Fit & Full & 50

Ranna51

I am a fit & full 50-year-old, and so glad to find this group. Thank you Jonette for starting! Are there any other 50+ ladies like me? I am 5'7'", very curvy - and don't think I will ever be thin (although I once was, back in my 20's). I would love to hear from other 'mature' curvy ladies like me. How do you stay strong? How do you manage your appetite and energy levels? I am very strong and athletic, but don't do anything more strenuous than an hour fast walk every day. I am currently at 154 pds, would like to get down to 145. Figure is 38-29-39 and I am okay with that. Just want to trim and tone a bit, but its so much harder at this age then 10 years ago. Not whining, just wondering what all of you others do to make it work and stay looking good.

Jonette01

Well IMO you are GORGEOUS! I'd be glad to have your figure at 50!!! Fast walking is great too... The only thing you probably want to do is resistance/weight training. I can't BEGIN to emphasize how wonderful this is for toning curves!

I'm totally redundant I know... but squats, leg lifts, and lunges, are great low impact workouts that can be done at home with or without weights. :happy:

Ranna51

Thank you! I am sure you're right - I actually did some resistance/weight training years ago, but I must have been doing something incorrectly, as it just made me bulk up. I guess I need to learn the right way to go about it. I will take your suggestions and look into the proper way to do this so I don't get too muscular again.

Jonette01

You know what.... I was thinking the same thing when I added weight training. Although I felt tight, I also thought it made me look too "strong"... if that makes sense. lol. I don't think it's anything specifically wrong with what we're doing. Part of me thinks it may be the curse of the "curvier figure." Naturally we are soft and very feminine, but if we lift weights...our hidden muscles become rocks!

Have you analyzed your diet around that time period. I noticed it happened when I was taking protein...but my guy friends tell me there is no way women could get bulky because we don't have testosterone :ohwell:

I'll look into it too since I am currently doing a lot of weight training... just so I can keep my shape while losing weight :glasses:

Ranna51

I'm going to try and dig up a little more information about how to resistance/weight train without bulking up - could absolutely be diet. I would love to hire a fitness trainer but just don't have the funds right now. I do know someone who is fit and strong (like us), and also curvey/full-bodied. She is an athlete and has worked with trainers before, so might be a good source of knowledge about how to do it without looking like a muscleman. I'll let you know what I find out.

gilberts3

Hi I'm not 50 I'm 48 it is harder for me to lose weight now but since I was on mfp I lost my last 10 pounds after 34 years of being over weight I'm at the weight I want I'm 5,5 and I'm 142 lbs I still need to lose 4% body fat

Ranna51

Hi! Its been almost a year since I first posted here, and I am happy to report that I am down to 144 from 154 a year ago, and I completely attribute this to MFP. Hoping to get to about 138 in the next 6-8 months, if I can keep my appetite under control. I started weight training about a month ago, and what a difference that makes in level of tone and the strength I feel in my muscles. Now I'm hooked, and I can feel the calorie burn in a different way. Thank you for your encouragement Jonette!