To think that it's not possible.

[Graceflorrick]

There's an older lady at my gym who looks amazing. I'd say late 50s. She's tiny, has defined muscles, her tummy is perfectly flat. Not to drip feed, she also has a beautiful bronzed glow, lovely clothes (and underwear) and wears make-up in the sauna.

I've been watching her in awe for months and finally yesterday, plucked up the courage to speak to her to ask what her secret is, what classes she does, how long it took to look that phenomenal etc.

She was nice enough, but responsed that she's 'just lucky' and her body has always been this way. She also said, she hardly ever comes to the gym, which seems unlikely as she's there whenever I am!

So Mumsnetters - can this be 'luck'. I've decided that she's a big fibber (because it makes me feel better ), but why lie?

My mum is like that,she looks incredible and she's 70. Her stomach is amazing and her legs incredible. She's active but never been to the gym. It's genes. Unfortunately I didn't inherit any

Oh dear, so she may have been telling the truth then! I have the poor lady pinned as a big fat fibber

Maybe her secret is that she is only 32 and hasn't aged as well as you think.

Chased

Some people are genuinely just more fortunate in the genetic lottery.

I'm the opposite and come from a family of sturdy girls so have to run 4/5 nights a week and work at not becoming overweight. My neighbour is mid-fifties and comes running with me only on sundays but looks incredible. I'm twenty years younger but under no illusion that in my mid-fifties I won't be lucky enough to get away with a solitary run a week to keep myself strong or healthy.

I was going to say same as pp!
Unless you know she's 'late fifites' maybe she's actually 40s but has something about her that makes her look like a well preserved older person...

I would have guessed a bit of both, lucky but works at it.

However bearing in mind she's always at the gym so has lied about that she's obviously lied about the rest and is plastic surgeried up to the eyebrows

I have to say the only thing my mum does do is eat extremely healthily due to food intolerances so basically meat, fish,fruit and and bread and no dairy but tbh she looked the same even before the food intolerances so I do think it's genes.

I had decided to make more effort with my diet, fitness and general health, but after talking to her gave up it's not very fair if it is true! Bloody genetics

I follow a few Youtubers who look amazing. They all seem to eat very healthily, drink nothing but water and herbal tea and work out nearly every day. Most of them seem to spend all their time and money on make-up and fashion. Some people are just lucky, most people work really hard at it.

I wouldn't give up. You already know she goes to the gym quite frequently, wears make up in the sauna and wears nice underwear so the chances are she takes good care of herself. Being charitable, maybe this is normal for her so doesn't strike her as anything worth mentioning.

The thing is, if you are naturally very active it doesn't feel like you are doing anything.

Dh and mil will say they are lucky when it comes to genetics. Both slim, look young etc. Both will claim they dont eat that well.

But its not true. Both of them are incredibly active, they never stop. And both very well. Dont eat much sugar etc.

But they genuiely believe they dont. A piece of cake a week is eating badly. If dh goes to MacDonalds once he considers that really unhealthy and will eat very healthy for the next few days. Both eat tons of veg, small amounts of meat, olive oil etc.

Dhs only food weakness is crisps which he will claim he eats tons of. He actually eats 2 to 3 packets a week.

So i am not convinced its genetics. Its their food habit and level of exercise thats just normal for them.

Neither of them view food as a treat or binge eat or look for emotional comfort in food. Its just something they have to do.

She says she hardly ever goes to the gym. She's there every time you go.

Well, how often do you go?

If this is her way of life, it may not feel like do much to her - but to someone else a complete slob like me it would seem like masses. Also she may have been doing that British, female thing of 'Oh, not much really' when actually she does Olympic standard training everyday.

It's probably a mix of good genes and positive choices/habits even if they're subconcious and not "hard work"

Some choices are more effective than others particularly with exercise. You could spend 5 hours a week doing Zumba type classes which just achieves a plateau of fitness, or you may spend the same time on a more varied programme of exercise which is regularly reviewed and see greater benefits for the same effort.

There is a lady just like that at my gym, made me think you were talking about her, except that she wouldn't have been so modest if you'd spoken to her, she probably would have looked you up and pretended not to hear you. She does love herself!

Anyway, I suspect she felt a bit embarassed by the question. She is probably fully aware how most people going to the gym work very hard and are desperate to see positive results, so she doesn't want to rub it in that she gets the results every one would love to but aren't!

To be fair, I've been at my gym for 8 years now, you get 50% of new people who join and then disappear to never be seen again, and then you get the regulars, 1/2 who've probably been there as long as I do and I think of them, I can't say that many look that different to they did 8 years ago! Saying that, remaining in the same shape is probably an accomplishment in the first place! I am definitely more muscular than I was then and without a doubt more fit but my weight and fat content has not shifted, I go up and down 1/2 a stone and am much happier on the lower scale of it, but happy to remain within it. I think it is the same for most people there!

Or... how about this as a theory? She's in her 40's/50's and thinks she looks about your age. You approach her saying something about looking so good at her age. Illusion shattered.

My gym visits are changeable, some weeks once or twice, some weeks more often. She's always there.

Pepper, I didn't mention age at all. I just said, 'You look really great - what classes do you do, as I think I need to copy you'

Swing, are you at a David Lloyd

She also said, she hardly ever comes to the gym, which seems unlikely as she's there whenever I am!

This just shows that one person's "hardly ever" is another "often". Maybe she feels she should go more often. Maybe she doesn't have 16 million other things going on in her life. Who knows.

I hardly ever go to the gym. No, wait, that's wrong. I never go to the gym

I know someone in her 30's who is about 5'3 and 7st10. She is tiny but has to work hard at it and is always worried about food intake and weight.

I find that some younger women find it naturally easy but as you get older, it becomes a lot harder.

In my experience the women that age who say that it's all luck etc are lying and actually work very hard at maintaining their figures. The subconscious healthy kick people talk about doesn't exist - some people just eat/be active as they don't want to be fat.

One person's working hard is another person's normal.

I go to the gym 3 times a week, during which time I just do whatever I feel like doing that day. I might do a yoga or dance class on top of that once a week, as well as a fair amount of walking each day. I never feel any of this is a chore or excessive. I don't really think about it at all, it's just what I do.

Some of my friends think this is a massive amount of exercise. For them walking for 30 minutes a few times a week is being active, and anything more is a whole complicated regime. And then on the other side I have friends who do have a whole complicated regime, and they basically do what I do in a week in one of their many gym sessions.

To her mind she probably doesn't do much. To some others that's probably false, to others very true.