No More Diets

I am a female in her late forties battling weight for the first time, how can I lose it?

Many people start to gain weight in their forties. Its a time when your metabolism tends to slow down by a small amount. And because this is generally coupled with a reduction in daily activity and also a reduction in the amount of lean muscle tissue - also a sign of ageing - the change in weight can be startling.

On the other hand if you experiencing a dramatic weight gain without changing your eating or exercise habits, it may be worth a visit to your doctor (a good idea in any case if you are not sure what is causing a weight gain) to see if your thyroid is working well. Problems with this gland often arise in the forties.

If all is well, then it’s no more different losing weight in your forties than at any other time. It’s not inevitable that you have to be overweight just because you’re over 40. (I’m there myself!)

This is a great time to start to exercise if you aren’t already because it really does make the difference between being healthy and unhealthy in later life. Just make sure you take it gently at first if you’re not used to it and find activities which you love rather than something which bores you so that you enjoy it rather than feel it’s a chore.

And the usual guidelines on eating healthily and modestly apply - you’ll find a number of posts here to help you. Maybe you could start with Lose Weight without calorie counting

Just remember that constant yo-yo dieting is a pretty miserable way to live your life - try getting into good habits now that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.