If you haven't yet get a hold of the book "Practical Paleo" by Diane Sanfillippo. I'm sure there are others. I'm the 60+ slim/healthy woman in your community. Since being retired I quit paying attention to what I ate and started thinking a "few M & M's, cheese and crackers, corn chips were ok for me to eat. Years ago I bought into the low fat diet craze thinking it was good for me but I had to eat every 2-3 hours. I thought my diet was good, no fast food, fat or fried food, sodas, desserts and I don't eat out often. However, I'm developing a noticeable "muffin top".

Several of my friends are on weight watchers but their diets didn't seem very healthy and I had seen mentions of Paleo diets. I started doing some research and became convinced to forgo the "snack" foods I was eating. I added more seasonal fresh fruits, eggs and vegetables. My SO buys the groceries and plans meat and potato meals so it's easy for me to suggest seasonings for the meats and forgo the store bought sauces and add delicious, and filling side dishes. I'm also not much of a meat eater but am enjoying the tastier meat recipes and eating more proteins instead of the bad carbs I was eating. Also, when I get hungry, I'm really hungry, not the shaky, irritable, I'm going to kill you if I don't eat now hungry.

In 3 weeks I've lost 3 lbs (not intentional) and 2" off my waist and an inch off my hips. I'm sure this is more "water weight" than fat. Surprisingly, today my SO made a "healthy" soy burger for me for lunch and it was so salty I couldn't eat it. To think I used to add salt to the soy burgers because they seemed bland. I don't crave sugar or salt and actually enjoy the natural taste of food. I feel like I've gone back to the foods I was raised on when food wasn't so heavily sugared and salted that you couldn't actually taste the food.

There is so much hidden salt and sugar in store bought food that you have to read labels carefully and don't believe the "healthy labeling". You will have to cook most things yourself but you'll be amazed how much better you'll feel with more energy and less hunger.

Also, add some weight training.