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Being slim and fit after 35

44 replies

JulieD123 · 17/08/2023 13:53

Hi all! I am looking for advice from women 35+ who manage to maintain a healthy weight and good level of fitness into their late 30s, 40s and beyond.

I am 34 and finally starting to look at nutrition and exercise from the POV of health and aging well vs aesthetic. I would like to take care of myself to feel great throughout the next decades of my life.

What works well for me currently is:

  • whole food diet with loads of veggies, cooking from scratch as much as possible
  • yoga + pilates + strength training 3/4 times a week

Curious to hear what other women recommended!

OP posts:
Cupcakekiller · 17/08/2023 16:26

I maintain a healthy weight by calorie counting but I don't eat enough fruit and veg, smoke and don't do any exercise 🤦🏻‍♀️ So I'm not healthy.

Cupcakekiller · 17/08/2023 16:26

I'm 43 btw.

ageingdisgracefully · 17/08/2023 16:32

I calorie count like a demon and walk like a demon. Otherwise, nothing special.

I never eat breakfast - find that easy. My diet isn't that healthy though. It's much harder when you're older too.

I should exercise more and eat healthier I suppose but whatever gets you through the day, eh?😎

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

chatenoire · 17/08/2023 16:38

I drink, don't smoke BUT run at the very least 20mi per week (more like 30-40) and do yoga/hiit 30mins 5x per week

TheBrightestStarInTheSky · 17/08/2023 16:42

I am 54 and always been slim. When l was a girl we didnt have a car so we walked absolutely everywhere, and l have always enjoyed walking. We ate 3 meals a day, but hardly any snacks. I don't drink or smoke, alcohol does nothing for me.
I have never been on a diet. No one in my family is overweight, we are all quite active.
I don't have a tv so don't sit around for long periods of time grazing. I'm always on the go, l am a lone parent, l have a big garden and only me to look after it. I have a physical job currently, but have previously worked in offices where I've been more sedentry. I don't like the gym l prefer walking in fresh air through nearby fields and woods.
I never sit around in pjs, l love being outdoors. I have a healthy appetite, there is no food off limit, l basically eat what l want, but I'm not a fan of fast food.

Strokethefurrywall · 17/08/2023 17:04

coxesorangepippin · 17/08/2023 14:32

Mega healthy eating all the time
Loads of sleep
Little alcohol
Loads of water
Plenty of exercise
Sunscreen

This in a nutshell.

I'm 43 and am most definitely fitter, slimmer and healthier than I was at 33.

I started boxing training last year after I quit F45, and just developed the discipline to train consistently. 5am out the door, train for an hour or so.

You can't out train a bad diet so it's easy to make better choices when you want to see the results of your hard work through exercise. All my dietary choices are complementary. I have cheat meals/days/vacations but overall I'm pretty strict and get back to it quickly if I veer off course.

It will just become a way of life if you put in the work at the beginning.

Purpleavocado · 17/08/2023 17:07

Consistentsy is key. I'm 52' slim and fit. You have to eat well and exercise on more days than not. I don't drink much, and haven't smoked since my early twenties.

SisterhoodWhatever · 17/08/2023 17:28

My family are prone to type 2 diabetes. so in my mid thirties when my older sisters started to get diabetes it scared me.

I rarely drink alcohol and I also low carb though not every day, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but that’s just the way I am. I walk a lot, as you get older you need less calories overall. I eat less, my boss told me around the same time that at 60 she ate 30% less than when she was young. I’m mid fifties and still slim.

CharlotteBog · 17/08/2023 19:28

coxesorangepippin · 17/08/2023 14:32

Mega healthy eating all the time
Loads of sleep
Little alcohol
Loads of water
Plenty of exercise
Sunscreen

I am very slim, muscular and fit. I'm 52.

I don't eat healthily all the time.
My sleep is poor.
I don't drink tonnes of water (but drink enough fluid).
I am not great with sun screen.
I don't drink much alcohol.
I do LOTS of exercise.

CharlotteBog · 17/08/2023 19:34

I should say - I have always been slim and had this sort of way of life ie I didn't get to 35 and think shit.....I need to overhaul my life.

I am keeping an eye on things as I go through menopause. Athletic performance has declined, I've increased strength exercises.

bakewellbride · 17/08/2023 19:37

Does anyone plank? Unless I've had a horrendous evening with my toddler or been for a long run that day I try to do it every evening.

And hot lemon water first thing every morning.

Bobsicles · 17/08/2023 20:27

Walk everywhere, as much as you can.

Bobsicles · 17/08/2023 20:30

CharlotteBog · 17/08/2023 19:28

I am very slim, muscular and fit. I'm 52.

I don't eat healthily all the time.
My sleep is poor.
I don't drink tonnes of water (but drink enough fluid).
I am not great with sun screen.
I don't drink much alcohol.
I do LOTS of exercise.

That's the exercise then.

Wear suncream people.

And eat healthily.

Early 50's you're still gonna get away with bad habits.

GiddyUpJingleHorse · 17/08/2023 20:42

Lots of good advice here. What I do :

Go to bed early
Prioritize healthy food. 3 proper meals from scratch, no processed crap, 30 types of fruit and veg over the week. Keep off the sugar if that sets you off
Find exercise you love, for me that’s netball a couple of times a week plus coaching toddler sports
Walk everywhere - no driving on the school run here
Have a job where you never get to sit down (I’m a childminder 😆)

amicissimma · 17/08/2023 22:47

I have the Yuka app. It's a carrot on a white background and you can use it to scan barcodes on food and cosmetic products to find out how healthy they are. It's interesting and I've had some surprises. They have just emailed me a very interesting article about carbohydrates. It's a quite simple explanation of the effects that they have on your body and the difference between different types. One thing they talk about is that a glucose spike and the resulting insulin rush causes stress. I notice people say they eat when they are stressed, but this suggests that eating stresses them.

Myself I have been the same weight for about 40 years. I eat what I like, which I think some MNers would describe as 'competitive undereating', that is, I eat what I feel I need, then stop. I don't think about eating much. I hate feeling stuffed. I seem to need less since the menopause. I don't fancy a lot of sweet or stodgy carbs and am drawn to fresh, crispy fruit and vegetables, preferably raw. I make sure I get a good balance of proteins, including some good red meat at least twice a week. I'm not that fussed about drinking - I just drink when I'm thirsty and I don't like to keep sucking on a bottle as it makes me feel as if I need something in my mouth most of the time, whereas I prefer to leave several hours between eating and drinking sessions. I don't do exercise regimes but walk about 4 miles a day and cycle a lot. As I shop on foot or bike I carry quite heavy shopping so am fairly strong. I can't be bothered with the car for less than 5 miles.

Magnoliainbloom · 17/08/2023 22:50

Hot yoga 5-6 times a week, HIIT, lots of walking, good sleep, lots of water.

giraffes2021 · 18/08/2023 07:41

Loving this thread off to get my notepad haha I'm 34 two toddlers trying to be healthier. Fasting really helping me especially with bloating etc my body can't seem to handle carbs like it used to.

PlipPlopChoo · 18/08/2023 07:53

It sounds like you gave got this right. Eat well and good fresh food.

Avoid any fad diets or fasting. Anybody I know who does those is obsessed and miserable.

Find exercise that you enjoy.

Wenfy · 18/08/2023 08:14

It’s a good idea to observe the naturally slim people around you. I did and I found that while they ate a bit of everything they had instinctive hunger cues that made them stop eating a lot.

My sister is a natural size 4 and a junk food but she rarely has time to eat breakfast (she prioritises sleep and getting ready instead) and has her first proper meal at 1. That meal, when she’s in the office, is a hot meal and includes a small dessert and when at home is a bowl of cereal.

She drinks a lot of water. Eats a lot of snacks (she’s a crisp and biscuit addict) and doesn’t move very much. But if you total everything up barely eats 1600 calories. Eg she snacks instead of eating meals, she will skip dinner when she eats at work as she’s not hungry. When she eats dinner at home she cooks from scratch. She seasons her food a lot to add in flavour. She also eats out a lot but when she does that tends to be her only meal of the day. She also eats slowly and rarely finishes her plate.

By contrast I’m naturally a size 16, I don’t snack, eat minimal processed food, cook from scratch, and I eat small meals that balance carbs, fat and protein. I also move a lot. But I do admit I tend to overreat (usually 3k calories if I eat instinctively, but as I’m active I can lose weight eating 1800 cals which I’m doing now). I don’t like the taste of salty food, love spicy food.

BUT while my sister might be slim she has recently developed high blood pressure (the family curse) and is now overhauling her diet to be similar to mine because despite my weight my blood pressure is low.

So you can’t really win when you’re past 40 lol but make sure your fundamental diet is healthy. Dad’s cardiologist said thin people (women especially) tend to die of heart problems not just because of a lack of diagnosis - but also because society teaches us slim is healthy, so slim people often don’t take diet and exercise advice seriously. You need to focus on being healthy first.

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