I'm definitely with you on this. It used to be just do some stretches, and I feel great, now, I have to run and perspire like a crazy dog, and still not losing much. But I guess that's how our system works, and that's why we need to stimulate the metabolism ...sigh....obesity seems to come easily in the family, so, I want to stave off from going that direction, and therefore, the only ways is to work harder....luckily there are many out there like me...over 40 and trying to keep our weights down...welcome to the world of 40's.

It seems that when I hit 40 I started gaining slowly. I weighed 123 lbs when I got pregnant with my youngest son (and people told me I needed to gain weight.) He's now 12 1/2. I got back down to around 128 after he was born and with very little effort. I was 34 then. I was around 130 when I turned 40 and over the next 5 years gained about 20 lbs. Hitting 150 was the turning point for me - that and having BMI of 25. Strangely enough, in my 30s I was told I was prediabetic and had high cholesterol (hereditary). I did change my eating habits, but was not dieting. My bloodwork has been much better recently, but I still gained weight.

I let my weight get away from me while raising my two children, also smoking and not much exercise did not help. Now 47 and a non smoker for 7 years , I have been exercising & eating healthy for three years it is hard & our body changes, pms, pre-menopause etc. i'm sure don't help. I have a goal and am really going to try to reach that by the time I am 50. I have a positive attitute & I feel good when I eat & exercise so I'm really excited to see the changes that will come.

Definitely with you on this one! I find it really funny that I too wish to be in my 150's... There was a time when I thought this was overweight. Oh, the irony.
Well' here's to doing it the right way!

I am so right there with you. In my 20s I weighed in at 125. Had children in my 30s and and I went up to 136. I was able to shed the baby weight, even being an older first time mom. But then the 40s arrived. It's like the pounds creep up like magic. And not the good kind either! I've had good success with exercise but I find it difficult to keep it up with regularity. I want to be one of those people who falls madly in love with working out. Wouldn't mind that kind of obsession! We just have to keep plugging away at it not just to drop pounds, but to be/stay healthy.

A woman I worked with last year requested an ergo sit/stand desk for work and stayed on her feet at least 6 hours a day. She gives some credit to standing all day for losing 35lbs last year.

I'm requesting one of these for my library..Thanks for the idea!

I was 110 right after I turned 30 though I was around 120 thru most of my my 20s. I gained weight thru my 30s- especially after I had kids in my late 30s. I got back down to 140 after my youngest was born but gained it back (and more) when I returned to work in my mid 40s. I'm in my late 40s and I gained 20 lbs in the past year.

Yes, yes, and yes! Just exactly the same. It seems I have to cut calories to 1000 and exercise between 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. a day just to lose. But if I eat like a normal person for one day, I can easily gain 3 lbs. in a day. It's little comfort to hear it's probably water gain, or sodium. Then, if I exercise especially intensly, I can also gain weight. I asked the doctor, and in addition to "muscles weigh more than fat" I was told muscles swell and hold water, which can add to weight gain. So, the question is, WHEN do I LOSE weight?? It can be very frustrating. I try to remember that my cardio health, stamina, and muscle tone is improving. The weight on the scale is just one part of the healthy, weight loss pie. Sigh. Boy, if we had only known how lucky we were as teens scarfing down pizza and junk food!

HI
I am 47 and used to be an aerobics instructor until health issues came into play. I have never had to watch my weight. I gained 25 lbs in last five years. I am SLLLOOOOWWWWLLLY taking it off, even though I am watching every calorie and exercising all the time. I would love some motivation and support. Please friend me.

The best way to boost your metabolism (at any age) is to eat 5-7 small meals a day and LIFT WEIGHTS! Building muscle increases your metabolism like crazy and you're never too old to start!

I haven't posted before because, honestly, I've been "lurking" and reading what everyone has to say! I have been doing this MFP thing since July and have lost about 13 pounds but it's slow going. To be honest, I thought I'd be almost to my goal weight by now! I am 44 years old and, like many people on here, I let my weight creeeeeep up to an unhealthy high of almost 200 pounds after an early hysterectomy and just with life/age.

Now I'm frustrated because it seems like it's two steps forward and one step back. I've tried setting the ap to lose 1 1/2 pounds a week and I've tried setting it to lose 1 pound a week to see which works better. Either way, it doesn't seem to make a big difference. I've really stuck to the calorie count (currently at 1540) and still, it just doesn't seem like I'm losing as quickly as I should be! Exercise is the big question I guess since I'm not doing it as often as I should be due to schedule and driving a teenager around in the evening. No excuse but there it is.

I'm open to suggestions, but what I've noticed is that every post I've read about this subject seems to have different ideas! Eat less carbs, exercise more, eat more calories, lift weights, cut out fat, etc., etc. Anyway, maybe I just need some support. Help!

I agree with the above posters. I am in the same boat as you weight gain wise. Here's the thing too; make some adjustments in your diet. Replace high calorie cows milk with unsweetened almond milk 40 cal. Little adjustments like this can add up to a big difference over a year.

Our metabolism is basically only 300 cals per day less than a 20-something person. The reason we put on the weight is simple; in a year, that adds up to 30 lbs. It's just like compound interest.