I've basically got 10 lbs to lose and they are killing me. I've never been really overweight but have always been athletic and the 10 lbs I've gained in the last 5 years is bumming me out. I have a doughy roll on my middle that is well over an inch and I wanna lose it.

My question is: is it slower/harder to lose weight over 40 and when they are basically vanity pounds? Should I not expect at least a pound a week?

I tried last summer and lost maybe 4 lbs but gained it back this winter--though maintained a much better diet throughout the winter than usual.

I have been on a 1200-1300 calorie a day diet since May 29th.
I think I've lost 1 pound.
That's about 2.5 weeks and I'm just really discouraged--because I've been measuring food and looking up calories religiously on the Daily plate.
I eat only simple whole foods and vegetables (which I like and do anyway) so this makes it easier.

I'm 43 and very healthy and swim 3x a week for 45 minutes, plus ride my bike daily for about 30 mins total.

I am also finding it much harder to shed the lbs now that I'm older. I take thyroid meds and have had it checked recently and it's all good so it's not my thyroid...

Any suggestions, support most welcome!

I'm 37 and I lost my vanity pounds steadily and pretty quickly—21 pounds in about three months—but I am also really into strength training, and have been for decades. I think that is what made it go smoothly for me despite my age. My body has a lot of muscle and I think that counters the effects of aging on my metabolism.

I think it normally takes people of any age time to lose what amounts to vanity pounds. For most featherweights I think even .5 lbs in a week is a very good week.

So, honestly? One pound in 2.5 weeks is very good for a featherweight! At this size, it's probably best just to focus on being healthy and fit. Don't watch the scale too closely, because for most it really does take time for the pounds to come off.

Try changing up your exercise routine, perhaps. I find that keeping my body guessing always works for me. And, bonus: I don't get bored.

Hi Change4!

I'm 38, and I'm losing on 1600-1700 with 4 days running and one day kickboxing. I started at 137 on April 9 and lost 1 lb/week until May 1, when I started counting calories. Since then I've lost 9 (almost 10) lbs.

I would think you could either stick it out a few more weeks and see if you get a whoosh, or try "zigzagging," where you vary your calories every day. Some people swear by it for giving your metabolism a jolt. I think it's also called calorie cycling. Also, work in some weight training. I think the main reason our metabolisms slow is because we lose muscle mass as we age.

I had dinner a few weeks ago with two friends who have recently turned 40, and both were saying that they have put on weight without any real change in diet or exercise, and suspected their metabolisms are to blame.

Let us know what you do and how it works!

Gosh it never fails to amaze me how generous people are here and how a little encouragement goes a long way.

Thanks PP--I'm glad to hear the weights payed off for you. I too am starting to do some weights and I think it will help. I do try and vary the exercise and move from swimming to biking to lifting weights on an erratic schedule. I switch it up. But I do something regularly.

Do you guys have scales?
I weighed myself again at the gym (where i learned--I thought I'd lost a 1 lb) only to discover it says I've gained 4 lbs in 3 days! I had one slip up yesterday and ate way over my calorie limit but no way is the scale right. So I have no idea if I can trust this scale at all-- if I've lost any weight in these past 2.5 weeks.

I do know that weight can come off in spurts and then level out. This has happened to me before.

And Same7--(love that name--I have lost the same 4-5 lbs over and over the past few years so REALLY wanna lose the whole 10 now)
I feel like my usual calorie intake is around 1800--maybe more-- hard to say but I feel like it's so easy to eat 1200 calories a day without even being hungry at all. I find it so hard to believe you can lose at 1600 or 1700.
I lost a lot of weight many years ago running but my foot doesn't like it anymore...
How long are your runs? I'm wondering if you are doing long runs and burning a whole lotta calories.

Maybe its hard to think it's possible. I'm determined to do it slowly and comfortably. I lost about 15 lbs several years ago when I was about 30 but I only ate about 700-800 calories a day and while it worked and I didn't gain it back (til I moved east to a colder climate with WINTER) I'm just not up for that intensity again and want to make sure I'm healthy about it--getting nutrients.

Thanks again! I can really use the encouragement. I have the borderline "**** it" feeling!

Oh and yes, I've been trying to zig zag btw 1200 and 1400 this last few days.
Tho given the discrepancy in calorie markings on things. (The daily plate gives several different quotes of calories in many foods.) even if I measure I figure I'm not really getting anything exact.

My runs are anywhere from 4.5-6 miles, usually somewhere in the 5s, but I'm pretty slow. During the spring I was pushing a jogger but now that school's out and I've got three kids home, I'll be doing a lot of runs on the treadmill or by myself, early in the morning. I'm scaling back my mileage a bit for now because my tendonitis is flaring up, but as long as I can keep it at bay I'll be running a 1/2 marathon in September.

I do have my own scale, just a digital one from Bed Bath & Beyond. I like to weigh myself every day, right when I wake up. I have seen how the scale fluctuates quite a bit. I overindulged on Memorial Day (bread, 2 diet sodas, wine, etc) and was 2 lbs up the next morning. You know I didn't eat 7000 extra calories!

I know what you mean about winters. We lived in San Diego for four years and I loved being able to be active all year round. I hate cold weather so I rarely go out in the winter -- not good for my weight, my mood, my kids, ugh! This upcoming winter may be our last... if all goes well we are planning to move back to SD for good in 2011.

Oh man, does it ever get harder after 40. I just turned 50, and find that losing a pound takes a week of 1400 cals. Gaining a pound takes one dessert. Overindulge for one year and you're where I suddenly found myself---30 pounds heavier, and overweight for the first time in my life.

Now I understand that term my mother always used: Middle-Age Spread!

YESSSSSSS!!!!!! I'm 53 and my weight just creaps down sooooooo slooooooowly... I weight train, run, walk, bike, yadda yadda yadda, anything I can do I do... I do very low carb, I feel 100% better since eating this way, but still they weight is only creeping down...

ETA: I weigh every day : ... I know there are fluctuations but if I see the fluctuation creeping up I do something about it...

I have a scale and weigh everyday. I just keep in mind that weight will always fluctuate quite a bit due to the weight of food and drink and due to sodium and it being that time of the month, etc. As long as I stay on plan, it goes back down quickly. It isn't fat, just water weight.

I run, too, about 20 miles a week, but I also change that up a lot with other cardio. I lose on a lot of calories, too, but I know that everyone is different that way.

Thanks for the encouragement. I've heard women complain about "eating like a bird" but still being overweight. I agree--the switching it up with hard exercise seems like the way to go.

The hardest thing is sticking with it for the first part. I think if I felt some results after 3 weeks I'd feel better but my clothes fit the same as before! In spite of lower calories every day and increased exercise. I'm giving myself the whole summer in the hopes I can at least shave 6 lbs off and then keep at it through the fall.
But the slowness is just discouraging.
Onward!

And JOan 1 lb a week seems pretty good! Maybe once you have more off you won't worry about the occasional dessert?!

Ilene, I too try and do low carb. I mainly eat about a cup of brown rice a day and a little dried fruit which are my main carbs. I also eat very low fat--hardly using any oil ever (teaspoon a day or so) and this way I can pile up the vegetables and get really full eating volume/fiber, not dense calories.
And it's healthier. I eat at least a large head of organic lettuce or an entire bunch of chard a day in a great big salad.

Good luck ladies!

You're right, change4, one pound a week is solid progress.

Just sayin', back in my 20s, one day of light eating would knock off three pounds. Pigging out regularly didn't really do much harm.

Now? Forget it. The body cuts NO slack. My metabolism just slows down with age, and that's that. By the time I figured that out, I'd packed on 30 pounds.

Just have to jump in here to say to my "Fellow Older Feathers" ;
It truly does not get easier with age. I am 64 and if I put this
much effort in a program years ago I wouldn't be jumping on the
scale every morning, and turning sideways in the mirror to see if
my tummy and butt really do stick out!

This year I got the best compliment from my doctor who said,
"whatever your are doing, keep it up!"

So for all of you young chicks in your 40's and 50's - it pays to
do get in the best shape now and stay that way - I'm pulling for
you. And for you really young ones - lose it now - your health
is so important to you and your family. I am able to babysit for
my grandkids now and it is a blessing to be able to run around
the yard with them. Even if I have to take breaks.

Another older Feather here. Yes, I have to make much more deliberate effort, and pay closer attention. More exercise, more naps, and make sure the calories are nourishing. Extra calories, esp. those low in nutrient value take a much larger toll. Have stayed off trigger foods and pre-packaged "stuff" for years, and that has helped tremendously, not just for weight, but for overall health.

I have to keep track of what I eat, what I weigh, and where I wrote it down.

Awwww I'm so proud of all of you! hah Thats a little odd to say consideing I am only 23, but I think thats GREAT you all are really working hard on being healthy insted of falling into the "oh well F'it, its too late" mode. Good for all of you! It motivates me even more to work hard and get the weight off now. The way I see it, its only going to get harder from here; so I need to fix it NOW! THe really hard part for many young peole trying to lose weight in my opinion is all of the social scenes. If it werent for all of the drinking and social gatherings on the weekends/some week nights, I think I would be able to actually lose weight and stick with it. I just blow it about 3 nights a week!!

But anywho, congrats to you all and keep it up!!!