Too Late?
 

For some reason I keep having these thoughts that because I will be 32 in July it's "too late" to care about my weight. That I will forever have a lot of loose skin (I have 80-100lbs to lose) and will never regain health or fitness because I'm old.

Logically I know this is all ridiculous but I'm wondering if anyone else has this defeated thought pattern and if there are some inspiring weight loss stories of women in their 30s you are aware of.

Thanks!

i lost 100 lbs at age 49/50 and have been in maintenance 4 yrs. I definitely do have loose skin but people cannot tell unless i'm wearing a bathing suit and honestly you shouldn't let loose skin stop you, it's far better than being overweight and the health issues that come with it.

It's a LIFESTYLE change.

To avoid sagging skin, you have to reach a low body fat percentage, like under 20% and also incorporate weight training, besides cardio. And yes, it's totally doable.

And no, you are never too old, for anything!!!!

Are you crazy??? Girl, where did you get that idea? You are still in your thirties, you got so much time in your hands. You can still look hot in your thirties, forties, fifties....

I know I am being totally ridiculous! I'd rather be healthier and have loose skin than not. For some odd reason I have it in my head that my loose skin will be debilitating even though I don't have hundreds of lbs to lose.

This is incredible, Susie! Thanks for sharing

I don't think it's ever too late to get fit and healthy, but I figure the sooner the better. I turned 33 last month, my highest weight was 240, and I currently hover around 145, so roughly your age and weight ranges. I'm still a work in progress though. Yes, I have loose skin, but it is not a deterrent for weight loss at all. It's more of a minor annoyance, and I don't think about it most of the time. It's only really noticeable if I pull on my skin or press against it or suck in my stomach or bend over a certain way. I have a big butt and thighs so it's most prominent there but not so bad where I'm embarrassed by it. I was already 220 before I finished high school so I doubt my skin will ever tighten up completely despite how much I tone, but I'm okay with that. I prefer this older fitter figure over the younger fatter one.

I'm 35 and have lost around 100lbs and I have very little to no loose skin, so you may not either. I never smoked or drank, so that may have helped but unless I'm leaning over at an extreme angle, I barely notice it. And I haven't really been toning, which I should, and that might reduce it even more. So, don't let a "what if" stop you. It might not even be a thing!

31 isn't old! I'm wibbling slightly about turning 40 in December but I know it's a bit silly, it's about societal expectations and insecurity. Make some friends who are older, maybe that'll help!

I successfully lost a fair bit of weight in my mid-thirties, if that's any help, and while some of it is back, it's taken years. I did this without exercising at all, as I have severe ME/CFS, and in a relationship with someone who was frankly a git. It was a good journey for me, and restarting is also being a good journey for me, including happily reading food blogs for recipe ideas and feeling more in control of my body.

Do whatever works for you. You don't need to rush; indeed, it generally works better if you don't. So you could start with thinking about what foods you have trouble stopping if you start eating them, if this is a thing for you, and cutting out one or more of them. My personal portion size for Bourbon biscuits is the entire packet, so I only buy them, hmmm, once every few years. But I can do small portions of dark chocolate, and focusing on them means I really enjoy them. Or start doing something like making up the odd big batch of soup, freezing portions, and having that for lunch, perhaps with a slice of bread. Last time I didn't start weighing myself until a month in, or measuring myself until another month or so later, and that was OK, that was what I was ready to do.

It shouldn't be about humiliation or feeling deprived. It should be a good journey, about doing things that are good for you and make you happier in your body.