Eating and exercising like you did in your 20s/30s?
One of the biggest challenges around nutrition and fitness I’ve seen working with women 40+ is that most are still stuck following old habits/beliefs:
Eat as little as possible and the more exercise the better!
Exercise fasted to burn more fat
Avoid eating fruits and whole grains because they are full of sugar = fattening!
Eating hardly anything because “I’ll drink my calories today!”
“I was really bad on the weekend so I will eat less during the week!”
It is so hard to change beliefs that have been with us as long as we can remember. Especially when they may have produced some success in our younger years.
Here’s the thing. The strategies that may have worked for our younger selves will not cut it now that we are, ahem, ‘older’! Because … well, we are not the same!
Our body composition has changed, and continues to do so. These changes are mainly driven by the fact that our physiology is changing. This is a normal part of aging.
We start experiencing issues like insulin resistance, low bone density, muscle loss, mood disorders, peri and post menopausal symptoms.
Our stress may also be through the roof! Being in a constant ‘fight or flight’ state tells the body to pump cortisol which, among other issues, makes us more prone to storing fat.
Weaker bones, less muscle and more fat…plus thanks to the convenient world we live in, we are moving less and eating more ultra processed food than ever!
No bueno.
Following extreme measures is not going to help, in fact it might be doing the exact opposite.
What is there to do?
A little bit of self reflection and self compassion is a great start!. Working on our mindset as we work on our physique, because they are interconnected.
Here are some questions for you:
Are you still eating and exercising the way you did in your 20s and 30s? How is that working out for you?
Are you fueling properly? Recovering from exercise? Or pushing your body to a breaking point?
Is what you are doing making you feel anxious, deprived, tired, miserable?
Are you only looking at a number on the scale to measure your fitness/health?
Note how you are feeling in terms of energy, mood, strength, mobility and whatever else is important to you (like your sleep quality, seeing more definition in your arms or feeling sexier in your clothes!).
Our bodies are so amazing at telling us when something is not working out. We just need to take the time to listen.
You don’t have to fix everything at once or go through extreme measures. Start where you are.
"Many situations in life are similar to going on a hike: the view changes once you start walking.
You don't need all the answers right now. New paths will reveal themselves if you have the courage to get started." - James Clear.