LIFE
Losing Weight After Age 40 is Hard!
I have never really been a big person. At five foot, three inches tall, my weight has fluctuated between 115 pounds and 130 pounds for the better part of the last 20 years. I’ve had times when I packed on the pounds and the realization only came when I tried to wear a piece of clothing and got stopped in my tracks. You know the clear signs – your arms encased in sleeves like Italian sausages, skirts bunching up around your thighs, blouses stretched out so much you can see the seams at the bust darts struggling to stay together. So, what do you do when this happens?
I remember my Freshman 15. The summer after my freshman year, age 18, living on my own and fending for myself for the first time in my life, the weight fell off with little effort. A diet of toasted bread and grape juice for breakfast, with whatever my little summer earnings could rustle up for dinner, and the boundless energy of youth, helped me along the way.
Things went swimmingly for a couple of years. I graduated from college, attended grad school, and was happily living my life as a twenty-something year old in New York City. All was well (well hidden) by spandex, lycra, and elastic bands. I didn’t realise I was gaining weight although it was no surprise because my desk at work was the candy desk – the candy bowls on my desk were always full with sweets, mini-chocolate bars, etc., and I indulged in them as much as I offered them to co-workers. In addition to that, I was addicted to cashew nuts. My day wasn’t complete if I didn’t have a pack or two of cashew nuts as an in-between snack.
I was rolling along just fine until one day, a co-worker came to me and asked if I wanted to sign up for the office’s Weight Watchers group. Me? Ah, what the heck? Why not? So, I joined. I was the smallest of the group, but I had quietly put on the Freshman 15 and more without noticing. I think at the time we signed up for a 10-week program, but I don’t remember how much my goal weight loss was. The weekly weigh-ins were done in my office, and week after week, I proudly recorded my weight loss with my teammates.
I was diligent. I had my points card with me all the time, even when I was dining out. I loaded up on low point foods and drank a lot of water. I even squeezed in some exercise – very little. The pounds just fell off! Good girl!
I relied on that Weight Watchers system for many years and it worked fine.
Fast forward to my late-thirties, I emerged from childbirth with a smaller body than I was pre-pregnancy. Yeah, my son did that.
Then 40 came and I began to struggle a little, but I still felt like I could win the battle of the bulge. I discovered new low-impact ways like hula hooping and yoga, to get my heart rate up, sweat a little, burn some fat. For the first half of 40, I seemed to be doing okay. But as I inch closer and closer to 50, it’s becoming more of a struggle. I’ve had this extra 25 pounds that I need to lose to get to my ideal healthy weight.
I have a family history of weight-associated diseases like diabetes and High blood pressure (hypertension), so right now it’s more than just aesthetics for me.
When I was younger, the worst that I considered was that I would have to spend money on a new wardrobe or lose some cherished clothing items in my wardrobe, but now it’s more than that. My son is a great motivation to stay healthy. I want to do all that is in my power to stay alive and mother him until he becomes an adult.
Yes, I know there is no magic to losing weight. Exercise and eating right are the keys, but it’s a struuuuugle! This is not like the good old days when I could easily commit to a plan for four weeks and feel my clothes loosen around my hips as the pounds fell off. Sitting at home during the Covid-19 lockdown hasn’t helped matters. With social distancing, nowhere to go, and the existential threat of a rampaging virus, food has become a comfort. I am packing on weight more quickly than I can shed it. The cupboards are stocked with cookies, crisps, and chocolate. There is a tub of ice cream tucked away in one corner of the freezer. Yes, I know carrot sticks would make a better snack, but we’re all going through a lot right now, and these calorie-loaded foods are great comfort, wouldn’t you say?
When things get back to normal, whatever normal turns out to be, I hope I can keep up a plan. For now though, I eat and try to keep my sanity intact.
