Hi All,

Would really like to join this group of over-50 Divas! After 55, my weight has crept up every year and now I weigh more than ever before. The scales don't tell the whole story but my body shape sure does. I was the one they called "bird legs" from elementary school through college, and the rest of my body matched. As the decades have passed my legs are actually the nicest feature about me (if only I had only known that through all the brotherly teasing it wouldn't have warped me so much). But today my middle is bigger than my chest (which now is a big chest) and no skirt or pant on the market, that will fit my waist, fits anywhere else. And the middle just keeps getting bigger and bigger. When I realized after Thanksgiving that I could no longer "suck in my stomach" (nuh-uh, not a fraction) decided I had to do something about this or I would have nothing to wear to work. Silhouette goal is to go from an Apple (with 4 toothpicks sticking out) to at least a Rectangle.

Anyone out there find there middle unmanageable after 55? Wonder if weight loss alone will help?

//Nurdy

HW: 145
CW: 139.4
IGW 134.4
January Competition Goal - 137
GW: 125

Hi,

My middle is getting bigger, too. I think it is a hormonal thing. The weight is going to my stomach. I was wondering if a tumor is growing in there. (I'm fairly sure it is not that.)

You don't seem to weigh too much. Could it be that you just need to exercise?

Donna

LOL! You know I thought the very same thing. So glad you said that, nice not to be alone.

//Nurdy

I have the middle in the middle too. and it is staying put. not only that but the scale isnt budging either. I know that cortisol (stress hormone) is a large part of the problem. interestingly, I have noticed that the fat in the middle is reducing AROUND THE EDGES but the waist measurement doesnt change. now I have a bulge in the middle with a little soft "fringe" at the lower edges. go figure. Keep up the exercise, though, it is the key to it all. Good luck!

Yes, hormone shifts help contribute to the mid line bulge!

As does a gradual loss of muscle mass / muscle tone over time. It is reversible with diet, exercise and most importantly strength/resistance training.

Cardio alone is overrated for weight loss but will help a lot when coupled with portion control and resistance work.

Know that it can be done. I started with a 41' waist and am now down to 30".
Started out with calorie control - added in walking 15-20 minutes several times through the workday - added in stairs and a little pilates- then moved to the C25K program for intervals of walk/jog and eventually jog/run. Am now doing strength training at the local planet fitness - started on the weight machines and have now moved to lifting free weights and shifted to HIIT intervals rather than just walking on the treadmill.

I do strength 3x week and HIIT 2x week and spend no more than 30 minutes on HIIT days and 60 minutes on lift days. So it does not have to take up your entire free time.

Hang in there, it will happen!

Just be prepared to try new things and keep pushing the limit on how hard you are really pushing yourself when you are working out.
It makes a big difference to do repeated brief intervals of hard vs steady state exercise.


Marybeth

MW: 190 BMI 31 BF% 53%
CK: 180 BMI 27 BF% 48%
CW: 150 BMI 24 BF% 25%
GW: 140 BMI 22 BF% 18%

One day, One hour, One minute, One step at a time!

HIIT? not sure what that is. dont have access to gym. do resistance bands work?

HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. It is a variation on cardio or strength training where you alternate the intensity over intervals. It can be done on just about any kind of equipment or outside on the track. The links below will give yo the background but after your warm up you alternate intervals between extremely hard and a recovery phase. I've been doing a 3 minute warm up and then alternating between 1 minute hard and 2 minutes easier. I'm using a treadmill but a bike, elliptical or just the local track will work. I use an interval timer to let me know when its time to change. After my warm up I'm doing 5 intervals walk/ run with the run speed going up on each interval. By the time you get to the last push interval you should be close to flat out. You pack a lot into a short period of time! I'm getting more effect in 20-25 minutes than I used to get from 45 minutes.

http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=HIIT

When you first try this you need to build up tho your top speed/intensity. If you go out too hard at first and don't drop the level in the recovery phase enough you will not be able to get through the session. You should be wiped but still able to safely get of the t-mill or bike once you done. If your falling down ready to puke you went to hard - if you aren't totally drenched then you went too easy!

Marybeth

MW: 190 BMI 31 BF% 53%
CK: 180 BMI 27 BF% 48%
CW: 148 BMI 24 BF% 22%
GW: 140 BMI 22 BF% 18%

One day, One hour, One minute, One step at a time!