Hi,
First post! I am 42, and (gulp) now weigh in at 219. This is almost the highest I've ever been, and more than when I was 9 months pregnant with my eldest (now 15). It seems that midlife has just packed on the poundage.
A few years ago, I was around 210, and went down to 180 using the methods in Oprah's book "Make the connection". It worked, but the exercise expectations were just too extreme. I would up with injuries from working out intensely 7 days a week. Also, the food habits just didn't "stick", so I inched my way back up again.
I tend to eat when bored and stressed which is something I really have to work on. Right now, I am working to figure out exactly what works for ME, not Oprah. I think the basic ideas in the book are sound, but I need to figure out a way to take the realities of my life into account. I don't have a personal trainer, or a personal chef! Whatever I do really has to work in real life.
So far, I'm paying attention to what I eat, when and why. I'm exercising 4-5 times/week on a stair step machine. I also found a cool hypnosis cd that I'm giving a whirl for August. Can't hurt. Might help. What the heck. Might as well get my unconscious onboard.
Anyhow, I'm glad to have found the site and all of you.
hopefuldreamer