Want more energy and to feel good like I used to!

[Wantanewbody]

I’m 45, had a child at 40, lots of energy before then 😅I need to shift a couple of stone, have regular kidney stones and possibly some signs of peri..period changes and I don’t look as good anymore.
I want to change, I want to feel the way I did before and have energy, what’s the best way to go about it?
I feel life is so busy with a little one and working, when to fit in exercise and how? I walk the dog everyday but even that’s not really far and for long, due to trying to squeeze everything in. The only time I really have free is every other night from 7 pm onwards (when Dh does Dds bedtime)
I want to look better, was once a gym bunny, but I find now it’s more about me wanting to feel better, have more energy, have less aching (sometimes get random aching in arms and shoulders/neck 🤷🏻‍♀️)
Is it my age, having a child, possible peri? What’s brought on the change since 4/5 years ago?

How is everyone else doing at a similar age?

I don't know. I am knackered and overweight with no energy and a susceptibility to migraine
So I have no clue

@sequincardi Awful, isn’t it 😫Are you a similar age?

Ooh this is me OP! Had child at 40, who is now 2.5. I've aged a decade and have zero energy. I ask myself the same questions- is it just having a boisterous toddler? Is it being in your 40's? Is it being so bloody busy working with DC etc??

I don't know. I used to be a gym bunny too but haven't found the time and have 1.5 stone of baby weight. BMI is 25 but tipping over.

I'm hoping I can turn things around. I was recently inspired by Wendy Ida (stumbled across online) who is in her 60's and looks amazing and full of energy but found herself in a rut in her 40's with young DC having left an abusive relationship and overweight. I thought, well if she can so it so can I!

My plan is stopping alcohol, sugar and wheat. I do eat healthy but I do normally have some of these things as well. But I'm going to entirely cut them out. Im also really focussing on eating lots of different plants, following Tim Spector.

Next I am going to slightly increase childcare to enable me to have a golden hour each weekday to exercise. I've decided it's a priority as I want to live long and have energy to run round after my dc.

Finally I'm trying to reconnect and nurture my friendships, some of which have slipped away since motherhood. Research shows that having a few meaningful friendships lengthens your life. It's just a case of texting and getting off my bum to arrange things.

I have only just started on this road so no idea if it will help but I'm going to give it a good go!

Placemarking by suggesting you take Vitamin D every day as it can cause general pain if your level is low, its generally accepted that if you live in the UK you do need to supplement it in winter.

@firealarmmum Perhaps it’s having a child a little later then 🤷🏻‍♀️
I was planning a similar thing, to try to squeeze 4 hrs of working out/swimming into the week and I’d really love to do an evening yoga class, I just never have the energy by night time

@Pixiedust1234 Thank you, I did do lots of supplements during covid, but it’s fallen by the wayside recently

From 42 to 45 I felt at my lowest and looked my worst, and I didn't even have very young children. Like you I had random aches and pains, and felt sluggish, bloated and headachey almost all the time. Oh, and 2 stone worth of weight creep.
I'm 53 now and couldn't feel better. Energy back to my 30s levels, two stone off, health niggles disappeared. Its a combination of being post menopause and on HRT, going vegan, walking briskly every day and resting wherever possible without guilt.

Diet will play a huge role in how you feel, not just in terms of losing weight but energy levels, sugar spikes/crashes, etc. I found switching to intermittent fasting has worked really well for me (started summer 2020 after putting on a stone over lockdown) as well as taking up running again (Couch 2 5k) at the same time.

Agree that taking a Vit D supplement might help, plus getting as much sleep as you can (I know that part isn’t easy!) I find I have to exercise first thing in the morning or I am too tired/unmotivated to do it later. I get up at 5.45am 3 days a week and aim to run 4-5 miles. It’s not fun getting out of bed, particularly in mid-winter but I do feel 100 times better after doing it.

Once you’re in your 40s, especially with small kids, life can start to feel like a real slog. I think some of it, in my case anyway, is perimenopause related so you do have to start thinking about how diet and exercise combined with hormones effects how you feel.

I found Cynthia Thurlow’s TED talk really interesting and it chimed a lot with me, hence taking up intermittent fasting.