What are the top three fitness struggles of this middle-aged woman? In the video, I share the details, but if you’d prefer to read, here’s the dealio. Despite my consistent diet and exercise, my achievement highlights include:
- Lack of weight loss
- Stagnant fat loss
- Very little ‘inches’ lost progress
My weight has fluctuated between 150 and 153 since our first fitness status update. My body-fat % has also remained stagnant at about 28%. The only progress I’ve made is minimal; my thighs are down ½ inch on each, from 24 to 23.5, but everything else is the same – not moving!
This is obviously frustrating and kinda discouraging. BUT it gives me two specific things to consider:
Consideration #1 – Am I Happy Where I’m at?
If I decide I’m happy where I’m at, I’ve reached equilibrium. If I go with this option, my only fitness struggles will be consistency. Right now, I’m currently not counting calories, just eating a sensible, whole-food plant-based diet. I have treats, like chips on occasion and I still drink alcohol. I exercise 5 days a week, strength training and cardio. If I keep this up, I’ll at least stay where I’m at.
Consideration #2 – What Am I Willing to Do To Achieve Movement?
For this consideration, I see three main options to get some movement:
- Cut calories – Although I go through phases where I’m willing to track everything and cut, I’m not there right now. I hate calorie counting more than exercise. I do know if I eliminated alcohol, that would be a calorie gain (and a healthy one)…but again, I like my cocktails and I’m not ready to give ’em up yet.
- Exercise More – I’d actually like to move up to 6 days a week, 4 days strength and cardio, 2 cardio…but I’m having scheduling issues with that. I’d also like to do 20 minutes of cardio instead of 15 on strength days, we exercise over lunch, so I don’t have time. I’m thinking I need to just start doing evening walks (at least in the warmer months)…but we’ll see. I am working on strength gains, and more muscle means more calorie burn, so that may help long term as well.
- Just keep on doing what I’m doing and see if long term, there’s movement – Realistically, continuing on this path, including strength gains and incorporating more movement into my day, I might slowly lose some of that additional weight/body fat/inches. If I’m not willing to do more than what I already am, this is pretty much the default choice. While I consider, I’m on this path until I decide to make another move.
Despite the discouragement of effort with no visible gain, I know that there are things I am NOT going to do:
- Give up my Healthy Eating – I’m gonna stick with what I’m doing. This plant-based vegan life has me more energetic, and I think is one of the reasons I’m able to maintain my weight without much effort–which has NOT been the case in the past.
- Stop exercising – Despite that it’s really not my favorite, I feel so much better when I’m consistent and just do it. Plus, if I quit, well my fitness struggles will just increase. I need to be healthy as I’m aging so I can enjoy living, instead of just getting old. Exercise is one of the prices I’m gonna pay to keep moving forward.
- Worry about it too much! – Overall, even though I have fitness goals and I get a bit frustrated with lack of movement toward them, I’m feeling pretty great and loving life. I’ve decided to not weigh myself more than monthly. Instead I try on my clothes and if I’m happy with the fit, I know I’m either staying the same, or moving in the right direction. If I plan the work and work the plan—adapting as needed–it’s all gonna work out, I just have to remind myself of that regularly.
And, those, my friends, are the fitness struggles of this middle-aged women. I am a bit frustrated, but at minimum, sticking with the status-quo until I decide what I’m willing to do to move forward. OR, if I really want to move forward at all!
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Happy Living!
Kelly (& Steffan)