Nobody's emailed me back yet, but if I get a good response I'll definitely post it here.

I remember us all talking once about how we'd be maintainer-kids on the playground together. We all talked about how we'd be doing pull-ups on the monkey bars, and eating string cheese, raw veggies, and hard-boiled eggs when the other kids were having their cookie snacks. I have a feeling that's what we'd be like if we did get together. We'd totally make it the healthiest, most active vacation known to humanity!

I'm all for a Caribbean trip... ya'll can snorkel and maybe I can sneak in a few dive trips! I've heard great things about the conch salad. And of course we will do all the hiking, maybe some yoga, massages and facials - rewards for all the exercise we will do together. But we should wait until after hurricane season.

Here's the reply I just received. Ah well, I tried to make us heard. If I get an email in the future I will absolutely post it here on 3fc!

I'm not a maintainer yet but WILL be soon! Anyways what has struck me reading this thread is the number of maintainers that are 45+. Maybe age is a factor and the researchers may be missing a trick here. I'm 45 and I must say I have been more successful in my 40s at losing weight than I ever was in my 20s or 30s.

My theory is that at our age maybe we are more motivated by overall health than appearance as we reach middle age - I know I am.

Kitty

Megan - I'm chuckling at the idea of all of us together on the playground with our healthy snacks and exercises.

The same is true of this 45 year old.

You raise a good point. Is it that it's even more unheard of for someone to lose weight and maintain as they get older? Because quite frankly it took me the 2+ decades to BECOME miserable enough to actually do something about my weight. I certainly know this isn't the case with everyone, but it sure was with me.

I was just going to write that my circumstances also became different in my 40's. But I realize that is/was just an excuse.

My guess is they are just narrowing their focus to exclude women near menarche or menopause. Not because they don't count. Just because you can't study everything at once. Too many variables. Especially if your funding is limited.

KforKitty and RRobin, I was just thinking the same thing. There was a thread on the 20-somethings a while back worrying about weight loss getting harder when they got older. I commented that while there may be some slight physiological advantage to being 20-something, that life experience and circumstances made it easier for me at nearly 50 than at any point earlier.

Based on how many 45+ in the maintaners group, I'd say I have idea for my Masters thesis if my job evaporates and I do go back to school. But hopefully someone will beat me to it, cause I think there's a lot to be learned from you all.

I agree! And with what Robin said about being miserable enough to finally find a way to lose the weight. I'm 45 and I just couldn't get my act together and get the weight off when I was younger. It seemed too overwhelming to me. I had to get to the point where I was just plain miserable and sick and that way of living was becoming harder than doing the work to get the weight off.

Maybe women our age would be a good group to study

I think those of you 45+ who had kids have a lot more time to devote to yourself after the kids become adults? Now you can focus on eating right (and only cooking for you and hubby) and have more time to exercise?

I don't have children but I have friends who struggled and struggled with their weight until the kids "left the nest". Not that they don't still care for their kids and give them advice etc. but they physically have more time for themselves. and most of them have now lost weight and are exercising regularly.

And those of you with young kids who are managing to lose weight and keep it off have my true admiration. Raising children takes so much time and commitment it must be extra hard to find time for yourself.

Dagmar

Bumping this thread because this request was reposted at stumptuous. The study is still seeking participants and hopefully we have some new maintainers in the past year who live in the area and can join the study.

I live a couple hours drive from Toronto and participated in this last year. It was very interesting, and I'm looking forward to seeing the results of the study when it is concluded. It isn't often that I've seen a study that uses maintainers, and I hope some useful information comes from this.

I have 4 children in the house- 21 DS with Crohn's, 2 twin boys 14 yrs, 9 yr DD. Plus very often I have SIL (28 yr active), granddaughter, & DD to dinner. My husband is slim (as are the children) always have been, always will be.

Losing weight is hard but having the advantage of age made it a must do situation. I knew this time was different. I had to learn for myself how to cook for 10 plus people who have a variety of eating needs plus mine while living a very busy life. Once I made a decision that my health was priority 1, once I made the time to plan, it came together.

I am too old for the study too.

I'm sure I could find room! And dang, I'm waaay too old for the study as well.