I have been fighting the weight battle since I was a child. I lost alot of weight in college and kept it off pretty much until the birth of my twins in 2004. I am about 10-12 lbs overweight. I am trying again to lose it. When I am out and see skinny or petite woman at the pool I sometimes just want to ask them do you have to work really hard at it or are you naturally skinny? I enjoy my sweets and I think if I truly cut them all out, I would be a lot thinnerr, but I don't feel mentally like I could do that.

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Well, I have as of Yesterday 17.5 I'm trying to get rid of. I know after speaking to my thinner friends. That yes it is work, now that we are older we can't just eat anything we want anymore. They tell me they always have to watch what they eat and move more. They have a 5 lb window which they go up and down in but don't go any further either way. I have been watching their meal choices when we eat to help keep myself on track. These pounds of mine are holding on for dear life and I know once they are gone it will be continues work to maintain.

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"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

I was normal until college then gained and then lost it all and gained it back. My dh is thin and he does NOTHING. He has a very high metabolism. he MUST eat something about every 2-3 hours or he gets sick to his stomach. His uncle is the same way. He has an uncle that is a waist 30 and that was with a weight gain. he used to be a 28. of and they are tall also.

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

I used to be skinny without trying, but finally metabolism got me. I think I still have it on my side a little (still a little hyperthyroid), but I now have to think about my food choices. I dropped my baby weight pretty quick (235 before I had her to 185 in May), and now am working my way back down - it's a little harder this time. I don't want to be down to 135 again (HS weight)- way to skinny for my taste (besides I kinda like having my butt and boobs!), but 160ish would suit me fine. That would put me into a size 6 or so.

It's work, but once it becomes habit again, it's not that bad. It's just getting into the groove again (for me), and learning to not miss the stuff I no longer eat (white bread, lots of chips and dip, candy, processed foods). I also try to keep the stuff I don't eat out of the house, and if it's something DH wants (white bread and chips) then I put it out of my sight, where he knows where it is. Retraining the mind ya know - not easy all the time!

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I want to go down 40 pounds. I'm 176 and want to be 136. I got really overweight when I got pregnant. My highest was 220. It's been a long work in progress. Almost 8 years. It could happen faster if I didn't let my routine get interrupted so much. My downfall is soda and fast food. I'm addicted to both. With the economy getting harder I haven't been able to buy as much. The bad economy is doing my body good. I'm really craving a burger and fries right now, though. Thank gawd I don't have the money for it.

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To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. -Elbert Hubbard

For almost all women over 35 it does take effort to lose and maintain a lower weight.

Our metabolisms simply slow down and even if we were eating the same amount we were eating at 25 or 30, we'll gain weight.

My highest was 171 (I'm 5' 3 3/4) and I'm down 40 pounds in 6 years. (The last 20 lbs have been in the last 5 months.) I hit my highest in 2003 (my youngest was born in 2000 so it wasn't baby weight).

Most women over 35 (peri-menopausal) need about half the carbs and twice the protein, and need to walk 8000 - 10,000 steps a day. Or find another sustainable exercise that you like.

Since I switched to one serving of carbs a meal (one slice of toast, 1/2 cup rice, etc) and 4 oz of protein with every meal and cut out all sweets (desserts, non-diet pop, ice cream, yogurt with added sugar), I've been able to lose it without much hunger.

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I had always been at a comfortable weight of around 140, then I had 3 kids in 5 years (all of which were large babies). When I started my weight loss journey my 2 biggest obstacles were emotional eating & portion control. Once I started working on those I started seeing the weight come off. Now my stomach cannot handle large portions of food but I still find that some days I go back to the emotional eating.
Just remember slow & steady wins the race!!!!

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Thanks for all of the great replies! I am it 37 and I was reading one of the posts and I saw that over 35 is peri-menopausal. It seems weird to see that. I still feel like I am 25!!! I will say that once I it 30 my metalbolism started to slow and I think it might be slowing again. I have been trying to exercise mrore often, so I can enjoy a treat once and awhile and maybe still lose!

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Me too!

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I am also 37 and I will tell you that it is work to keep the weight off. It is not easy. If I let up with my eating and/or my workouts just for a few days, the scale will show it and I will be up a few pounds. I do just like one poster suggested above and I give myself a 5 pound window. If I get to that 5 pound mark I drop my calories and up my workouts until it goes back down. Sometimes I get really tired of thinking about it, but to me it is worth it to be proud of the way I look and the things my body can do. I want to look good for myself, for my dh, and I want my kids to be proud of their mom. I want them to see us exercising regularly and cooking and buying healthy food. It is a big commitment to stay thin if you aren't blessed with a high metabolism, but to me it is worth the effort. I have a huge sweet tooth and I eat something sweet every day, but I just keep up with my calories and make sure I don't go overboard. If I want a candy bar, I have one! I just write it in my journal and keep on with my day. When my calories for the day are done, I stop eating.