Over 60 - success stories and pitfalls

[Mel5115]

I've always been health conscious and weight conscious. At 55 I started noticing a little weight and even increasing exercise and cutting back on food didn't seem to help. My attitude on Whole30 was determination and a "why not" attitude. I felt like I could do anything for 3o days...and as I am on day 20 with no desire to turn back...I'm confident I will complete the 30 no problem. I've definitely noticed weight loss...though I know that's not guaranteed...it is happening...in fact I'm 5 lbs from my happy happy weight. I don't really see turning back even after the 30. I have never approached this as a diet but more of a complete lifestyle .....

I am curious why there aren't more over 50 people doing this...or maybe there are but I have missed the posts as I am fairly new to this forum. Here's one question I have....as I am getting healthier and leaner...I am most worried about sagging. I realize food has nothing to do with that..but just wondered if there is still hope to look great at my age...even in sleeveless shirts..or swimwear.

Would love to hear from some of you who are dealing with this now.

[GlennR]

I'm 50.

 

Yeah, this is going to sound really corny, but a lot of beauty really does shine from the inside. If you are healthy and strong and happy, you will carry yourself well and your attractiveness will be there for all to see -- at any age. Which is not to say that exercises and such don't help; but do these things as part of your healthy attitude, not as an effort to turn back the clock.

 

What won't help in your Whole30 is weighing yourself. I'm not actually sure if you did, but please don't for the duration of your Whole30. Part of the program is to try to shift you away from that particular metric. Focus instead on how you feel and how you look; your energy levels, your satisfaction with life.

 

Good luck! I like that you're planning to make these changes long-term.

[AmyS]

Check out this thread:

 

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/13260-older-women-following-whole30/

 

And welcome!

[Tom Denham]

I found the Whole30 at age 52. I had managed to lose 15 pounds - from 230 to 215 with exercise over a two year period, but could not lose more and had become frustrated. I tried the Whole30 and was excited that I lost 2 pounds the first month, so I kept going. I lost 2 pounds per month for 15 months in a row until I was down to 185. That was four years ago. 

 

A few things have changed over the past 4 years, but I have continued to eat Whole30-style because it has worked so well for me. I now weigh 195 pounds. I am not quite as lean as I was 3 years ago, but most of the weight is muscle as I am stronger than I was. I no longer exercise in a gym. I bought some kettlebells and hired a coach to teach me how to use them properly. Now I train 20-30 minutes, 5 days per week, following the same basic routine every day. The work does not exhaust me like I used to exhaust myself in the gym doing CrossFit and striving to follow powerlifter routines. Curiously, while not making myself as tired or spending 90 minutes per session, I am stronger and am not suffering injuries like I did when younger and trying harder. You really can become stronger and more fit without killing yourself.

 

And I have learned some amazing things. I got really proud of my ability to do pullups. For a short time, I completed 40 pullups in a workout 4-5 times per week. However, I developed elbow and shoulder injuries. I read that men over 50 should never do more than 10 pullups per day because it was too hard on the shoulder. I hated that, but cut back to just 10. Then I started a new kettlebell routine that demanded I not do anything else, so I stopped doing pullups at all for about 6 months. When I tried to do pullups again, I found that I was as strong as I had been. I had not lost any ability to do pullups after going 6 months without doing any. However, my shoulders hurt awfully after I did pullups again. It turns out, that some kettlebell exercises strengthen what you need to do pullups without causing damage like pullups can. Now I know that I can take a pullup test when I want to prove my strength, but I don't have to do pullups routinely to be prepared. This is great news to me at my age with shoulder problems.  

[gnakazawa]

Mel,

I am 57 and will be starting my second Whole 30 on June 1st...I did my first one 3 years ago with amazing results. Unfortunately I reverted to old eating habits and I am paying the price. I am beyond ready to take my life back.

Anyway, the first time I did Whole 30 I maintained a very focused exercise regimen which included a personal trainer and modified cross fit classes...even when I broke my ankle mid-Whole30, I never skipped my training. However, even at my best, my arms still sagged a bit and I was (still am) self-conscious about them. I would get tons of compliments but I didn't like my arms. It was so frustrating! However, I was well on my way to minimizing the sagging (think Whole 60) when I threw in the towel. I had some major life-changing personal issues and I gave up, felt sorry for myself and reverted to my old ways of eating. Believe it or not, my saggy arms are what has brought me back to Whole 30! I definitely saw improvement and I KNOW had I stuck with it I would have been very pleased with the results.

Give yourself time....our bodies are amazing machines!!

[MeGA"gardener"]

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/30526-senior-optimist-prime/?p=329924#entry329924