Hello all. I wondered if anyone else feels like I do as sometimes I feel like the only 1.
I am 42 years old. I have 2 children (age 13 &10) I am divorced from their dad. I have a 2.5 year old with my new partner (soon to be husband). when i had my first two kids (aged 28 & 31) my body bounced back and i have always been quite petite/ slim- a size 8-10. Since having my 3rd child, (age 39) i have found my body has really changed. I had a c section and have a huge bulge in my tummy. I dont feel like I ever lost my baby belly. someone asked me a few weeks ago if i was pregnant, and it really knocked my confidence. This is not the first time i have received such a comment- i got it a couple of times when my little one was 1 and under but it is the first time in the last year and a half. the weight is mostly concentrated around my tummy and arms and things that used to work for me such as healthy eating just doesn't work any more and i havent been able to shift the weight.
I have had quite a bit of stress in my life in recent years (acrimonious divorce with continuously difficult ex husband plus quite a stressful job. my partner also has a chronic illness and we have all the stress of parenting a toddler and two tweens) i genuinely have very little spare time (or energy) to exercise... i just cant seem to manage to lose the weight.
I am feeling really low as my body is just not the shape it once was, and there is a lot of guilt there as a lot of my friends who are the same age are managing to maintain their figure and seem to be able to have time for diet and exercise. I'm not asking for tips on weight loss- I know all the things I have to do but am just struggling to manage it. what i am asking is does anyone else have this problem? i do think there are hormones at play and my metabolism has slowed down somewhat. everywhere i look in my friend group everyone seems skinny but i am sure i am not the only one who feels this way.