Is it possible to get into proper shape in your late 30s without a personal trainer?

[Itstheimplication]

I’m short and curvy with a frustrating c section pouch that’s very wobbly.
I’ve got big thighs and a little waist as I’m a pear shape and no tone whatsoever anymore.

I have a peloton which I love but my diet is truly atrocious and I feel like I’ve developed quite a disordered relationship with food

is it possible to really change my figure at this point? I want to get healthier and have more energy but I don’t know where to start. I have a toddler so a I’m permanently knackered as well. Although that could be down to bad diet as well!

I’ve seen some friends completely transform but they paid for a personal trainer three times a week and expensive meal delivery services, I can’t afford to do that and need family friendly meals so don’t really want to cut out a main food group such as carbs.

struggling with where to start and feeling like I’m talking myself out of it before I’ve tried!

Yes you can do it yourself

And I suspect that if you do so you Will make changes that you can sustain yourself

I'd have a list and tackle one thing at a time
Eg I should lose one junk snack a day
Then maybes add one yoga session a week

Make changes gradually so you don't overload yourself

Small diet changes
Adding some exercise - there are so many online videos that you can do after putting child to bed and before collapsing in an exhausted heap

I’m a similar shape OP. Since September I’ve been doing:

2x classes a week (Barre)
3 x run a week (couch 2 5k)
2/3x Youtube arm workouts (Madfit)
Trying to avoid carbs at breakfast and lunch - family dinner anything goes.

no snacks except fruit or veg

It is really starting to make a difference, I don’t have a killer bod yet but my waistbands are looser and my cardio fitness is a lot better.

Toddler makes it trickier to fit stuff in, are they at nursery at all or home with you FT? If they are home could you work out a way to exercise with them eg bike ride with them in a child seat? Or a gym with a creche although this is pricier.

Start a new career in construction. Lose tons of weight, get super fit & earn really good money at the same time😀. I'm only half joking. I did this a couple years ago out of needing to earn more money. I'm late 40's and honestly in the best shape of my life. It's definitely possible to change your body in your 30's

Yes! Try Les Mills on Demand for a vast variety of work outs to suit all tastes / levels of fitness at a reasonable price that really work

Caroline Girvan on youtube. Life changing.

Are you on Facebook? If so join the Hardcore on the Floor group which is all based around Peloton classes and devised by a qualified PT.

Each month they release a new calendar to follow - some of the transformations on there are amazing, and in lots of women older than you.

Your diet is a different matter. It’s such a huge part of getting fit, and slogging away for hours on the bike won’t counteract a bad diet. Personally low carb really worked for me as I never felt I was being deprived of anything.

Yes- I lost 40lbs and am now really athletic and strong. I started it when I turned 30 and I’ve never looked back, now nearly 42. Definitely doable and my main advice is to enjoy it, so it can take a bit of trial and error to find out what works best for you and your life.

I eat mostly whole foods, and this is enjoyable to me because I like to cook and have the time to do it because I work from home. So my diet is good but I do enjoy a couple of glasses of wine or the odd slice of cake or whatever at the weekend. I don’t eat any processed food like ready meals or sandwich meat, ready soups etc which I think probably helps reduce your salt and sugar intake.

I do 3 cardio sessions a week (spin, BodyCombat, running, circuits etc) and I lift heavy weights 3 times a week (legs, back/ biceps, chest/ triceps) and usually a lighter abs/ shoulder session too but I double up on some of these and some I can do at home, so I’m probably 4 days a week at the gym.

You can definitely find what works for you and feel happier, healthier and stronger in your 30s

Joan Macdonald is in her 70's, decided to lose weight some years ago and got into a good shape, so age isn't an issue.

Of course you can! I did it, and I'm in my 60s...

There are many good online trainers on YouTube, but some are better than others. I'd suggest you look at Growingannanas to begin with, with a view to upgrading to Caroline Girvan once you're fit and feel up for a challenge.

It is important to work out with weights/resistance, not just HIIT and cardio. Get a set of 3-5 kg dumbbells to start with (depending on your current fitness), plus a resistance band.

Work out for 30-50 minutes at least 3-4 days a weweek. Don't forget to warm up with stretches and running on a spot for 5 minutes. Be sure to do lots of abdominal exercises and planks as a strong core is very important. You'll feel better in a week and stronger in a month.

But you can't out-train a bad diet! What worked for me:

Not having any crap foods in the house - no sweets, salty snacks, UPF, booze etc)
Intermittent fasting, i.e. 16:8
Eating lots of vegetables and a fair bit of lean protein (chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, yoghurt), plus small amounts of unrefined carbs (quinoa, brown/wild rice, legumes, starchy vegetables) and healthy oils (EVOO)
No snacking - that's the tricky one...... I usually keep a cut mango and a melon or cantaloupe in the fridge for "I need something sweet...... now!" emergencies.
Plus the odd alcohol free beer.

Do all this, and your future self will thank you 😀