Hi Tracy! I'm new here too! One thing I have learned about aging and gaining weight is that adding muscle to your body helps your resting metabolism greatly. As we get older, if we don't work our muscles, we gain faster than when we were younger and had more muscle. It doesn't have to be harder to lose just because you're a little older now.
I've *always* thought I just needed some aerobic exercise to burn calories, but recently added strength training & boy does it help this 30-something body!

I'm sure I started losing my muscle mass after high school when I was no longer in the few sports I participated in & it was downhill from there.
Just a thought! Take care!
Sarah