runs etc....I'm not on the pill and haven't been for almost a year (my choice), I drink stacks of water, eat plenty of fruit and veg but I do tend to eat a lot of pasta, potatoes, rice etc...should I cut this out? I'm also guilty of grabbing a snack when I'm heading back out the front door for the upteenth time in a day...so plenty of areas I could improve but why can't I even shift a pound? It really is getting me down and there are times I just get so fed up with it and then there are other times when I just say 'sod it, I don't care'....help??!!!

You lost 9st
wow you obviously know how to diet.
I think cutting out on processed carbs and crap is the way to go ,but you know that.

We tend to store weight around the middle when we age but usually not until menopause age.

I have polycystic ovaries which makes losing weight a real struggle. Don't know if you may have this?

Also keeping a food diary is meant to help but I am never disciplined enough to do one.

Hi ggirl...and thanks.

I've no idea if I would have polycystic ovaries....I'd best read up on the symptons. I certainly have no problems with regular monthlies (fortunately) which are always on time and always manageable - especially since coming off the pill which did nothing but cause me heavy and irregular periods.

Yes I did lose a lot of weight all those years ago - but then I had nothing else to think about then (living with parents, no boyfriend and certainly no kids!) and only had myself to think about...had a brilliant full-time job and loads of spare time/money!

Now its so different...we live within a budget for food, I'm constantly running around and grab food as and when I get time and by the time I get to the evening and I cook a main meal for everyone else I find myself eating a large(ish) meal too which I'm sure I can cut down portion-wise.

I love potatoes, I love pasta and rice too....but why are they so fattening? I've always regarded a potato as one of the 5 veg we're supposed to have!

I cut out caffeine about a month ago - I only drink decaff green tea and decaff coffee...it took over a week to shift the headaches I got as a result but I'm glad I did it and feel much better for it.

I hate the way I look - I hate the fact that a lot of my clothes are either tight or simply don't fit! I don't want to buy larger clothing because I feel like I'm giving in....

processed carbs are basically sugar as they change into sugar when digested and then stored as fat

I'm talking white carbs here like potatoes/white bread and white pasta.

You could try cutting out white carbs-bread/potatoes/pasta and sugary things and I bet you would shift some weight

Wholemeal pasta /rice and bread takes much longer to digest and has more fibre so better all round.

ggirl...thanks for that. I've got to go shopping in next day or so so will definitely change over to wholemeal bread/pasta/rice....even if its just for me and the kids and DH continue with white. You've been a great help...I think I do need a push in the right direction - I get very peeved with myself for not shifting the weight and I clearly need to try harder. Anyway off to work now....thanks again. Any other useful hints please post them!

whispy I just put a long post on the 'writing down what we eat' thread about how much better i feel after cuting put bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.

you definitely get used to wholemeal stuff
we rarely have the white stuff now and when we do it tastes slimy and bland compared to wholemeal

saying that I avoid bread/pasta and rice if I can

whispywisp

It has just very recently hit home to me in the most horrible way how bloody difficult it is to lose wieght at our age.

I have been dieting really well for the past 6 weeks (no cheating etc) and my body is resisting the weightloss like crazy. It is very very hard.

However I have lost over a stone and I have done it as described above by removing carbs from my diet.

I have to say that while there is nothing wrong with brown rice, brown bread and wholemeal pasta they are still processed carbs and will make it very difficult for you to lose weight.

The problem is that carbs are a very efficient energy source for your body - they are easily converted into energy (the more highly processed the food the easier it is) and none of the energy is wasted which means the excess sugar/starch and most of the fat you eat is convereted into flab.

The other thing about carbs is that they cause the release of insulin which is called the "fat hormone" and is used for coverting spare fuel into fat.

Essentially while you are eating enough carbs to keep you going your body will not burn off fat. Also, carbs cause your blood sugar to go up and down so you get hungry once the sugar rush has worn off.

I am eating only very limited carbs on a diet that consists of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, green veg and salad.

It is limited and restrictive at first and you can get fed up with meat but I am experimenting with food and I have managed to not get bored. If I cook a sunday dinner I will just have the meat and veg and give everyone else the roasties and gravy. Havign so little carbs means I have to burn off my body fat for energy and so I am losing weight.

it does work and you don't ever have to feel hungry. You can lose a lot of weight in the first two weeks because another bad thing about carbs is that excess carbs are stored as glycogen in the liver and you store a lot of water with them - which leads to bloating.
Even if you just lost the bloating inches you would feel better in your clothes and have a flatter tummy.

you would have to break your addiction to processed carbs - but you love them because your body likes the easy energy - if you break the habit you will learn to live without them. I have and I bloody love pasta and roast potatoes etc.

applauds msboogies fab post

Hi again....and thank you to ggirl and msboogie....all your posts are so incredibly useful.

TBH I didn't realise just how 'bad' the white stuff is...and yes I tend to eat potatoes every day whether they be boiled, mashed, roasted etc....I'll be honest it will be very hard not to eat them but I can see I have to.

I clearly need to up my intake of eggs, fish etc....I do like both fortunately so shouldn't be too difficult. It's knowing how to make them appetising and interesting that'll be the learning bit for me! I'm no cheft and whilst I do all my own baking/cooking etc (we don't have processed meals/takeaways) I have four of us to cook for so I can see myself preparing a meal for the kids and DH and doing something different for me.

I love cheese....but presumably this is another baddie? I especially love brie

There's no getting away from the fact that losing weight is proving harder in my 40s than in my 20s. I don't see this as an excuse though and I can see, even from this thread, that I can make some changes to my diet.

I will keep a food diary again I think - I have done so before but it was remembering to keep it up...but I can always write it on the calendar in the kitchen so always to hand to scribble on. I've only had weetabix and blueberries so far today...I'm hungry now (just got in from a quick care job that I do) but I think I'll just have some fruit...that'll keep me going until I go back out at half two to pick up the kids!

Anyway thanks again for the most helpful posts....I've lost weight before, I know I can do it again...it just takes some extreme willpower, discipline and determination on my part I think! x

whispy stop the snacking-thats just bad habits

do not eat betweeen meals

and cut the pasta and bread out

i have lost about a stone doing this BUT I dont see cheesea s the major baddie- a small bit of brie on an oatcake would stop the munchies if you were flagging

Cheese is GOOD on a low carb diet. I strongly recommend the Idiot Proof Diet book: it's low carbing but a bit more normal than Atkins.

it is also very inspirational. I have lost two stone since Jan and I am in my 40s and found dieting very difficult. Low carbing really helps with hunger: basically if you eat enough fat and protein, you don't feel hungry.

I have just had a handful of nuts for my lunch and I am fine!

IKWYM, I am in my forties and found the weight goes on very easily, but comes off more slowly.

I have lost 1 stone 5.5lb since January, but eaten bread/pasta/potatoes every day, although I've cut the portions down. I've eaten low fat and exercised all I can - it seems to work for me, I have another stone and 3lb to go.

Also I agree with David about increasing the amount of protein you have - I eat eggs on toast for breakfast and it fills me till lunchtime.

Good luck - hope you find something that works for you.

Because we are old enough to really appreciate cake.

Thanks guys.

I don't really snack...I just skip meals because I'm so busy running in and out the flipping front door! Although having said that I've just sat down and eaten my lunch which was a chopped apple, banana and an orange! ...and yes it was lovely and yes I am full but I would much prefer a chunky sarnie! Hey ho!

I'm now about to leave again to get the kids...normally I would grab a cereal bar and an apple to munch in the car (10 mile trip) but today I won't.....I know I will be famished when I get home later on but perhaps I now need to look at some nibbly bits that are healthy, low fat and filling...nuts? (thank you David)....seeds?...dried fruit?

cheese is fine,

other good snacks are slices of cooked meat, boiled eggs, nuts, olives,

fruit, unfortunately, isn't fine if you want to be really low carb. Of course it is good for you but it is high in sugars. It depends how low carb you want to be and how much weight you want to lose.

You will see still a difference if you just cut out the spuds, pasta, rice, cereals, bread and sugary things.

don't bother about low fat - you don't need to eat low fat, you especially shouldn't eat "diet" or "low fat" labelled foods as these replace fat with sugar and actually make you fat.

YEs to portion control to. Eat half as much as your usually do. Eat off a side plate. you will be amazed you realise when you are actually sated rather than stufed fit to pop

Again some useful advice...I absolutely adore fruit and I know there is a certain amount of sugar in fruit but I think the goodness and nutrition in fruit surely outweighs the natural sugar?

Tea tonight is fresh trout on a bed of spinach and salad.....not bad eh?!

its not really a question of the goodness outweighing the bad, it's just that fruit contains a fair amount of sugar so increases your carb intake.

You should avoid fruit juice though as that it just sugar in water since the fibre has been removed

It just depends how much weight you want to lose and how fast. Whatever you do it has to be sustainable for you.

Your dinner sounds perfect!

Try to be prepared, such as making yourself up a tupperware container in the fridge with some protein snacks in each day.
Try to limit your fruit as suggested, and maybe cut out carbs in your evening meal. That way you can cook the same meal for you and the family but just don't have the potatoes, rice etc just extra veg.
You could also try the 30 day shred DVD its onyl 20 mins each day and it will help boost your metabolism.
Best of luck let us know how you get on.

Hiya.....feel quite positive today....yet to eat and must eat something before I head out to work in about half an hour! ....whats the best type of cereal to eat? I tend to eat muesli....wondering if I should stick to something plain and boring such as weetabix or shredded wheat? Lunch today will be fruit because I have to be out again later this aftn and won't have a lot of time...and tea tonight is an egg salad - I hard boiled the eggs last night - more eggs = more protein?

I have a lot of weight to lose - I desperately want to lose it, not especially quickly but just so I can keep it off - I so believe in the saying 'you are what you eat'....and clearly this is becoming very true reading what you've all very kindly posted on here....

the best cereal to eat would be porridge or something as unrefined and unsugary as possible so shredded wheat probably.

eggs are god - the more protein heavy your diet the more weight you will lose.

My breakfast today is 2 boiled eggs

lunch is a mexican chicken fillet with salad

and snack is some cheese

Dinner will be grilled chicken with savoy cabbage.

good days all!

Well, I've only just got back in the door and am due to go out again (work) in an hour so having a combined breakfast and lunch at this very moment!....I don't eat earlier in the day - I just can't stomach food first thing (probably another down-fall?!)...so I'm eating two weetabix with strawberries and blueberries on top...quite nice actually. Washed down with a bottle of water and a decaff black coffee.....

...and your menu for today msboogie sounds delish!

although eggs are good, not god!!

Hi again

I think you will - if you want to lose weight - have to make a decision about which way of eating you want to use. You can cut down a bit on everything as cybil suggests, you can go for a low calorie plan (like WW or SW) or you can low carb; but you can't really mix and match calorie counting and low carb: it doesn't work...

To do low carbing and kickstart the weightloss most programmes recommend cutting out all carbs for two weeks, then having very few grams, then gradually reintroducing them...

You couldn't - on the Idiot proof diet - have weetabix or fruit for example...

Yes they do have nutrients but the weight loss comes from fat burning and you need the body chemistry to shift from burning carbs to burning fat to get the weight loss going...