70 lbs down, 67 years old, weight lifter and gym rat! (Lots of pics)
luluinca
Posts: 2,899 Member
Next month on Sept. 17th I will have been here for 4 years. I reached my maintenance weight a couple of weeks ago. I started here at the recommendation of my doctor because I'd been either sick or essentially disabled for about 5 years between a terrible back injury and a year long intestinal illness that first caused me to lose weight and then gain it all back plus some.
I joined a gym and started swimming and once I'd lost a few pounds and began feeling like I could exercise again I hired a trainer. They called her Doc at the gym because she wasn't just a personal trainer, she was a trained and well educated physical therapist. I was so lucky to find her. We worked together for a year before she moved to another gym and by the time we were done my back pain was gone, along with the numbness all down my left leg, and I was gaining strength back by leaps and bounds.
The next year I hired another trainer, a former Marine. He worked me hard and had me doing all the big compound lifts plus we were still working on my back as well as some issues I have with my hips. By this time I'd lost about 50 lbs and was feeling pretty good about myself and stronger than I had since my 40's
The following year I maintained my weight because even though I wasn't really done losing I suffered a frozen shoulder injury followed by a knee injury, both of our daughters got married (one of them in our back yard) and my husband was seriously ill the entire year. I was proud of myself for still making it to the gym and doing what I could and not gaining the weight back that I'd lost. When my shoulder was too sore to lift weights I began running and when my knee was too sore to run I was able to lift weights again.
At the beginning of this year I hired another trainer and dedicated myself to building strength and losing the last 20 lbs.........done and done!
I haven't missed a day of checking in here since I began and I plan to continue logging my meals and exercise as long as I have the ability to do so! Consistency and determination with a bit of stubbornness along the way are what got me here I guess.
Sorry about the sideways pics but you get the idea!
I joined a gym and started swimming and once I'd lost a few pounds and began feeling like I could exercise again I hired a trainer. They called her Doc at the gym because she wasn't just a personal trainer, she was a trained and well educated physical therapist. I was so lucky to find her. We worked together for a year before she moved to another gym and by the time we were done my back pain was gone, along with the numbness all down my left leg, and I was gaining strength back by leaps and bounds.
The next year I hired another trainer, a former Marine. He worked me hard and had me doing all the big compound lifts plus we were still working on my back as well as some issues I have with my hips. By this time I'd lost about 50 lbs and was feeling pretty good about myself and stronger than I had since my 40's
The following year I maintained my weight because even though I wasn't really done losing I suffered a frozen shoulder injury followed by a knee injury, both of our daughters got married (one of them in our back yard) and my husband was seriously ill the entire year. I was proud of myself for still making it to the gym and doing what I could and not gaining the weight back that I'd lost. When my shoulder was too sore to lift weights I began running and when my knee was too sore to run I was able to lift weights again.
At the beginning of this year I hired another trainer and dedicated myself to building strength and losing the last 20 lbs.........done and done!
I haven't missed a day of checking in here since I began and I plan to continue logging my meals and exercise as long as I have the ability to do so! Consistency and determination with a bit of stubbornness along the way are what got me here I guess.
Sorry about the sideways pics but you get the idea!
91
Replies
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Awesome job! You look fantastic!0
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fitand50inSD wrote: »Awesome job! You look fantastic!
Thank you!0 -
Now THAT's a talkin' to!
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Now THAT's a talkin' to!
Haha, thanks Jerome!0 -
Truly inspiring, way to make the lifestyle work in your life. You look great.2
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You are such an inspiration to me--Turning your health around through diet and exercise, who'd have thought ?!2
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I should probably add that I didn't do any kind of special diet. Just ate things I normally eat including lean meats, fish, lots of veggies and fruit and an average amount of Carbs and a bit of dark chocolate when I could fit it in. Most of the time my macros were set at 40% Carbs and 30% each of fat and protein. Right now my trainer has me at 35% Carbs, 35% Protein and 30% Fat.
I don't eat back a lot of my exercise calories because generally they seem inflated to me and I figure I'm making some logging mistakes anyway so I just go by what seems to be working calorie wise depending on what my current goal is. Results are more important than some kind of guessing game to me. I like to have a little splurge on the weekends by either eating out or maybe having a glass of wine or the occasional Margarita.
Right now I'm gradually upping my calories but still losing about .5 lb a week so I need to work harder at that.
Wishing everyone who reads this great success!
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You are my new hero. I'm 56 and have done well on weight loss (62 lbs) but now I need to tone up. I'll be keeping your success in mind.1
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You are my new hero. I'm 56 and have done well on weight loss (62 lbs) but now I need to tone up. I'll be keeping your success in mind.
Congratulations on the impressive weight loss!
One thing I've learned over the last four years is how important strength training is as we age. Not only does it keep us from losing muscle (a natural occurrence in the aging process) but we can still build muscle and even change the composition of our bodies if we work hard. Besides improving muscle tone it helps us maintain our flexibility and mobility, and just as important, it can improve and even reverse bone density issues. The old adage "move it or lose it" is especially true as we get older.
Good luck on your goal!2 -
Next month on Sept. 17th I will have been here for 4 years. I reached my maintenance weight a couple of weeks ago. I started here at the recommendation of my doctor because I'd been either sick or essentially disabled for about 5 years between a terrible back injury and a year long intestinal illness that first caused me to lose weight and then gain it all back plus some.
I joined a gym and started swimming and once I'd lost a few pounds and began feeling like I could exercise again I hired a trainer. They called her Doc at the gym because she wasn't just a personal trainer, she was a trained and well educated physical therapist. I was so lucky to find her. We worked together for a year before she moved to another gym and by the time we were done my back pain was gone, along with the numbness all down my left leg, and I was gaining strength back by leaps and bounds.
The next year I hired another trainer, a former Marine. He worked me hard and had me doing all the big compound lifts plus we were still working on my back as well as some issues I have with my hips. By this time I'd lost about 50 lbs and was feeling pretty good about myself and stronger than I had since my 40's
The following year I maintained my weight because even though I wasn't really done losing I suffered a frozen shoulder injury followed by a knee injury, both of our daughters got married (one of them in our back yard) and my husband was seriously ill the entire year. I was proud of myself for still making it to the gym and doing what I could and not gaining the weight back that I'd lost. When my shoulder was too sore to lift weights I began running and when my knee was too sore to run I was able to lift weights again.
At the beginning of this year I hired another trainer and dedicated myself to building strength and losing the last 20 lbs.........done and done!
I haven't missed a day of checking in here since I began and I plan to continue logging my meals and exercise as long as I have the ability to do so! Consistency and determination with a bit of stubbornness along the way are what got me here I guess.
Sorry about the sideways pics but you get the idea!
What an incredible story! You are amazing indeed!! I am really inspired and want to show my mom this!!1 -
Thank you for posting. You are an amazing source if inspiration to all of us on our health journey. I wish you continued success and tip my hat to you and your determination thru many set backs. Thanks0
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You are my new hero. I'm 56 and have done well on weight loss (62 lbs) but now I need to tone up. I'll be keeping your success in mind.
Congratulations on the impressive weight loss!
One thing I've learned over the last four years is how important strength training is as we age. Not only does it keep us from losing muscle (a natural occurrence in the aging process) but we can still build muscle and even change the composition of our bodies if we work hard. Besides improving muscle tone it helps us maintain our flexibility and mobility, and just as important, it can improve and even reverse bone density issues. The old adage "move it or lose it" is especially true as we get older.
Good luck on your goal!
BTW can you please share you usual lifting routine?0 -
@mustb60, thanks for the kind words and good luck to your mom. Just because we're old doesn't mean we have to give up!
Right now I'm doing a 4 day split, 2 upper body and 2 legs.
Day #1
Bench press
Lat pulldown
Cable seated row
Flys
Incline Dumbbell bench press
Day#2
Back squats
Dead lifts
Sumo squats
Straight leg deads
Leg press
Calf raises
Day#3
Bench press
Dumbbell bicep curl
Cable rope tricep extension
Barbell upright row
Dumbbell shoulder press
Day #4
Back squats
Dead lifts
Straight leg dead lifts
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Hip abductors/adductors
My trainer changes my workout every 4 to 6 weeks. I also do 2 hours of StairMaster a week and lots of core and hip/shoulder rehab as a warm-up. On active recovery days I walk my dog and swim.
Hope that helps!3 -
Amazing - and motivating. You've struggled through a lot and earned your success.0
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Wow, fantastic!! Rock on! 0
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Jeffagner2 wrote: »Amazing - and motivating. You've struggled through a lot and earned your success.
Thank you..........I learned a lot in the process! Most of which I wish I'd learned when I was much younger....LOL0 -
wow congrats you look amazing
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Inspiring! Congratulations!0
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@mustb60, thanks for the kind words and good luck to your mom. Just because we're old doesn't mean we have to give up!
Right now I'm doing a 4 day split, 2 upper body and 2 legs.
Day #1
Bench press
Lat pulldown
Cable seated row
Flys
Incline Dumbbell bench press
Day#2
Back squats
Dead lifts
Sumo squats
Straight leg deads
Leg press
Calf raises
Day#3
Bench press
Dumbbell bicep curl
Cable rope tricep extension
Barbell upright row
Dumbbell shoulder press
Day #4
Back squats
Dead lifts
Straight leg dead lifts
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Hip abductors/adductors
My trainer changes my workout every 4 to 6 weeks. I also do 2 hours of StairMaster a week and lots of core and hip/shoulder rehab as a warm-up. On active recovery days I walk my dog and swim.
Hope that helps!
Thank You! 0 -
michael1976_ca wrote: »wow congrats you look amazingJohnEContin wrote: »Inspiring! Congratulations!
Thank you both..........and I feel great!0 -
You look like you got into a time machine and came out younger! Congrats on your hard work and the awesome results!0
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goldthistime wrote: »You look like you got into a time machine and came out younger! Congrats on your hard work and the awesome results!
Thanks for the great compliment! 1 -
I absolutely love your post! I'll be turning 58 in a couple of weeks and I have lost 85 lbs within the last couple of years. I want to lose about 30 more lbs to get to my goal. I also started going to the gym and like to work out on the weight machines however I have arthritis in my left hip that has been acting up. I'm going to an acupuncturist Friday and hope it helps with the pain. I love getting stronger and you are such an inspiration! Thanks so much for your post!2
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l1bbylabel7 wrote: »I absolutely love your post! I'll be turning 58 in a couple of weeks and I have lost 85 lbs within the last couple of years. I want to lose about 30 more lbs to get to my goal. I also started going to the gym and like to work out on the weight machines however I have arthritis in my left hip that has been acting up. I'm going to an acupuncturist Friday and hope it helps with the pain. I love getting stronger and you are such an inspiration! Thanks so much for your post!
Thanks for the kind words. Good luck with the arthritis....I know how that feels and it's no fun! And congrats on the weight loss.....that's a great success story right there!0 -
Wonderful to see another 60+yo woman having success lifting.
Great progress.
Cheers, h.1
This discussion has been closed.
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