Toning up at 50.

[Floyd15]

Just after some advice really. I'm looking to tone myself up but struggling. I'm a gym regular and have recently upped my sessions to 3 strength classes and 2 cardio based classes per week. I walk atleast 10,000 steps every day. I haven't always been the most disciplined with my diet but have recently really cut back carbs and alcohol. To increase my protein I've been adding protein powder to my breakfast smoothie, added another protein drink in the afternoon and eat a grenade bar. I'm dismayed to see I've put on half a stone and my belt is 2 notches tighter. I'm 5ft8 and now 11st 3lbs. My stomach and arms gave gained weight but not toned. Any toned ladies of 50 who can help? I'm sure its my diet.

Cut the protein stuff and have fruit and veg instead. Post menopause you need around 200 calories a day less than before so make sure you are not overeating - so want to lose some fat I think but you are in fact a healthy weight for your height ?

However It's highly unlikely that you need additional protein - it's just another fad

Look at the quality of exercise you are doing as well as the quantity - what weights do you use, do you give your body recovery time. Make sure you pull your tummy in for anything core- better to do less but with great technique

I "tone" with just yoga

Be realistic - many images are enhanced one way or another or rely on extreme and unhealthy ways to sculpt ( rather than tone )

Sounds like it's your diet. If you add protein to your diet you might have added more calories as a result. Might be with keeping a food diary for a few weeks to see how much you're eating and try to reduce the amount from that?

Protein is not a fad but you don't need supplement for it - meat and food protein sources are better. Just need to make sure you have enough grams for your body.

Try hill walking for a full body workout

Thank you. The weight gain around my middle is noticeable and coincides with me adding protein powders. I was just dismayed as I've been so good at my gym classes recently. I'm ditching the powder and sticking to a healthy diet instead.

If you add more calories, you will probably gain weight. Protein is good for you, especially in menopause, so look at your diet as a whole (kcal, macros). What kind of strength classes do you do? I'm bit younger than you but I'm focusing on lifting weights over excess cardio.

Protein is good for you but most western diets even post menopause contain more than enough

that's what I mean by fad - people are being encouraged to buy ( often poor quality highly processed food ) to boost their protein when they have enough anyway

I disagree with cutting back on the protein if you are lifting heavy.
if you are just adding protein on top of what you normally eat though it’s just extra calories. I would also avoid protein bars - just use whey protein (or plant version).

Yes, as others have said, avoid the “manufactured protein products”. Stick to eggs, cook a whole chicken and snack on that etc.

How heavy are you going on your strength classes? If it's a class like Body Pump, then unless you're lifting the same weights as the instructor, you're unlikely to need as much protein as you're getting.
The first thing I'd drop is the grenade bar. Are you having one every day? They're loads of calories and it's effectively eating a full on chocolate bar every day. And a calorific one like a Boost, not just a Milky Way.
If you're having protein powder and protein drink and a normal healthy diet AND a grenade bar......that's a LOT of extra calories for what to me sounds like a regular amount of exercise.

Can you use a tracking app for a month? Sounds like your cals are more than you need. Protein can be yoghurt at breakfast, fish or beans at lunch, and fish/meat at dinner. That is enough. No need for powder or bars.

I found low impact, low weights but high reps worked for me massively

I used to do circuit and boxercise type classes 3 times per week. I've added strength classes in to make 5 sessions a week. I specifically chose strength as I wanted to improve my technique. No way am I lifting as heavy as the instructor, but I am getting stronger. Naively I've been looking at people (younger) doing Cross Fit for years and their regimes (and bodies lol). I'll drop the protein powders, grenade bars etc. Stick to fish, chicken, eggs, vegetables etc.

Also consider adding in some yoga or pilates, both very good for toning and general flexibility.

But it doesn’t sound like@Floyd15 is lifting heavy in a weight lifting definition of lifting - Body Pump classes aren’t really lifting.

Im 65 lift heavy and train hard and add protein powder to Greek yoghurt as one of my 3 meals a day. I eat a lot of vegetables and tend not to eat white/processed carbs. I aim to eat about 1500 calories a day with one day where I’ll go to 2000.

So if you substitute protein powder for a carb- heavy meal (sandwiches at lunchtime say) then that’s probably OK.But those do-called protein bars are not worth the calories.

I'm getting stronger but don't lift that heavy. I am active but my problem has always been with diet. I have a sweet tooth and being naturally slim till my 40s I find it hard to be disciplined. I have a holiday in 2 weeks so am trying hard to avoid the bread and sugar. It's my stomach that has gained the weight.

I'm 5'8" and 61yo.

I run 5k two or three times a week and practice karate and some yoga. Plus cut the lawn, carry shopping etc.

Keeping a steady weight post-menopause can take a bit of practice. I've found if I eat fish/meat and fruit/veg, it's relatively straightforward.

I avoid alcohol, UPFs, sugary stuff, and anything with sweetner in it. Carbs come from beans, brown rice and root veg rather than bread/pasta/couscous. I eat as much as I want.

I'm holding steady at about 10st 2lb, and don't miss the things I've cut out. If I have a glass of wine (once in a blue moon) it tastes fabulous but I don't want a second one. 🙂

OP, can you swap white bread for good quality wholemeal? Perhaps a Waitrose Heyford.
Swap white pasta for wholemeal. White rice for brown.

It's a pain-free process but does make a difference.

You could be me @Floyd15 i was skinny as a rake till I was about 40!

So now I focus on satiety in my food and eating a LOT of free/red vegetables as well as lean protein.

A typical meal - usually lunch- will be 2 tuna steaks (Iceland do good frozen ones) plus 3 grilled tomatoes a couple of peppers and about 400 grammes of steamed broccoli. It’s a huge amount but only about 400 calories!

And I get good lean protein.

In my 50’s too and going thru menopause right now so same boat. I’ve always been quite slim, every time I did the protein powder thing I would balloon 5 kg on top of my weight so stopped doing powder. Nowadays I just eat plenty of lean protein: lentils, beans, egg white omelettes, grilled fish and chicken. Works for me. I stay away from that evil protein powder that only works for body builders, for the rest of us “common folk” it just adds weight.

Thank you. You've all been really helpful.

Have you tried reformer Pilates? I’m over 50 and it has totally transformed my core.

What do you mean by toned? It's a bit of a nonsense word. You are either building or strengthening muscle, or losing fat, or both. You won't look toned even if you have muscle if there is too much fat on top. No need to add extra protein, you're just adding more calories. You need to lose fat if you want the muscle to show more.

Weightlifters and bodybuilders use protein powders to bulk up

What on earth made you take those

You're exercising a lot so it's definitely your diet and portion sizes and whatever you're snacking on

Although don't think protein powder is a must there is a lot of misinformation posted here about it being only for body builders. It can be useful if you have a sweet tooth, and for women approaching peri menopause it's actually more important to have more protein than when you're young. Most western diet has more than enough protein already? To not die, yes, for optimal health, not necessarily.