It’s not your imagination. Losing weight after age 50 really is more challenging. The reasons are a mix of lifestyle and physiological factors that combine to make dropping a few pounds more onerous than it was at 35 or 40 (not that it was easy then). William Yancy Jr., M.D., director of the Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center in Durham, North Carolina, explains that adults in their 50s face a number of roadblocks to maintaining a healthy weight — from arthritis and other health conditions that can affect stamina, mobility and balance, to sleep and stress issues that can derail any well-intentioned diet.

But that doesn’t mean you have to accept weight gain as an inevitable part of the aging process. Read on for some expert tips on how to clear the five most common hurdles for losing weight in your 50s.

Read the Full AARP article to clear 5 common Hurdles.