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Is it harder for you to stay in shape/lose weight after 40?

RKwedding2011RKwedding2011 member
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in 40-Plus Brides
   Have any of you had a harder time staying in shape in your 40"s and beyond? How has it affected you?
  I was one of those skinny/slender girls, always.  I'm 42 now.  When I was 41, I noticed that I was getting bigger.  I was 5-10 pounds heaver and it wouldn't just come off. I ate super light all the time and exercised a lot to get on shape and lose under 5 pounds.  Now are 42, I am 15 pounds heaver!  I am at the point where I would just like to be 5 pounds lighter, stay at about 140 and I'll be happy.  Part of me wonders if this is just normal and I should get used to my new size.

  It feels weird to not look or feel the same way.  Gone are the days when I could start working out and get as in shape as an actress! I'm not fat, but I just don't have that figure that others used to envy and I was proud of.  Perhaps I should make new goals for my weight and just accept that a 40 something body isn't a 20 year old body.
Katie
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Re: Is it harder for you to stay in shape/lose weight after 40?

  • 2dBride2dBride member
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    Definitely!
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  • tenofcups4metenofcups4me member
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    I'm 47 and this is the first year I've had a problem. As a teenager, I was heavy and after college, I lost 20-30 pounds. I never put the weight back on until a couple of years ago when I had two (early) miscarriages and gained a few pounds. And this year I've put on another few pounds. Altogether, I'm currently 5 pounds higher than my "ideal" and this is the first time since college that I'm having to make an effort to lose weight. I'm NOT pleased about this development.

    I know 5 pounds isn't a lot, but I'm 5 feet tall and small so that 5 pounds means I've gone up a size. I also think things are "shifting" around and that's made a difference too.
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  • Marrin713Marrin713 member
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    Peri or menopause!  It's the suck
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  • shytownkellyshytownkelly
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    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_40-plus-brides_harder-stay-shapelose-weight-after-40?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:69dea60c-2319-4015-8380-4a5cc0f18476Discussion:ec7d12d1-3492-4ab0-88f7-2ca1d441edd5Post:367cc3e5-3dd5-4f2e-acb1-a7bc2036b82f">Re: Is it harder for you to stay in shape/lose weight after 40?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Yes.  Only for me it started around 30, not 40.
    Posted by LucyHC[/QUOTE]


    I win - mine started at the age of about 12.
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  • tarheelbabstarheelbabs member
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    I've always struggled with my weight, but this is worse.  Menopause sucks and it hit me when I was 45.  No fair!!  Although I'd struggled with weight, I'd never carried it around my middle.  That's been a real change and it's really weird to find clothes that are tight around the waist or bust.  The only upside is my chest is larger, so at least there is one upside!!
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  • tenofcups4metenofcups4me member
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    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_40-plus-brides_harder-stay-shapelose-weight-after-40?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:69dea60c-2319-4015-8380-4a5cc0f18476Discussion:ec7d12d1-3492-4ab0-88f7-2ca1d441edd5Post:0b747cad-d3f9-435f-836c-6114c22522f9">Re: Is it harder for you to stay in shape/lose weight after 40?</a>:
    [QUOTE] The only upside is my chest is larger, so at least there is one upside!!
    Posted by tarheelbabs[/QUOTE]

    Mine's gotten larger too. For me that's totally NOT an upside -- I already had a breast reduction. The last thing in the world i want is for my breasts to get bigger! I've gone from a 34B to a 34C, which I know isn't big, but given my history, it's too big for my taste.
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  • IslandBeachBrideIslandBeachBride member
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    Yes!  I've gotta get this extra 10lbs off or I will NOT fit in my dress.  UGH.  My problem is I'm not currently working and the weather has been so crappy. I usually walk a mile or 2 every nite and it's done nothing but rain. 
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  • AbbeyS2011AbbeyS2011 member
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    I have struggled with being the "chubby" one of the girls in the family all my life 9there are 3 of us).  After I had my kids, I gained weight and also bra size, from D to DD.  I breast-fed, so somebody lied when they said you will shrink when you nurse. 

    I find that it is harder now to lose it than it was before.  Or maybe I am just not being as diligent as I should be about taking better care of myself. 
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  • Marrin713Marrin713 member
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    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_40-plus-brides_harder-stay-shapelose-weight-after-40?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:69dea60c-2319-4015-8380-4a5cc0f18476Discussion:ec7d12d1-3492-4ab0-88f7-2ca1d441edd5Post:0b747cad-d3f9-435f-836c-6114c22522f9">Re: Is it harder for you to stay in shape/lose weight after 40?</a>:
    [QUOTE]I've always struggled with my weight, but this is worse.  Menopause sucks and it hit me when I was 45.  No fair!!  Although I'd struggled with weight, I'd never carried it around my middle.  That's been a real change and it's really weird to find clothes that are tight around the waist or bust.  The only upside is my chest is larger, so at least there is one upside!!
    Posted by tarheelbabs[/QUOTE]

    Yes!  It's this middle that's freaking me out.  When overweight I always carried in hips and thighs - never around the midsection.
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  • fallbride1109fallbride1109 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    I just turned 42 and this is the first year I have really noticed a change in my energy level and metabolism.  I am so tired at night I have had to start working out first thing in the morning instead of after work and whereas I used to lose weight with my current workout schedule, now I am only barely maintaining.  *sigh*
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  • Sue-n-KevinSue-n-Kevin member
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    Well, I'm in my mid-50's so I have a few years on many of you.

    I was always thin, graduated HS weighing 110 lbs (I'm 5'2"). I pretty much maintained that for YEARS.

    However, for about every decade after my mid-20's, an extra 5-10 lbs has creeped on. I had 2 children, one a C-section the other a VBAC. And I went through menopause over 5 years ago. The "belly fat" thing is sooooo foreign to me, LOL.

    I admit I have never been an athlete, never really physically active. I now work at home 100% of the time, so I'm not even walking from my car in a garage to the office!

    It is VERY hard to maintain or lose over 40, but if I could do it, loving food as much as I do, then it is doable. I found a jump rope when cleaning the garage last weekend, and that will be my exercise on a daily basis once the weather gets (and STAYS) nice. I will just have to push myself. I too am a morning person, so this will happen in the mornings.  

    I lost 25 lbs about 3 years ago with Weight Watchers. I've put back on about 10 of that. I"m back on it to lose the weight before the wedding this August. I find it works best when I write everything down, with points, making me accountable.
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  • RKwedding2011RKwedding2011 member
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      Sue, you explained what is going on with me! I've put on 5 pounds for every decade past my 20's.  If I were to work out 5 days a week for at least and hour and eat lighter, I'd probably lose about 5 pounds and that is it. I'm going to try and do that for the wedding.
      At what point however, do we accept that our body has changed?I think that I am getting to that point that I need to accept my new size.  In the past, I've noticed that I hold onto weight more when I am worried about it.
      My bra size went up also! I've always been small.  Then last year, I went from a 34B to a 34D.  
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  • RKwedding2011RKwedding2011 member
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      Someone was at the door so I sent the above message before I was done lol.  OK so I went from a 34B to a 34D.  However, this week I noticed that my bras are too small.  Darn it!  I was happy at 34B!  My Maid of honor is going to send out invites for the lingerie bridal shower she is throwing. Perhaps I need to get sized before she sends them off.  She was going to put in an insert about my size etc.  Yikes, people are going to think I got plastic surgery.  I am bigger all over now, but not huge I went from a size 4/5 to a size 8.  I wish I were the size I was before.
      I thought it was totally weird that I changed bra sizes.  However, after reading the posts here, it looks like it does happen sometimes when you are older.  It is a good thing that my wedding gown laces up in the back and doesn't zip.  It can adjust to size that way.
     If I don't lose the weight I want to (5-10 pounds) I may stop eating carbs for 30 days before the wedding.  I know that is not a long term or practical way to lose weight. But it will help me slim down for the wedding day.
    Katie
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