katluvr,

I'm 40 years old. I lost nearly 40 pounds between 11/08 & 5/09 and am now 130 pounds at 5'4". I'm in the best d@mn shape of my life, for which I am ecstatic. I could kick my 30y.o. self's butt.

Still, when I was losing weight, my greatest desire was to have the slim, lithe body I always wanted (and had for a brief period in my mid-20s). And, truth be told, I think I look really good in my clothing now. I'm blessed with the classic hourglass shape.

It's *out* of my clothing that disappoints me so much. Even though 40 isn't "old", at this age weight loss (for me) means having a lot of loose "empty" skin. When I came out of college, I was pretty heavy, and lost 35 pounds over a 2-3 year period - got down to 133. As I lost weight, my skin shrunk at the same time, and I had great skin tone. At 40? um, not so much. Unless I fill it up with triceps, I suspect I will always have that annoying loose skin on my upper arms. My stomach is flat, but the skin is jiggly. I'm working on filling it up with a killer six-pack, but in the meantime I have to settle for jiggly. And finding a lingerie bra (having dropped from a 36DD+ to a 32C) is an exercise in frustration. (My own mother actually told me I should get a lift!!)

But, to give you a glimmer of hope.... I've been this weight for 11 months now, and I do think that very very slowly, my skin is shrinking just a bit. Maybe a little less jiggle on the tummy and arms. And, as I've added muscle in my quads, hamstrings and glutes from all the cycling, running, and swimming, my legs have actually firmed up alot! I used to hate how the cellulite looked on the back on my legs and now they're firm and mostly smooth.

So, while I didn't get the "dream" body, all in all I'm far far far happier with my body and fitness than I've ever been. I look around me and see obesity levels skyrocketing, see how unhealthily people eat (have you ever really LOOKED at what other people have in their grocery shopping carts!! ), see what sedentary lives so many people lead, and realize that I'm doing pretty well for myself, and really shouldn't be so hard on myself.

So, while you and I might see the nitpicky little flaws in ourselves, I'd bet that what most other people see when they look at us is strong, healthy, vibrant, active women.

Susan