Women In Their 40's Struggling With Their Weight Coming Off?

Actually, for me I think that HRT helped give me the little boost I needed. I know I am working harder now on my exercise and what I eat but I am almost back to my 20's-weight.

I don't know if you have had any blood work but you might want to get your thyroid and your hormone levels checked just to see for sure. A lot of people have thyroid issues and don't even know it and it effects their weight.

But like the earlier poster suggested, I would recommend making sure you are getting lots of fiber in your diet, and choose carbs from whole grains. That really does have an effect. Also, for me I had to really watch fats because of my cholesterol. So I try to buy very lean meats as much as possible.

If you are really strugging you might want to see your doctor and have bloodwork done. I had thyroid issues as well as low vitamin D and B12 which can affect weight loss.

I'm 45. I had a terrible time right after my thyroid surgery but once my medication was regulated I have been able to lose weight. I am eating in a way that i can live with the rest of my life ... no low fat or low carb, just sensible meals and regular exercise. I keep my goal at 1 pound per week because I want the weight to stay off this time so I'm not rushing it. I change up my exercise every 2 months or so based on recommendations by a trainer. Also, he recommended 400 minutes of real exercise a week to lose weight. I drink lots of water (my doctor recommended a gallon of ice water a day), no sodas and no fast food. But I use regular sugar or honey for sweetner as well as real butter. I go to Curves usually 5 days a week, hula hoop for 30 minutes most days and then add in a dvd to change things up (most recently 30 day shred).

Feel free to add me if you need support.

39 here, but I do agree my weight loss is slower than it was 20 or even 10 and honestly even 2 years ago. Its frustrating but I'm willing to wait... it will be worth it in the end.

46 years young here. I see a lot of good tips in this tread so far - 1000 mg of Vitamin D3 a day, works wonders and great for energy. No dairy, no wheat, very little bread and moderately low carb (under 150 g a day), high protein, one gram per pound of body weight and lots of healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, peanut butter) Oh yes its a lot harder at this age than when younger - so be diligent and don't lose focus. Exercise often and hard, weight train for bones. I also did not start losing for about 2 months when I first started so it gets very frustrating but keep forging ahead. Also, the scale will fluctuate a bit, up one week, down another but keep going, weight loss at this age isn't straight down but a bumpy path downward.

Unfortunately, it will come off slow. I don't think there is a quick fix. But my trainer and nutritionist say that is a good thing as long as it is steady. 2 lbs a week is steady.

But I can tell you that the best advice they have given me to keep my loss steady is stop eating carbs after 3 pm. and don't eat after 6 - 7 pm, except to have a half cup of Greek yogurt 30 min before bedtime to keep my metabolism running through the night. It has worked for me.

Hope that helps. I started over 300 lbs also and am now down to 246. It has taken 18 months. Endurance is the key, don't ever lose hope and never give up. Don't let yourself get so discouraged that you quit, but allow yourself some "off" moments, then get right back "on". You can do it!

This place will help a lot! Good people on here ready to help and cheer you on. Add me as a friend if you like. I am on here everyday. God Bless ~ Judi

Lynn, I am 55 and struggling to get the weight off too....I'd be interested in hearing what you have learned. I eat healthy but I am sure my "combinations of food " and when I eat the carbs is an issue. My calorie count at the end of the day is good and I exercise regularly but I haven't lost much in the past 3 months of trying! I am menopausal which doesn't help either.

I'm 42 as well as Type 1 diabetic and it is a totally different story for me than it was 10 years ago. It seems the big thing on here that people are saying is cut back the carbs......especially late afternoon and evening. I am going to try that and hopefully see a difference.

Thanks for posting, I face the same challenges and have for a long time due to endocrine issues. After the intial loss, every pound thereafter is a battle for me and it's like working a jigsaw puzzle to jump start my body again. Truly appreciate all of the great responses and ideas - I can't begin to say how reassuring it is to read that substantial losses are possible - congrats and thx for sharing! Thank you for posting this topic and best of luck in finding the combo that works for you. :flowerforyou:

Hi ladies, I'm new to MFP but this thread caught my attention.

I'm 42 but had a medically induced menopause at 38. The menopause came on instantly and was horrific but thankfully 4 years later its not bad. I am left with weight thats distributing itself around my tummy and no amount of anything seems to be helping, hence me coming here to see if a change in eating plan helps.

I've successfully lost weight both with WW (in my late 20's) and SW about 2 years ago. Since getting over the medical problems I have been running and in the last 12 months a lot more consistently and more often great for excercise & health but no help to weight loss.

I am hoping by doing this I can see what calories I am/ am not eating and what actual calories a workout gives - I normally ignore any calories burnt through exercise and I have figured it would help weight loss but maybe I'm wrong - lets see eh?

Its very frustrating and hope that between us we can come up with something that works!!

Now what I am trying to tell myself is if I eat healthy and exercise regularly then theres not much else I can do but its hard putting that mindset into practice.

I am 45 and really struggling with my weight for the first time in my life. I am also on medications that cause weight gain but I know hormones are a big issue too. Seems like an uphill battle.

I turned 50 this last January....but My journey started in my laate forties. It has had it's ups and downs....but I'm so glad I have stayed with it. You can lose the weight.....I just wish I would have done it in my twenties....or thirties.

Christine, wow look at your ticker! That is inspiring!

46 years young here. I see a lot of good tips in this tread so far - 1000 mg of Vitamin D3 a day, works wonders and great for energy. No dairy, no wheat, very little bread and moderately low carb (under 150 g a day), high protein, one gram per pound of body weight and lots of healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, peanut butter) Oh yes its a lot harder at this age than when younger - so be diligent and don't lose focus. Exercise often and hard, weight train for bones. I also did not start losing for about 2 months when I first started so it gets very frustrating but keep forging ahead. Also, the scale will fluctuate a bit, up one week, down another but keep going, weight loss at this age isn't straight down but a bumpy path downward.

Exactly this! I am almost 44 and this is the advice I would give as well!