30's spread?

[ChristyG]

I'm in my late thirties and finding that although I have a decent diet and get a little excercise, it is no longer enough. I seem to have put on 5 lbs a year for the last 4 years. Is there such thing as the 30's spread? If so, what is the best way to get the spread off?

Thanks, Christy

 

[maleficent]

I'm no expert but...

What are your current daily calories and what's your exercise look like for the day?

As a 42 year old female, I'd say that you dont have to accept the weight gain as a natural part of aging... you can fight it -just start keeping track of what you're eating daily (those calories may be more than you think)

If you're not already, you also would probably want to start a weight training regime - one of the best reasons to start that is strong muscles help to avoid osteoporosis...

 

[downwardspiral]

livin good

Hey, Christy

Don't feel bad Im 39 and your far from alone. Just seems like as ya get older you live a lil better...LOL Then you wake up and your 20 pds BIGGER.

Being on this forum you are taking a big first step in the right direction!

Best of luck, Robb

 

[TomO]

It doesn't take much to add those pounds. Just 10 extra calories a day will translate into 1 extra pound a year. Most of us started adding 20 or 30 or 50 calories a day (3 teaspoons of sugar) from the time we were in our 20's. Now it's sitting there in the form of 10, or 20, or 50 pounds of fat.

Also, we tend to move around and exercise a lot less once we start in our careers, raising kids, etc. So a calorie deficit when we were active can easily turn into a calorie surplus.

That's what's known as "middle aged spread."

Not only that, but despite assurances to the contrary, I continue to believe that it's a hell of a lot harder to take it off in your 40's than in your 30's, and in your 50's it's harder still.

But it can be done. And there are great people here to help you do it.

 

[ChristyG]

Maleficent - I've just started my food journal. As for excercise, I do Yoga once a week and walk the dog (briskly) about three times a week.

Thanks TomO and downwardspiral for the encouragement. This will make it a little easier.

 

[sirant]

Weight gain isnt all we need to consider....

Tom is absolutelty right, as we age, even at maintenance levels of caloric intake, we will gain a little weight every year. Bottom line. However something else that should be considered is we also lose muscle mass. After 30, bodies begin to start losing muscle mass. Once again it happens slowly, but if nothing is done for 10-20 years, it makes it much harder to come back from. Many professionals claim adding weight training to your routine is just as important as eating properly for an aging population. Starting now is always best, and its never too late. For myself I am kicking myself in the butt that I didnt start doing this so much sooner, when it would have been easier and now I would just be doing maintenance. But now at 37, I have at least 7 years of weight gain and muscle loss to contend with, on top of the age, work and family issues. Had I only started when I was 20......

Ahh well, it really is never too late to start and to actually reverse those negative effects! For myself, I feel stronger, healthier and more confident now than I did in my 20's! I have no doubt whatsoever that my 40's will be my best decade ever! All it takes is some hard work now, to make up for abject stinking laziness then.....

sirant

 

[cmama]

Hi All

I did start noticing when I turned thirty exra weight started creeping up on me. In my twenties, I did not even have to worry about counting calories and if I did put on a few pounds, it was so much easier to get it off, oh the glory days.

Even with that said, I would not trade the mind set of today with the weight of my 20's. The 30's are far superior.

 

[Jeanette401]