Has anyone else noticed that it’s getting increasingly difficult to drop the pounds as you add the years?

Or is it just me?

In my 20’s, I thought 150 pounds was too heavy (I’m 5’9″ thankyouverymuch) and easily got down to 145 by starving myself and doing the stairmaster every night for a week. I stayed there, too for over a year. By starving myself and doing the stairmaster every night. That was fun.

In my 30’s, I thought 155 was a perfect weight but yo-yo’d between that and an extra 10 pounds for nearly half of that decade. (Mind you, I’m a major foodie… I LOVE food, and good, rich food – it truly is a wonder I’m not 300 pounds with the way I like to eat). At age 35 I had my first daughter and packed on 40 pounds with that pregnancy. I lost the baby weight relatively quickly. But that “double dessert because I’m pregnant” weight didn’t come off so easily.

After my second daughter was born (and I’d only gained 19 pounds the second time around – I’d learned my lesson!) I got pretty fit and thin with the help of a personal trainer. I had quite a bit of time in those days. I was home with the kids and only working a few hours a week, so 2 hours in the gym seemed like a great use of my hours. And the kids loved the daycare, so it was win-win for all of us (except my hubby). But in my late 30’s, I had to really work to drop that weight.

Now, in my 40’s, I’m up a few pounds. In late 2007 we had a particularly fantastic vacation followed immediately by some family stress and then the downturn in the economy. All those factors contributed to a gradual increase in waist and hip size. And what do you know, it just doesn’t respond how it used to!

I can run, no change. I can do the elliptical, no change. I can watch what I eat (and I eat pretty healthy already!), no change.

What the heck?

In my 40’s, I’m learning the real secret is muscle. You MUST have muscle to keep your metabolism raring. And so my workouts now are designed to build muscle. It’s a completely different strategy than when I was younger, but as your metabolism changes, you must change with it.

Monday’s show is all about your Metabolism Through the Years. We’ll start with what you can do in your 20’s to set yourself up for a healthy metabolism later on, and then move through the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and beyond to help you understand how to keep healthy, at any age.

I’m looking forward to this one, and hope you are too! Remember the call in number is (661) 266-4220.

Not local, no problem! Listen online at www.Newstalk1380.com.

~Dr. M