Eating less is the single most important part of weight loss. Then there is making good choices. I just can't have snack foods in the house. A bag of chips is an empty bag of chips for us! Third ingredient is activity. We go for a brisk walk after breakfast and dinner, and try and get up and move around every hour.

 

Still, it is a struggle, because our metabolism tends to slow as we age. My appetite has not slowed yet, though.

 

Jan

I only wish I had the gain problem.
I lost 2 and a half pounds last week.  Eating the same as usual but I work outside.  I cannot get past 150. Back down to 143.
Before surgery I was a good 175.  Now I am a shadow of my self even now that I am getting close to 2 years post surgery.
I am now finding out I cannot eat the snacks not because of weight gain but because it really throws my pouch off.  Especially chocolate.  I have been having junk withdrawal for a week now.
Good luck on your snack switch.  I think it will be better for you in the long run.  Has to be.  I found that  even potato chips are not good for me.  So if they do that to me (throw my pouch into a tizzy)  they are adding to your problem in the gain.  And may be doing other bad things.
My goodness... There is so much junk out there.  Everywhere.
I see that now.  No wonder people cannot lose weight.

My 40's has made weight loss harder. Not that I'm "overweight," but I'm at my highest weight.

Used to be easy to rely on exercise to drop 5 lbs; no more!  I'm exercising a lot, and the number isn't budging. I'm a decent foodie, but do have a few indulgences, though my diet has changed very little.

I blame my age these days.

I have gained so much weight since my surgery 10 years ago, it is not even funny.  I am at the highest weight I have ever been.  I work out though my food choices aren't always the best, but I do not over eat.  I can't seem to loose and keep gaining .... UGH!

 

I believe that you need both 'exercise' and 'activity' along with 'intake' control to lose or gain weight.

For me activity is the stuff that you do every day like walking to the store, climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator (or just deciding to carry the stuff upstairs in 3 runs instead of 1), gardening, shoveling snow etc.

Exercise is intentional high intensity activity that you work up a sweat (even mild) doing.

Aerobic activity like walking, running, biking, skating, swimming etc help you to burn calories and build up your cardio resistance and lung capacity. Anaerobic activity like weight lifting, resistance training, work with elastics, pilates etc help to build up muscle.

Some of these exercises do both (think kick boxing).

Both are important for optimum health and you should do both according to your level of health and ability as well as age. ( I avoid anything that puts too much stress on my joints or has me jumping up and down).

If you incorporate even 10 extra minutes of activity and 10 of exercise into your daily routines you will see slow but steady results. Add to that 10% less calories (1 bag of chips or a chocolate bar less a day for example or baking your food instead of frying it) and you will see even faster results,

Weight loss does not have to be dramatic or painful. Sometimes small changes can have big results over time.

I hate diets so I never do them...instead I increase output (exercise & activity) and decrease my intake (more fruits & veggies and less ice cream or jello instead of snackfoods) to control my weight.

It has worked for me for most of my life...right now I am at a near high in weight ( about a size 10-12) but have been working out 2 hrs/day including 1hr of treadmill strait uphill on a 3mile/hr pace (walking, not running) and or swimming and water aerobics (easier on the joints)...I have not lost much weight but have gone down a full size in 2 weeks.

If I could just get control of my ice cream habit I would be melting!

I've been coaching diet/exercise in my executive coaching practice for over 25 yrs now and find that the best results are always those that go slow and steady and integrate gradual change into your lifestyle.

Do not neglect your vitamin/minerals and hydration...not enough hydration and you will be too tired to work out.

Sharon