Anyone in or near 40's?

bbrahma
bbrahma Posts: 14
in Introduce Yourself
I am not new to MFP but have not been on in ages. I turned 40 this last year and feel worse than I have ever felt (and weigh more than I ever have) so I'm back on the bandwagon. I noticed as I neared 40, my body changed a lot and has stopped responding to exercising...it's true...it does get harder at 40!

So I'm looking for others who are in their late 30's or in their 40's to help encourage each other to keep on this!
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Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It's really a bit of a myth that its' harder when you get older. The reason it's normally harder is due to years of inactivity. Your metabolism does slow down but in reality not a significant amount (around 100 calories every 10 years) . I'm 45 and have had no problems losing or exercising. Feel free to add me if you wish
  • jenniemarie91
    jenniemarie91 Posts: 37 Member
    I'm 44. I also need some support!
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    I'm 42 (menopausal, I'll throw that in as well) and actually I feel better this year than I did in my 30s. Because I'm back to being active. I've had no issues losing and that's even with not being able to exercise for the first 3 months of this year.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    It's really a bit of a myth that its' harder when you get older. The reason it's normally harder is due to years of inactivity. Your metabolism does slow down but in reality not a significant amount (around 100 calories every 10 years) . I'm 45 and have had no problems losing or exercising. Feel free to add me if you wish

    Aye. I'm stronger and look better than I was 20 years ago.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    38 and I feel just as fit and strong as when I was in my early 20s. My forearms are not quite as well developed these days though :sad: probably because I played ice hockey back then and all the shooting and stickhandling worked my forearms harder than they're currently being worked. Yes even with all the deadlifts....
  • kitticus15
    kitticus15 Posts: 152 Member
    It's really a bit of a myth that its' harder when you get older. The reason it's normally harder is due to years of inactivity. Your metabolism does slow down but in reality not a significant amount (around 100 calories every 10 years) . I'm 45 and have had no problems losing or exercising. Feel free to add me if you wish


    Studies are proving exercise is nothing to do with weightloss, that the majority of weight problems in older people is hormonal., meaning, ghrelin etc, these hormones are being affected by the foods we eat and food manufacturers exploit this as they know certain additives will create cravings, the body then does not turn off the hunger signal, the body works overtime and has only one option, to store it as fat for use later.

    Unfortunately the body is designed for fat storage for famine, not weight loss, so in order to maintain weightloss needs plenty of swapping and changing things to prevent the body from slowing the metabolism to equal the food intake.

    Also it is being found out that the age at which women give birth also has an impact on weight, but if we worried about all this we would lose our battle, so maybe a little read of the BMJ with a black coffee, before hitting the gym is the key, motivation is the main key to winning the battle.

    Just remember, the medical profession know more about obesity, the hormones related to it now than they did 20 years ago and each day they are learning more.
  • SwissDave
    SwissDave Posts: 57 Member


    Studies are proving exercise is nothing to do with weightloss, that the majority of weight problems in older people is hormonal.,

    #
    What a crock!
  • JessicaHoskins
    JessicaHoskins Posts: 116
    I'm 43 going on 44 in the spring;)
  • pineapple_jojo
    pineapple_jojo Posts: 440 Member
    I turned 40 back in May and having lost weight, given up smoking and taking up exercise, I feel amazing!! Loving my life!!
  • moylek
    moylek Posts: 27
    I'm in my mid-40s. Down about 40lbs from what I weighed at 40 and in better shape than I've been since my early 20s.

    Granted, the body changes. I can't eat the way I did as a teen (endlessly), and I can't run the way I did in my 20s (effortlessly). But 40 is way too young to give up. :)
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    As people age (women especially) the metabolism slows down, and muscle is lost. If people continue to eat the same calorie amount as they did in their 30s, they will gain weight. I have numerous friends who did not make changes when they hit their 40s and gained quite a bit of weight. I've been tracking for a long time and exercising regularly, so when I hit 40, I didn't have to worry about it. Since MFP adjusts for age, I know I'm staying under the recommended calories for my age and activity level. Strength training will keep you from losing muscle and thus metabolism, so if you're not doing some light weights, it's a good idea to start. It seems unfair that at 40 we can't eat the way we did at 20!

    I'm 41, with IBD with mutliple food intolerances, so I have to track to make sure I eat enough calories to maintain my weight. Otherwise I get too thin. I think it's just as painful to told you're too thin and have things said like "maybe you should go eat a cheeseburger!" as it is to have comments thrown at you when you are overweight.
  • moya_rargh
    moya_rargh Posts: 1,473 Member
    40 in March and I'm starting to make gainzzz!
  • Newbeginnings46
    Newbeginnings46 Posts: 40 Member
    Hiya I'm 46 and am now more healthier than I was in my 20's. Feel free to add.
  • boymom75
    boymom75 Posts: 74
    I'm 38 and don't why at this age we can't be in the best shape of our lives. might take a little longer to get there. feel free to add me if ya want. :smile:
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    Inspiration and motivation incoming!

    Summer 2012 I got an epiphany that I was a fatass. The elevator was out at work and I was breathing like a beached pilot whale from climbing three flights of stairs. I remember thinking, "Is THIS what you've become? Is THIS the best you can be?"

    I took a long hard, and truthful look at myself. At the advanced age of forty five I'd ballooned up from my physical work weight of one hundred fifty-five pounds to two hundred thirty pounds. My BMI was 34.5, and I was a mere fifteen pounds from being classified as 'morbidly obese'. I was tired all of the time. I didn't really do anything that involved being physical. I'd stopped working in the wood shop I have. Yard work requiring more than me pushing a self-propelled mower didn't get done.

    Dropped 73 lbs in 18 months.
    Starting lifting, made gains.
    Humped 1/4 of my new bodyweight in a pack 30-40 miles a week.

    On December 4th I fainted at work. On December 9th I had a 16cc benign tumor removed from my heart.

    Getting fit made the tumor detectable by sonogram in the ER - it blocked 95% of the atrium.

    Getting fit is making my recovery worlds faster - I'm home and running up stairs and turning slow miles on the treadmill.

    Getting fit saved my life.
  • hofi2010
    hofi2010 Posts: 15
    Agree, just takes a bit longer. I am exercising regular and I am loosing weight when I do a lot and gaining if I don't. So studies are not always correct as they aim to support the sponsor of the study.
  • shartran
    shartran Posts: 304 Member
    I am not new to MFP but have not been on in ages. I turned 40 this last year and feel worse than I have ever felt (and weigh more than I ever have) so I'm back on the bandwagon. I noticed as I neared 40, my body changed a lot and has stopped responding to exercising...it's true...it does get harder at 40!

    So I'm looking for others who are in their late 30's or in their 40's to help encourage each other to keep on this!

    Hi - perhaps see your doctor first. She/he could test your thyroid/hormones, etc., to ensure your body isn't deficient in areas that would impede your road to weight loss, etc.,. Then if you 'pass'...educate yourself on GOOD nutrition and exercise! Seek out REAL professionals to ensure you receive accurate information...however it's fairly simple when you think about it....put good, natural nutritious food in (in proper portions!) at the appropriate times throughout the day, move your body and do it everyday!
  • Spudnut72
    Spudnut72 Posts: 33 Member
    Just turned 41. 6kg down and still about 10 kg to go but I am as fit and strong now as I was in my mid twenties. I can ride further, paddle harder, surf longer and it is all down to hard work and a positive attitude. 'Life' got in the way of my health and fitness in my thirties, but now it is time to re-capture my youth and make sure the next couple of years sets me up well for the next couple of decades.
    It is harder in your 40's but whether that is physical or just life, I don't know.
  • Aine8046
    Aine8046 Posts: 2,122 Member
    I am almost 40. I was 130-140 most of my life, and then gained about 40 lbs over the last few years. Finally decided to do something about it. I just started about a month ago, and lost only 10 lbs, but I feel much better already! I know I can do it and you can do it too!:happy:
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
    Add me if you are still looking for friends I'm 45.
  • paula1015455
    paula1015455 Posts: 1
    I'm 41 and starting my weight loss today! I've gained 30 lbs in the last 4 years when I went back to university to get a degree in nursing. I just completed my degree and need to focus on myself again, not just a textbook.
  • anabet88
    anabet88 Posts: 36 Member
    Hi, I am also not new to MFP but am back at it. I am 43 and have maintained for quite awhile. However this past year has been crazy with cross country moves new jobs and back in the north. As a result I'm up 20 lbs, and mfp keeps me honest and focused. I love to exercise (Beachbody videos) but it really is what you eat....I find you just cant work off lots of pizza and wine my own personal experience:)
    Would like to have encouragement too...we can do it! 40 is the new 30 so they say!
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    47, and haven't been this size since I was 17.
  • beaches222
    beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
    I am 45 and feeling great! I have come a long way and look and feel much better than I did at 21.
  • 1exercisefreak
    1exercisefreak Posts: 75 Member
    Hi. I am 41 yrs old. I have already lost 80 lbs...You can do it!!I hope you can add me on as a friend.:flowerforyou:
  • bdoermann
    bdoermann Posts: 11 Member
    I'm 41. I find it hard to stay motivated to work out. In my 20's it was easy and I had more willpower. Together we can motivate each other to stay on track here. Add me if you'd like.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
    I'm 40! And yes, I agree this weight loss thing is not as easy as it was 3 years ago! Add me if you like, I like having friends my age. :flowerforyou:
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    I weigh much more than I did in my 20s but I am much stronger. I am in much better shape overall in terms of what I can do. My recovery does take a lot longer though. I agree that I have to be much more careful about what I eat. That being said though, if you are committed to exercising (I mean like 5 hours per week+), you will feel much better, surprise yourself at how fit you can be, and have tons of energy. Its' also a great stress relief that takes you away from emotional eating.

    You can read my story about turning 40 on my profile if you like. :) You can do this but the commitment comes from you. Your body won't go where your mind doesn't push it.
  • velvetwing69
    velvetwing69 Posts: 10 Member
    Im knee deep in the 40's and yes its a struggle. For some maybe easier than others but for me hormone changes have shown that it is more difficult :grumble:
  • kbtommi
    kbtommi Posts: 45 Member
    Hello, I am 44. You (or anyone else) may add me if you like. I am on here daily. :)

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