Changing your physique in your 50’s

[Dominique]

My half-naked selfies are admittedly lousy and I haven’t got that many, but I did find one from December 2014 (on the left) that I put next to a recent one (August 2018):

Back then (53-yo), I was 68.0 kg (BMI 22.5, body fat 18% according to Aria scale) and had just started to lift weights for the first time in my life. Now (57-yo), I’m 58.4 kg (BMI 19.3, BF 13.8%) and I’ve been lifting weights 4-5 times a week. I’ve also tried to improve my diet.

Changing your physique in your 50’s may be slow, but you can see some results if you’re consistent with your training and your diet.

[Odyssey13]

Nice @Dominique and inspiring!

My friends and I compete in weekly challenges. Each one moans about their weight and yet, if we go out to eat, they EAT! . My friends will say "I deserve this cupcake" or "I'll work it off later" when they know they are going to sit and watch a movie on tv. Slow and steady wins the race and I'm in this to win, even if the finish line isn't for a few more years. Moderation in all things and not denying yourself a few small treats.

Now that you've gotten into shape, will you still lift weights 4-5 times a week? I like your new glasses, too.

[Dominique]

Thanks for the kind words, @Odyssey13! Yes, I view this as a work in progress and I don’t intend to stop lifting weights. I work out at home (built my own little home gym), which is very convenient. I do enjoy being able to eat quite a bit (for my size and age), thanks to being physically active.

[DanielleinDC]

Thanks for the inspo. I just turned 50 about six weeks ago, and I'm trying to change my physique (although I started my journey in my late 40s). I do some dumbbell work, but I also do a lot of bodyweight exercises. The main difference I've noticed in the past few weeks is I'm seeing more and more definition in my biceps.

[WendyB]

You look great @Dominique! Congrats! I know you have worked very hard at it.

[Dominique]

Way to go, @DanielleinDC, it’s never too late, and you’re never too old to start! The good thing with resistance training is you can focus your efforts on areas you want to develop (unlike fat loss, which won’t let you "spot reduce"). I’ve personally seen the most changes lately in my legs (quads, I’m not flexible enough to see my hamstrings ), which I had been neglecting in the beginning (so I’m probably seeing "newbie gains" in them). 

And thanks for the compliment, @WendyB! 

[DanielleinDC]

I know you can't spot reduce, but I wish I'd seen some reduction in my belly.  But I did one of those higi stations yesterday (measures BP, pulse, weight, and body fat), and I noticed a small reduction in my body fat. So yay?

[lavabelle]

Looking Good @Dominique! Nice work!

[Dominique]

Thanks, @lavabelle! I’m hoping the photo on the right will be my "before" photo three years from now, when I turn 60 .

[AmySterling]

I have to laugh because I am a female in your exact age range and being forced to work 10-12 hrs a day 7 days a week for the past 2 years really destroyed my normal upkeep and fitness. Unlike many women I always found it easy to build muscle and wanted to avoid a bulky look for obvious reasons. When I was young we had none of the info we have now on so many aspects of nutrition and fitness. It is a wonder I was able to stay in relatively good shape!

Going back to the gym last year was a shocker. I felt like I had to work insanely hard to get any muscle mass whereas I used to lift a small amount and easily get results. Now that I have Fitbit - it seems a bit easier. So I think this is a great tool and I applaud how great you have done! Amazing and wonderful !

[pjf53]

Hello Dominique,

I am a 66 year old male, at your starting state and would like to get to your current state.  I have a bit of "flab" due in part to my starting point (morbid obesity) but mostly due to I have more fat to lose.  

Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes took off the first 35 pounds before it was diagnosed and controlled.  I've calorie counted (2,000 per day) and undertaken an active lifestyle mostly focused on biking and tennis lo lose the next 40 pounds more than once.

For the most part resistance training has not been a part of my lifestyle and it was evident in my reduced weight physique.  I've introduced a routine of planks, pushups, squat thrusts, bird dogs, and hip thrusts and am pleased with the results they are producing but realize I need more, biceps for example.

It seems I can eat more with the resistance work I have added without gaining weight.  Experience tells me not to get carried away with that thought as I risk again gaining what I worked so hard to lose.

My inclination is to increase my daily calorie intake to 2,500 hoping to eventually lose all of the excess fat.

Do you have recommendations?

Thanks,  

Peter

[Dominique]

@pjf53 : you provided the following info about yourself in your community profile: "adult weight 265. Lowest is 180 (35 years ago). Currently 205 down from 220 seven weeks ago."

Is this up to date, or have your dropped further from 205? Since you also mention you have been yo-yoing your entire life, I think it is important you find a range (about ± 10 lbs) within which you can reliably maintain your weight. Maybe that could be something like 190-210? The longer you manage to maintain at a certain level (within a relatively narrow band), the "easier" it will become and the less likely a big rebound will be. Once you have maintained your weight at that same level for some time, it will also become easier to bring the fluctuation range down (e.g. to 170-190).

As to recommendations, I would suggest you include more resistance training (preferably focusing on big compound movements that involve multiple muscle groups at the same time) in your routine. It’s one of the key factors in minimising loss of lean mass when in a caloric deficit. Regarding calories: they must match your goal. Is your current goal to continue to lose weight? Or is it to maintain at the current level? Or is it to gain weight so as to add muscle mass? Whatever you do, try to do it in a managed way, avoiding too wide fluctuations. If you lose too fast, there’s an increase risk of lean mass loss. If you gain too fast, a large portion of the gain will come from fat rather than muscle.

I have no experience with diabetes / insulin resistance. Have you been able to bring your weight / body fat low enough so as to no longer need medication?

[pjf53]

Hi Dominique,

Thanks for replying.  I see I need to update my profile.  Since then I have been at or below 180 twice, most recently a few weeks ago.  I am at 191 now and have been here for several days.

I did bring my diabetes under control to a point the medication was ceased two years ago.  Unfortunately I reverted to bad habits necessitating the medication again.  My most recent test produced good results and one more test at that level will cause a medication reduction or elimination.  Added sugar and other processed carbs are the enemy of a type 2 diabetic.  

My specific goal is to have a normal physique with modest muscle mass and minimal excess fat.  I'm assuming that will be around 165-175 pounds.

At just under 5 foot, 9 inches tall I estimate I burn around 2,750 calories a day which would be a quarter of a pound a week if I consume 2,500 per day taking plus or minus 80 weeks to arrive at my goal.

[Dominique]

It’s difficult to give advice regarding the optimal weight management / body recomposition strategy without knowing more your "weight history". Since you’re relatively close to your adult life all-time low, and you appear to have a history of wide yo-yoing fluctuations, I would focus on maintaining your weight around the current level, so as to establish a new "settling point". The longer your weight stays at its new, lower level, the more likely it is your body will consider it the new normal level and you will avoid rebounding back to previous higher levels. If you wish to go down to 165-175, I would do it in several phases rather than grinding through it in a single phase (80 weeks is an awfully long time). Two steps forward, one step backward is sometimes a more efficient way to reach your destination.

[pjf53]

Thanks once again.  I am going to take your suggestion of making more aggressive reductions in phases and add more resistance to my workouts.  

[pjf53]

Hi Dominique,  

I have an update for you.  Since I last posted I have engaged a personal trainer.  Every time I have deployed strength training I have hurt myself and decided it is time to learn properly.  Roger (the trainer) is putting me through the paces using a variety of methods and tools including body weight, barbells, dumbells, elastic bands, chin bars, nylon straps and sled.  Many of the exercises incorporate compound body movements.  Ironically I strained a back muscle Monday.  Poor form is most likely the reason.  It is on the mend and I workout this afternoon.

The strength and conditioning is having a very positive impact on my physique.  Further, I've continued to lose weight, albeit more slowly, even though I've increased my consumption.  I was 187 pounds this morning.