Metabolism in Your 40's

macpatti

So, I was very thin during my 20's and 30's. I didn't do much exercising, but I didn't eat a whole lot either. At 37, I had a hysterectomy (sorry, guys), and all of a sudden I was in someone else's body! I gained 50 lbs after that. I exercise more now than I ever did, and I try watching what I eat, but it is soooo much harder to lose/maintain my weight now. I also found as I got older, that I cannot go without eating like I used to. I used to skip meals all the time. Now, I'll get a headache or light headed if I don't eat.

So, cheers to the 40's "new" body. Anyone else have similar stories (I hope)???

Laurelje

Same here but I don't have a hysterectomy to blame it on! Although I have started getting hot flashes, so I think menopause is just around the corner. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, and exercise very little, and stay skinny as a rail - 26" waist! I've never been a big meal skipper. I've also noticed that when I eat out, my stomach isn't very happy with me. I think I've just gotten used to my husband's and my cooking - we rarely eat out.

macpatti

Even saying this makes me feel old! I remember being told, "Your metabolism will slow down when you get older", and I always blew it off. Now, here I am!

Laurelje

Even saying this makes me feel old! I remember being told, "Your metabolism will slow down when you get older", and I always blew it off. Now, here I am!

Exactly! We never thought it would happen to us!

lstnlondry

Even saying this makes me feel old! I remember being told, "Your metabolism will slow down when you get older", and I always blew it off. Now, here I am!

Exactly! We never thought it would happen to us!

So there should be a way to embrace it and keep it in mind when we have bad days....or slumps in weightloss. (Like mine now)

macpatti

Oh, I'm not depressed about it at all! I'm happier than I've ever been. Just making note that it isn't as easy as it used to be!

stubsy1968

Thx so much for starting up this group. I'm turning 43 this year and since turning 40 I have definitely noticed my metabolism slowing down. Didn't help that I was overeating and consuming too much red wine with cheese and biscuits too!!!

I've since lost just over 20kg so I think I've proven that I have been able to kick-start my metabolism again and I plan to keep it burning.

I no longer need to lose weight but would like to monitor and lower my body fat percentage so I'm off to buy some scales that will also measure my BFP.

Looking forward to hearing from more 40+

Kathy

amybell68

I have too noticed my metabolism slowing down now that I'm almost 44 (ugh it hurt to write that!!) anyway as I am eating better and exercising I am hoping it starts working again!! LOL

laura328

i'm 43 and remember being told 'wait till you turn 40...it'll be so hard to lose weight'. swear to god - the second i turned 40 and BAM it's soooo much harder. i remember being able to lose weight with minimal effort now it's like monumentally difficult and the weight loss is so slow! for what it's worth, the thing that's been working for me as of late is having smaller and more frequent meals. i have 2 or 3 100 calorie or so snacks throughout the day and that seems to help. it certainly helps me to not feel starved and deprived all the time which is the diet philosophy i've subscribed to all of my adult life. oh and just for extra fun did i mention i married a man 8 years younger who has a physical job who can drop 5 pounds in a week by leaving cheese off his burger? sigh. thanks for the support everyone! it helps so much to know there are so many out there going through the same thing!

smadrigal04

i'm 43 and remember being told 'wait till you turn 40...it'll be so hard to lose weight'. swear to god - the second i turned 40 and BAM it's soooo much harder. i remember being able to lose weight with minimal effort now it's like monumentally difficult and the weight loss is so slow! for what it's worth, the thing that's been working for me as of late is having smaller and more frequent meals. i have 2 or 3 100 calorie or so snacks throughout the day and that seems to help. it certainly helps me to not feel starved and deprived all the time which is the diet philosophy i've subscribed to all of my adult life. oh and just for extra fun did i mention i married a man 8 years younger who has a physical job who can drop 5 pounds in a week by leaving cheese off his burger? sigh. thanks for the support everyone! it helps so much to know there are so many out there going through the same thing!

I swear that happened to me too! As soon as I turned 40, my metabolism stopped! It is such a struggle to lose this extra weight now! I'm determined to get it off though!

macpatti

Isn't if funny how that happens? I'm sure when I tell my younger sisters this, they just think "Uh, huh. That won't be me".

mrimike

I turned 40 last November and decided it was time to change my life. I can't say my metabolism had slowed but my motivation had.................through my entire 30's. I've lost around 50 lbs since last November. For me it just a matter of ambition and motivation vs the lack of.

stubsy1968

I've lost around 50 lbs since last November. For me it just a matter of ambition and motivation vs the lack of.

Well done! I think this accurately described the old me too :laugh:

Kathy

MisterDubs303

I didn't bother to try to lose weight until this year (at 43), so I don't know if it's harder. What I do know, is that it doesn't matter. I've just got to do whatever it takes, and I've made it work. I'm sure as we age even more, we'll have to keep trying harder and harder. Part of the metabolism loss with age, though, is directly proportional to loss of lean muscle mass, so if we can add that (or maintain it) we should be able to minimize the reduction in metabolic rate.

devvorian

I was the same, slim in my twenties and thirties then I got hit with hypothyroidism and gained 40 lbs. Have tried and not successfully lost some weight to gain it back again. This time, I am trying the Body By Vi and using the fitness pal to really monitor what I put into my body....I am very optimistic!

The 40's seems to the deal breaker when it comes to women packing on weight. Must be hormonal and long-time bad habits finally catching up on us.

fitnfun1

Same for me too. Since I turned 35 it has been creeping on. Now that I'm in my 40's, it is so hard to budge.

I am finding that cardio mixed with strength training - in the same workout - has been the best for creating progress. I was on a 2 lb on and off plateau for months and now that I am doing things that combine cardio and strength in one workout, I busted through it.

Eating 6 smaller meals helps too.

fmbarbuto

I can definately relate! In my 30's weight came off me on a weekly basis when I was losing it. Now it's more like, wait a month and see what comes off. I've lost 24lbs since mid-July and it's been brutally hard for me! I started running (well I really jog) in July too and that has really helped my loss. I'm not trying to win any races with my jogging, just wanted to do it for more exercise options. It's really changed the shape of my tree trunks, oh I mean my thighs! :laugh: The holidays have not done wonders for my loss either. I've said no to junk since July and for the past 2 weeks I've said Hello to sweets again. Next week I'm back on - no exceptions! I'm happy to report that I'm back in my size 6 clothes, which was my main goal by Christmas! YAY!!!! :happy:

I want to lose another 18 - 23 lbs and will definately be attempting that over the next 6 months. Having groups and MFP's really helps! Always looking for more friends to give/receive support/motivation!

Happy 2012!!
:flowerforyou:

bozmo

I'm glad to hear others have the same problem I do. In my twenties I was skinny and could eat anything. I started gaining a bit in my 30's. Now it seems like whatever I eat goes straight to my hips! And I eat half as much as what I did when I was 20 {sigh}

sofaking6

I didn't bother to try to lose weight until this year (at 43), so I don't know if it's harder. What I do know, is that it doesn't matter. I've just got to do whatever it takes, and I've made it work. I'm sure as we age even more, we'll have to keep trying harder and harder. Part of the metabolism loss with age, though, is directly proportional to loss of lean muscle mass, so if we can add that (or maintain it) we should be able to minimize the reduction in metabolic rate.

Yes, I read that recently...I've been having a really hard time dropping pounds this year, so after hearing about the decrease in lean mass I'm working on more strength-type training so maybe that will help!

EddieG77

I was always fit until I hit the legal age of drinking and then all Hell broke loose.....I was up to 300lbs when I hit 40 and decided to lose weight....I have since lost 80+lbs by doing heavy lifting and HIIT cardio....big into kettlebells now and do this almost every day.....I am now 42 and although the scale is not moving that much, my pants and shirts are getting bigger and bigger on me.
Since joining this site a month ago, I have increased my water intake tremendously because my food intake is right in front of my face and the pounds are starting to come off again....I have not cheated since I started this journey 2yrs ago but just a few times with a couple slices of pizza and some wine and beer but other than that, I have a solid routine down and I am determined to keep moving. Its more of a passion now than work...which feels great!! I think my issue before was the lack of water and I believe that is a huge contributing factor!!

Feel free to add me for support....I am on here every day!!

Cheers
Ed

OkieinMinny

I had a hysterectomy (sorry, guys), and all of a sudden I was in someone else's body! I gained 50 lbs after that. I exercise more now than I ever did, and I try watching what I eat, but it is soooo much harder to lose/maintain my weight now.

OY I dont want to hear that I had a hysterectomy in November....I actually lost weight during recovery - but just started back to exercising and the above scares the p*ss out of me....And yes each decade it gets worse...Thank goodness we are all in this together!!

tuffytuffy1

OMG, I am in this boat. I ate whatever I wanted in my 20's, like for dinner I'd make a cheeseburger with a twice baked potato, and I weighed 40 pounds less than I do now! It SUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS losing weight now. I am 43 and I have been working out with a trainer 3 days a week and following MFP since June, and I've only lost 10 pounds. It is coming off so incredibly slow. Thankfully, my body shape has completely changed and I now have sexy curves, but man, I need to still lose at least 20 pounds and I don't want it to take 2 years. But if it does, it does.

andrejjorje

Actually scientifically that's not true. After 70-75 no problems at all because you won't eat anymore that much. You cannot but until then the fight is ours.

>>..And yes each decade it gets worse...Thank goodness we are all in this together!!
[/quote]

vadiane1

I've noticed mine seems to of forgotten it's job or is on strike! I've started doing the 30 day shred and the inches are leaving, but the pounds seem to still be vacationing with my metabolism.
I just picked up a copy of Jillian Michael's book Master your Metabolism...The 3 diet secrets to naturally balancing your hormones for a Hot and Healthy body! I am starting to read it this weekend. She has not led me wrong with her DVD's so I am hoping this book helps! It looks like some doctors help in writing the book as well.
I am thinking I am going to have to put my scale away since I am becoming addicted to weighing myself. SO frustrating to see the same number, or close to it, day after day!
What is keeping me motivated is the fact my jeans that were the only pair I owned that didn't feel like they cut me in half, are falling off my backside, and some coworkers have noticed the difference as well.
Good luck on meeting all your goals!

SixPackIsMyGoal

As we get older weight training become the most important thing, in my humble opinion. We need muscle mass to keep the metabolism high and bone mass to prevent osteo among other things. Weight training improves muscle and bone mass. I see so many people that think lifting will just make them "get big" when in reality weight training or adding muscle is the ffastest way to revving your metabolism and shedding the fat.

Wanted to add thise quote I copied from the Internet :

The metabolic difference between a pound of muscle and a pound of fat is dramatic: Muscle burns at least three times more calories. “A woman who weighs 130 pounds and has a healthy 25 percent body fat will burn about 200 more calories per day than a 130-pound woman with about 40 percent body fat".

ctalimenti

I am in my 40s as well and have been on the thinner side all my life. When we think back to our 20's and remember eating whatever we wanted, I don't think that's entirely accurate. The volume I can eat NOW is much more than what I could put away in my 20's. I am much less active now and I have the means to buy more food. I remember having heavier friends as a twenty-something and they ate way more and the foods were much more dressed up. I also remember having overweight friends in their 40's and 50's and man, could they put away the food.

PamelaHenD

At 37, I had a hysterectomy

I had one when I was 30. I did not get any weight gain. My highest weight was 165 after 3 kids and it stayed there with all the crap I ate. I got down to 135 and that is where I have stayed unless I was running 4 days a week then I got to the scary skinny point an my family was worried. Going through a bad divorce was not helping either hence why all the running. I ran to deal with stress..lol. I was about 115 which is what I weighed in high school. I dont want to be that small again but i want to be around 120. I am a hyper person so I have not see the slow down in my metabolism but I have seen where my body loves to store fat when I eat junk...

chrissaucier

I can definitely say since I've turned 40 and have been in menopause for the past 3 years the weight goes on just looking at all those treats i could eat in my 20's and 30's! now cardio isn't the excercise for me, don't get me wrong I LOVE my cardio workouts but results are SO slow, now I find weight training is the way to go, but I just don't enjoy it as much as a good cardio sweat!

Lorichr

I was effortlessly skinny until I hit 40; seriously. I never stepped on scale, didn't exercise and could eat and drink what I wanted.

I went back on the birth control pill around 40 to control my horrendous cramps. I don't care what anyone says; maybe the Pill doesn't make you gain weight, but it sure made it easier for me to gain weight. That and I am sure my metabolism slowed down.

I stayed on the Pill but managed to lose my weight.

fitnfun1

I can definitely say since I've turned 40 and have been in menopause for the past 3 years the weight goes on just looking at all those treats i could eat in my 20's and 30's! now cardio isn't the excercise for me, don't get me wrong I LOVE my cardio workouts but results are SO slow, now I find weight training is the way to go, but I just don't enjoy it as much as a good cardio sweat!

I am the same way. I found that the aerotone workouts work well too, like kettlebell or circuit training. I get my sweat on with my ST built in!

ravensfan1

Hi I had a hysterectomy in my late 30's and a totoal knee replacement last year. (i'm in my late 40's now). I mentioned to my doctor on a recednt checkup that I was exercising everyday for 30 minutes but not losing very much weight. Then I was just doing WiiFit or EA Active. That was when she enlightened me that women over 40 must exercise everyday for at least 60 minutes to lose weight. Then the holidays came, my balance board broke, and I stopped doing anything. Well with the new year, a new balance board, and a rededication to getting healty I am trying again. I just happened acoss myfitnesspal on my ipad and decided to download it. I am glad that I did. I am exercising everyday, some days I don't get the full 60 minutes in, just tired from work, but I am going to stick it out this time. I have to be selective on my stength and aerobic exercises since I only have one good knee. I have osteoarthritis and I just had the right knee replaced for now. It was the worse of the two.