To think I can’t improve my body at 40?

[Fatatforty]

I am 5 foot 2, at 25 I was a size 8 and 8 stone. 2 kids later and 40 years old I am 10 and a half stone and a size 14. I am also wobbly, and covered in cellulite with an overhanging stomach. I tried a bikini on for my holiday today and cried. My body just looks so pasty and un toned.

I Am disappointed as for the last 12 weeks I have been going to the gym twice a week and I cannot notice any difference. Do I just need to give it longer? The trainer gave me a routine of leg press, leg abductor, chess press, shoulder press, and i also do 10 minutes on the cross trainer as a warm up and cool down.

Diet wise I have tried slimming world but don’t enjoy all the cooking, and calorie counting but I get hungry and go over every day. I’m starting to feel like this is it for me, am I being unreasonable for thinking it’s just too difficult to get the body I want.

Hi OP 👋 I'm the same, no time outside of work in summer. I tend to bring the kids on v long walk, one in buggy and one on the balance bike, and go as fast as they can manage! I then have time to do other exercise when my husband is around 2-3 times a week for short stints.

I'm 45 and I haven't given up hope of improving my body (even though my motivation to actually do it doesn't match the hope!🤣)
I run 3 or 4 times a week and do 1 or 2 bootcamps with weights, but I struggle with improving my eating. (MN would be appalled at all the carbs I eat!)
I don't "need" to lose weight but I'd like to be more toned and look better in a bikini. I did brave one on holiday but I didn't feel confident.

Of course you can fgs.
More protein
Only eat REAL food - cut out anything processed
Switch to wholewheat carbs
Cut down on sweets and chocolate
Healthy fats - avo, nuts and seeds, nut butter
Lean chicken and fish - no processed meat
Stop treating your body like a skip - you deserve better !
Weight training is great but I'd throw some hiit/ cardio in there too. And just walk more !

Of course you can. I'm 38, currently 10 stone 5. 5 foot 1. Was 11 stone 11 last year. I exercise just by walking at the moment. I still have muscle tone from when I did weights so I don't look that flabby. I've been pregnant 3 times in the last 3 years and have had a c section. I want to get my pre pregnancy weight of 8 stone 10. 40 isn't old. You're making excuses. You can do it! Why didn't you enjoy cooking with slimming world? There are some quick recipes. I've been doing it since last year.

I used to cry because my post-baby 40-ish body was ugly. Now I wish I could go back in time to when ugliness was my only problem. I have significant pain which is being investigated, I’m terrified I have cancer or some awful disease like MS. Ironically it has taken this to make me realise that being ugly doesn’t matter as long as you’re healthy.

I’m nearly 50 and reformer Pilates has changed my body completely. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been. Slim toned and strong. Reformer Pilates is my preferred method but normal Pilates is a hard work out and absolutely changes your body

The food is the key to the weightloss but the exercise is vital for health, strength etc.

In the past I have done SW and put it all back on - never again. Teaches nothing about nutrition and sustaining weight loss. Their business model is about people returning. Anyway I digress.

2.5 years ago I discovered macros - lost 2 stone and sustained it - never ever managed that before. You do need to know your calorie intake as the only way to lose weight is to make sure you are in a calorie deficit. And don't just go for the standard 1200 call people trot out!! We are all different. Use a macro calculator to get your cals. I just focus on the calories and protein intake. Just eating healthily won't necessarily make you lose weight if you aren't in a calorie deficit.

The other thing that has made a huge difference to my shape is strength/resistance training. I started with a PT 121 as I had zero experience. Now in a small class.

So:
Calories/ focus on protein

Strength training 3 times per week

Steps - makes a huge difference. Aim for 7k to 10k per day.

Cardio - anything that you enjoy that raises your heart rate twice a week. This is for health not weight loss. I love walking so hill walking is good.

Good water intake

Sleep

Good intake of Veggies within your calories.

Try and reduce stress.

And for sustainability do not cut any food groups or restrict - this will lead to binging. Build in things you like to your macros/calories. If you like chocolate etc make sure you fit some in your macros.

It takes a while to build habits but consistency is the key not perfection - this gets long term results. If you have a bad day - just pick up the next day rather than on a downward spiral.

Take your measurements- that motivated me as the inches came off.

Good luck!!

You're using your age as an excuse not to.

I'm 45 and although not over-weight, my body is nothing like it was in my 20s after 2 DC. I joined a gym recently but struggling to get motivated as I don't love it. Agree with others that you need to be committed and going a lot. Im not seeing a lot of results going twice a week either. But what I do know works for me is sticking at my weekly yoga class and running and walking. Post Covid I challenged myself to 15000 steps a day (walking or running) and that made a huge difference. I work at home so I'd take an hour away from my desk and stay on my feet as much as possible. We have a running machine which I don't like running on but will happily walk while watching Netflix.

I turn 40 next month. I am about 5 stone heavier than when I was 25. Not had any kids. I have cellulite, plenty of wobbly bits and poor body image.

but I am determined that my 40s will be my healthiest yet.

follow esgfitness on instagram- by far and away the best advice on nutrition, fat loss and exercise.

focus on protein and fruit/veg. Ditch slimming world. It’s a business that teaches you nothing about healthy eating and relies on people putting the weight back on so you keep going back to them

find exercise that you enjoy and can keep doing. Resistance training is important as you get older

we can do this. I am now doing CrossFit (class based) and following the esgfitness program

2 weeks is absolutely not long enough to notice a difference. I lost a few stone recently, I'm not far of your age. I found calorie counting and slimming world did not work for me. The only thing that made a difference was cutting out carbs. It might not work for you but I found keto meant I could eat when I'm hungry as long as it wasn't a carb or sugar.

lots of good advice already but have you thought about looking at something like Les Mills classes?

Some gyms have subscriptions or there is an at home version there are so many classes on there including body pump (weights) dance, aerobics, bare , body balance (yoga type) core and they do programs such as strength development.

The classes are really good quality with such an eclectic mix of workouts.

I don’t think you can expect particularly quick results but possibly taking measurements and photos might be a better guide than the scale

I am in process of transforming my body in my late 40s. Am 6 months in and the changes are dramatic.

Diet - Mediterranean ish, lots of veg and wholegrains and pulses

Exercise- do Team Body Project 4-5 times a week, mix of cardio and resistance and pilates.

Have gone from needing a lie down after 10 minutes to powering through 50 minutes of HIIT.

Exercise alone twice a week isn't going to make you drop a lot of weight. You don't burn that many calories in the gym, we're taking a biscuit or two.

The key is diet.
The loosing weight will only happen if you burn more than you eat. Yes the gym will help a little and make you feel better but most of the burning calories will be out of the gym.

Do a bit of research into calorie intake, metabolic rate etc and go from there to get you calorie intake.

You may not like counting calories but it's the key. You put on weight by eating too many calories for what your body needs. You need to reverse that.

I follow Caroline Girvan on youtube/her app. It's mostly weights-focusses although some of the programmes have HIIT.
Five or six workouts a week and an active rest day. Done in the house - I have spent a fair bit on weights but I'd probably have spent more on a gym membership.

As well as that I eat very clean and pay attention to my macros/protein intake.

If you are consistent with all of this you will see results. There's a fb group and some of the before and after pictures are beyond inspirational - and some of them are women that only started in their 50s, so 40 is nothing.

am 38. What has worked for me is to face some stark facts -

1. South Asian women including my line of women have a strong history of type 2 diabetes and related illnesses.
2. I do not wish to be my female relatives.
3. I love potatoes and rice because my culture raised me to love and thrive on this.
4. Unfortunately my body is not able to handle potatoes rice and grains. They are lovely, nothing compares to them for me but I cannot eat them. Sad isn’t it, but it is what it is.

Once I genuinely stared at these facts - and said out loud how much I have been raised to depend on potatoes and rice and once I took long hard loving caring yet mindful looks at Mum, aunt aunt aunt and aunt - I realised that it simply is time to face the facts.

Within a month of cold turkeying out of my learnt way of living (based on potatoes and grains which offered me emotional comfort since I was 6 months) - I found that with healthy proteins, lots of vegetables and fruit - I no longer appeared To link happiness and comfort to the very food groups which me as a South Asian woman was being entirely unable to handle. The weight loss followed, bloating went away, hunger pangs went away.

I swim twice a week for pleasure, I do a Pilates and yoga class twice a week for pleasure and I do some treadmill twice a week also for pleasure.

It began for me by admitting how much I love potatoes and rice and how demonstrably as a south Asian woman I was tipping into becoming mum and aunties who were never ever told about their risks and never had the chance to feel happy with lesser amounts of white carbs as the bulk and basis of every single meal.

I am mid 40s and very time limited. I have noticed a difference in myself from daily yoga (I do yoga with Adrienne 15-30 mins a day). I am going to start body pump again soon. I did that in my 30s and noticed a quickish change (after a month in). I also cut out alcohol but find that one really hard to stick to as find it hard to unwind after a busy day. I wish I loved exercise but I don't. Just been on holiday and enjoyed paddleboarding in the sea so might try a local hire place for that too although too expensive to do regularly.

I'm a few months off 40. During lockdown I reached just over 10 stone and a size 12 so I decided I had to do something about it. Three years later and I'm now around a size 8 and I actually have a really strong core and even slightly defined abs, which has taken the longest to achieve, though I wasn't trying to (I think running has helped with that). I exercise at least once a day, and I run. I lost weight the quickest by cutting out unhealthy food straight away (I eat more probably now because I exercise so much). Added muscle has probably made me heavier but I don't check my weight now.

Twice a week doing what you've listed, isn't going to do much or at least quickly, so I'm not surprised. Get yourself a smart watch. Try couch to 5k if you haven't tried running before.

It is possible to have a better body in your 40s than in your 20s. I achieved it by cutting out pretty much all upf, bread, sugar and starchy carbs. Other than that I eat anything I fancy, do not restrict portions or calorie count. My bmi is now 19 and body fat about 21% which is less than when I was 21 probably because my diet is cleaner.

I do 30 min Caroline Girvan weights most days and take hrt. Very limited cardio and only get around 6000 steps a day. Currently trying to build muscle and gain lean body mass.

Op, if no one's ever told you - you are only about 6kg over the crap BMI. It's not that bad. A few incremental changes on maily diet and mental health will help.

Sometimes we tend to think we are worse than we are.

It's weird because I'm 10 stone 5 and 5 foot 1 and don't think I look that fat or flabby! Goal weight is 8 stone 10 atm. Maybe I'm a bit deluded. I know it's overweight.

What size weights do you use @Bubbles254 ?

You can but it will take a long time and commitment.

It took a strict diet, 1,500 calories a day worked for me (5ft 8 ) and long distance walking (training for a walking marathon) but it worked for me. Took over a year but my body changed drastically (as did my fitness).

I am doing CG iron series at the moment and usually use about half the weight Caroline does! (from 2 x 3kg dumbells to 2 x15kg depending on the exercise. Fairly new to weight training and exercise though so building up slowly.

Sounds like you have a good start on fitness, and I bet those exercises are easier now than they were when you started. Fitness is use it or lose it. Although like other posters said, you could do with going a bit more often. But I think changing how you look comes as much from diet as from exercise.