Hi,
New 40 year old on the forums. I signed up yesterday and started my diet today.

So far, so good. In the past, I never had any real problems losing weight as along as I was serious about it with a good diet and effective exercise.
To be honest though, the last time I lost a sizable amount of weight was 50lbs in 2003. Last year, when I was serious I was able to lose weight pretty well, so I'm not too worried, but the "40 year" thing is a concern.

Anyway, the weight has to go. So hard or easy it's moving day (year?) for my fat.

I turned 40 this year and for a while, I wallowed in the thought that I couldn't lose weight because it would be harder now I'm 40, well guess what? It's not. So don't let that misconception fool you. Good luck with your weight loss journey!

I don't think the age matters so much, it is the commitment. Easy or hard is what we make it. I was 47 when I started this past time, and lost about 80 lbs in less than a year. 6 months now, have stayed below my goal, want to lose just a few to stay at 5 lbs below that goal.

You CAN do this! Best wishes! Join in the current 40s challenge if you want some accountability. It is certainly not too late to jump in.

Welcome! Don't let the age thing freak you, I haven't noticed it being any harder to lose than it was when I was younger. You can do this!

YolandaC

The fact that you have previously lost a significant amount of weight is awesome - you have already proven you are capable of dropping the pounds You will do great. I'm almost 50 and was somewhat concerned about how my age would impact dieting efficacy, but so far so good, and I'm not doing anything special - just counting calories so far.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement from everyone. I'm not too worried, but it was a concern for a minute there. I'm not going to le tthe "40 year old" thing bum me out. I'll simply work at it just like I did last time.

Welcome, Yolanda! I'm glad to read that you aren't letting the age thing freak you out. We're all a testament to the fact that aging doesn't imply a life sentence of being overweight... Sure, it may be slower than it used to be for some, but at the end of the day, we work with what we've got. I'm almost 49, and so far, so good...

Best of luck to you!

Welcome, Yolanda!

I just joined too, and share your concern. But to see the others being able to get their weight down after 40 is very encouraging!

Welcome!

I will say that mentally, it was easier for me to commit to being healthy and lose the weight when I hit 40. Physically, the only thing that held me back was really bad knees and a bad back, not my metabolism.

I just joined again today! It's been a long time since I was online.

Just started really actively dieting this week, so we'll see how it goes!!

Sorry for the delayed response, but things got busy for me after the first of the year. Of course, being busy is part of the reason I've gained so much weight. Eating out too much and exercising too little definitely helped me pack on the pounds.

ImALittleTeapot, I'm glad there's another newbie with me.
hellokittyfan, glad you decided to come back. For me this is the first time.

Lunula, I have to be careful with my knees and ankles. I'm not going to try to run until I lose 75 pounds. For now, I'll simply walk on the treadmill. I do like treadmills as long as I have music or a movie to watch on my Nook HD+, I'm good.

I'm back. I've lost 8.9 pounds, but I should have lost more than that by now.
I haven't been as serious as I should have and of course I've been busy.

I'm getting serious now. At least I lost 8.6 pounds which I've kept off. I can see a difference in how some of my clothes fit. That's good, but I can do better.

So here I go again. I may have lots of stalls and restarts, but I'm not stopping. Also, I would like to avoid the "restarts" and simply keep going properly, but if it happens I'll deal with it.

Oh, and I have a new iPod shuffle. Walking requires music you know.

Welcome Yolanda!

Don't let turning 40 scare you - my journey started the year I turned 40, and here I am, weeks away from 43 and maintaining my weight and working hard. I was able to achieve what I could not for so long and honestly, these last 3 years have been some of the best years of my life.

You will NOT regret this decision!

Also...

You're doing something dangerous here...don't "should" all over yourself. Seriously, this "I should've lost more" or "I should work harder" will NOT help you on this journey. Small, slow and constant steps will get you there and more importantly, KEEP you there. It's not a race!!!

Lunala, you're right I shouldn't "should" myself too much.

I've lost 11.1 pounds, so I still losing even with enjoying myself at a co-workers baby shower on Friday.

Welcome Yolanda! I joined after Christmas and started losing but got discouraged and quit and gained back what I had lost. I started up again mid March and am making some progress now. I will be 41 in May. My last serious attempt at weight loss was 17 years ago (wow) and at that time I only had about 30 lbs to lose. I think it's going better now than it did then (I'm taking a different approach this time since I am now prediabetic/transitioning diabetic). Plus, I think because I am older and now have a young daughter my goals and reasons are much different which, I hope, means I will be more committed when I reach the finish line.