Women and weight gain after 40!

lobster888

I decide to post this topic because I have had several conversation lately and the outcome has been frustrating for me. Let me explain - I am 47 years old going through the menapause years. It has been a struggle to maintain my healthy weight that I have had all my life. ( Which is a 5 pound range between 123 and 127 - I am 5ft 6in) I have always eaten healthy and maintained an active life style. Once I hit forty and also had some personal problem my weight went up to about 150. I was able to stop the gaining and increased my exercise and lowered my calorie intake and was able to get down to 125 but not able to maintain it. I can maintain 130 to 133 fairly well but with a lot of effort. I exercise - strenght training and cardio at least 4 times a week but usually 6 times.( I usually exercise at least an hour a day) I also just remain highly active. I watch my fats and carbs and eat mainly clean. I vary my calorie intake between 1300 to 1800 calories a day, depending on my activety level that day. I think that is alot work to maintain my weight- and I have been accused of being obsessive about it. So this is my frustration. I know other women who have gained the weight after 40 and say that is just the way it is. That I am not going to be the same weight that I was in my 20's. Or I get the muscel ways more than fat, it is water weight, it's hormones etc. That being healthy is not a number on the scale etc. It is not that I may or may not agree with the statements - I want an answer to the statements. Why??? Why do I have to gain weigh after 40 - My point is - I realize that my metbolism may slow up as I get older - ok fine - I exercise alot more than I was 20 and I decrease my calorie intake - so shouldn't that counter act it. I am not opposed to working for it. Also I am not opposed to settling for weighing 10 pounds more than in my 20's but I would just like a REAL answer for it, without everyone thinking that i am obsessive or that I have some kind of eating disorder or something. I have posted on a maintainance thread about this vary thing and I realize that other women have this problem too. But I was hopeing to get other opinions and may some answers. So can women weigh the same in their forties as they were in their twenties if they are willing to work for it.? Or is that just an impossible dream that will just end in frustation?

bparr

would love to see the replies on this.

morganadk2_deleted

Bump

yorklake

I sympathize. I never had to really work at maintaining my weight until menopause. I gained that extra 10 lbs and could not get rid of it until I started MFP so far I have lost 8 of those 10 lbs. I refuse to carry them around. I was eating healthy but after using MFP realized it wasn't what I was eating it was how much. I am 5'3" and now weigh 119lbs most people think I am crazy for wanting to lose weight but I am not used to this. In my 20's I was 100 lbs I don't expect to ever be there again but I would like to be 115. I feel good here. This is just the cruelty of age and I guess we just have to acccept it and continue to be dilligent. Sometimes I just want to eat what I want I hope that I just get used to this and I can maintain this. But I don't want to be obsessive. Keep it up and don't give up. Life is all about challenges.

MrBrown72

You can weigh or look like anything yo want. Still everyone; female, male, curiously gendered, deals with the same thing approaching 40. The body realizes it's no longer creating a human and goes into a holding pattern. The metabolism slows and it becomes easier to pack on weight.

Maintaining a healthy diet and excising can help quite a bit, however it is a constant battle to keep the middle out of middle age, or at least keep the middle as small as possible. You may also find that you wear your weight in different areas, in fact it tends to sneak up behind you if you're not careful.

As for me I try to focus more on how I look than what I weigh. I've not quite reached perfect happiness there yet but I'm closing in on it.

shuttlebug1

I'm in exactly the same situation. I'm 49 and 5'5", and have always weighed around 125. But in the last few years my weight crept into the 140's. I haven't told my husband I'm trying to lose weight - he thinks I'm skinny.

mmnichol

I believe this site contributes some insight on this topic, of course everyone is a bit different.

http://www.epigee.org/menopause/weight_gain.html

rileamoyer

I am 60 - I had the same problem, started gaining weight like crazy at meno pause, which was also timed with my cessation of regular exercise (I started going back to school while working full time so something had to give). I have done some research, and yes, it is a fact that due to hormonal changes with menopause and with aging, our bodies change and metabolism slows.

HOWEVER - since joining MFP (now that I am done with school, raising kids and all the other excuses I have used the last 20 years) watching what I eat and exerising again I am now at my high school graduation weight (and both wedding weights). NO my body does not look quite the same. I no longer have that cute hour glass tiny waist, I am only 8 lbs from my goal. You can weigh what you want with work and dedication! Don't give up.

lobster888

Thnaks for all the responses and support! You guys are wonderful!

lobster888

Thought I would update -- I am trying a new program 24 day challenge and it seems to have help me pushed through my plateau. But as I said before it was not just the number on the scale but the whole package. I have leaned out a little more and look more toned. I am also stronger with my push ups and pull ups ( well I can only do 2 1/2 ) but that is really good for me!!! I am working harder with my spin and step classes and really feel the burn. I overall feel better ... my clothes fit better too.

So I will post again after I completed the whole challenge and update on what I learned - what was different that cause the new result. I still think it has something to do with combination of foods. ???? I am eating very "clean: but I thought I was already doing that...