I'm in my best shape ever, but...

L

lulu68

Cathlete
Hi,

I'm in my best shape ever, but it so disappointed to see photos and I just don't look as lean as I did when I was in my early 20's, 30, and even early 40's. I'm 47 soon to be 48. When I look at myself in the mirror I look lean and tone, but when I look at my pictures I look short, stumpy, and my arms look like they are just shapeless. I know they say you have to pose a certain way to make you look thinner or leaner on camera, but when I was younger I never had to pose a certain way to look lean and tone. What do I have to do look thin on camera, go under 100 pounds! Has anybody try Kelly Ripa trainers workouts? If I could figure out a way to look the way kely Ripa looks and would never have to worry about looking chunky on camera.
 
Ok can I just say Kelly Ripa looks just looks way to thin for someone her age in my opinion. Cathe is a small women but does not look kelly thin. I also am very ripped and in great cardiovascular and muscular shape but am 10-15lb heavier than my 30's. I like my curves and shape. There are studies that show that going into menopause with a bit more healthy body fat helps with hormones during the "change"

I know you look terrific even in pictures and need to change your mental idea of the your perfect body.

I was Kelly thin in my early 30s wore a size 3 teen clothes. I'm now a bit heavier and curvier wear and adult size 4 dress high end and a size 6 cheaper stuff. I'm bigger but still "small" and very healthy compared to the average America 45 year old women. I have not had one person think I'm in my 40's I'm always thought to be 35. I was healthy at both times in my life. I did more cardio less weights in my younger days. I now do much more weight training less cardio. I do carry more body fat cause I'm not running everyday. I eat a lot more to grow my larger muscles. I like it a lot more than when I was a cardio junkie with barely there B cup boobs. I'm a weight training junkie now and have size D's LOL

I've also heard in Kelly interview she is just one of those naturally high metabolism ladies that has always been thin even without exercise. She is just a natural thin lady that started some weight training to tighten up

I think that you are being unkind to yourself. Its perfectly natural to put on some weight with age. I want you to look at Cathe workouts from gym style to current over the past 10 years she has gotten bigger. She is heavier but still healthy attractive women. YOu need to get the younger version of yourself out of your head and stop putting yourself down.

You are not frumpy just more healthy natural women with curves that come with age. :)
 
Good morning lulu68,

Sounds like you are living in the past and missing what is transforming your life today, the present! Age is just a number just like the number on the scale. These numbers do not define us, they are indicators and markers that guide us for record keeping purposes. That's how I look at it. Why are you comparing yourself to someone else? Are you not good enough as yourself? You can try every trainer out there and still not look like your favorite celebrity and what's up with your obsession with the camera - is that object loving you back, unlike the eyes of your child or spouse who love you unconditionally?

I'm sure you are upset with me right now, for having written this. Lulu68,
lulu68 said:
I'm in my best shape ever
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. You just praised yourself with six simple and to the point words. Then you knocked yourself and crushed all that you have worked for wishing you were a different shape and a different person although you are "lean and toned" and a beautiful woman. One of the many reasons, I love Cathe and the way she trains us is because she trains us both mentally and emotionally, not only physically. Her Catheisms that she includes in her videos such as "don't be judgmental... respect your body and be happy for what it has given you today", speaks volumes of how a woman of her caliber has to embrace her thoughts and physical attributes. Control your thoughts with positive affirmations and your outlook with be brighter and healthier.

Embrace your body & your thoughts and Shine with who you are!
 
I think Kelly Rippa looks great! I also think women who are heavier look great. As others have pointed out, we don't have to look like someone else to consider ourselves lean and fit. You are still very young (compared to me anyway), and I don't see the point of comparing yourself now to yourself 20 years ago. All things change... not to say the change is bad or good, but truly nothing ever stays the same. That is the one thing in life we can always be sure of. Embrace yourself NOW. Bask in the fact that you are in the "best shape ever". Strong bones and muscles, and great flexibility and cardio capacity are the things that are going to carry us into our elder years, and keep us healthy and active.

A wise older person once told me this, "Love yourself now. Love how you look now. As you get older, you will look back and realize that the times you thought you looked less than perfect were really the most perfect times."
 
I was relunctant to post cause I did not want my quote to be stirred into a mirror troll...

That said, I agree with what has been posted so far.

Cafelattee said:
I like it a lot more than when I was a cardio junkie with barely there B cup boobs. I'm a weight training junkie now and have size D's LOL
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Amen to over D cup above here LOL:eek::eek::p Have I ever quoted I do not do flat in any strategic symetry part!;):cool:
oh well yes you are reading right:cool::eek::eek::D
 
lulu - I also think I look great in the mirror when I step out of the shower. My arms and chest look strong and I look pretty slim. In pictures, however, I do not look so great. I have never been photogenic and this has not improved with age- sadly. I do not have any advice for you except that I can sympathize. It sounds like you are in great health. Keep it up!
 
FiddleFit said:
I love this thread. The wisdom here is wonderful, and a great way to mentally prepare ourselves for the most judgmental time of the year.
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I was thinking the same thing! With family members judging everything, we hardly need to be judging ourselves. lol.
And I don't want to start a row either, but Kelly Ripa does NOT look healthy at all to me. If she feels healthy or that is what she says, then good for her I suppose, but I think without bronzer and blush, she would look very ill. I don't like to judge women either, but I think if we are trying to look like Kelly Ripa, we are all in trouble.
I'm not 40 yet, but I find I have had to change how I dress quite a bit just in the past 6 years to still look pretty good and feel confident. As everyone else has already stated, our body shapes ARE gonna mature. It doesn't help that I hate shopping with a passion, so I don't always end up getting the best things that compliment my changing shapes. Have you tried wearing all one colour but in different hues of that colour? If you find you look a bit larger on top, you could try wearing a deeper hue of blue on top for example than the blue you are wearing on the bottom (like jeans) for those photos. Also, arm sleeves that either are tank top/cami or go all the way down the sleeve past your wrist are a great way to elongate the upper body, rather than say short sleeves or 3/4 sleeves.
I hope I am not sounding like I'm talking our of my arse here, I just find these tips help me a bit when I look at a photo and am feeling dumpy about myself.
 
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lulu68 said:
Hi,

I'm in my best shape ever, but it so disappointed to see photos and I just don't look as lean as I did when I was in my early 20's, 30, and even early 40's. I'm 47 soon to be 48. When I look at myself in the mirror I look lean and tone, but when I look at my pictures I look short, stumpy, and my arms look like they are just shapeless. I know they say you have to pose a certain way to make you look thinner or leaner on camera, but when I was younger I never had to pose a certain way to look lean and tone. What do I have to do look thin on camera, go under 100 pounds! Has anybody try Kelly Ripa trainers workouts? If I could figure out a way to look the way kely Ripa looks and would never have to worry about looking chunky on camera.
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Lulu:

you are great, a warm and loving person, just as you are. You say yourself that you are in the best shape you have ever been in. I think that is the most important consideration here. It is healthier, mentally and emotionally-speaking, to think about our bodies not in terms of what they look like and whether they measure up to some ideal of what a 48 year old female body should look like, but what your body can do and does do for you every day.

Look at your achievements in fitness. Look how far you have come, how much stronger you are than before. All these things matter so much more than aesthetics. People don't see you the way you see you. You have to keep reminding yourself that others are not seeing you walking down the street towards them and thinking, "oh my god, why does that woman have such chunky thighs and where is her waistline?!?!" No-one thinks those things. If they are women, they are too wrapped up in their own insecurities, if they are young people they are wrapped up in their cell phones and no-one over the age of 30 registers for them anyway, and if they are men, they are wrapped up in their own egos and just don't notice anyone else anyway, unless you happen to be a near naked Victoria's Secret Angel walking towards them. So. Aesthetics just don't matter all that much.

If an artist had to choose between you and Kendall Jenner as her/his nude model for the day, sure as shit, that artist would choose you. We get way more interesting as we get older. Also, more beautiful as we settle in to our bodies and faces and become who we are meant to be: unique selves with more to offer the world than slim legs and a 20 " waist.

You can't hope to have the same lean look you had in your 20s and 30s. Guess what? None of us can. NONE OF US. Time changes the human body. Menopause and changing hormone levels thicken women's bodies. This is a fact. No amount of HiiT and heavy lifting will stop the passage of time. All any of us can do is eat healthily, moderate our less than healthy behaviours, exercise to feel good and maintain excellent health, and look up, look out, look around at the world that's out there and the experiences that await.

We will all look like grandmas one day. It would be a freaky day from hell if we were grannies still trying to look like Kelly Ripa! Plus, she's not all that anyway, so let the woman be and Lulu, you just be you. You we know and love. Kelly RIpa: who is she? Pfft.....

Hugs,

Your friend in fitness and getting even better as we age,

Clare
 
I asked my 21 year old dd why she always looked so much leaner in photos than I do, even though I'm leaner than she is in reality. I wanted to know how to look less frumpy, like you mentioned. Her answer? 'Learn to use photoshop, mum!'

Now I'm not advocating the airbrushing of vogue models to feed our insecurities, but just darkening the tones on a photo helps!

Seriously, though, you've had some great replies from lots of knowledgable, sensible catheletes.
 
At 49, I'm also in my best shape ever (thanks to Cathe :D). When I look in the mirror, I think, damn, look at the definition in those arms. In pictures...nothing. Not a big deal to me. I know it's there, people compliment me on my shape, so who cares if it doesn't show when photographed. As long as you know you're in your best shape ever, don't worry about what other people think or see.
 
It's lighting, if I set up the lights and took the photo, then you would see it. I have seen what looks like an underweight girl look overweight on camera in front of my eyes, I worked on independent movies for two years, it was illuminating to learn just how skewed the camera's image really is. Ignore it or hire a better camera operator!
 
Comparison is the thief of joy.

No matter how hard anyone tries, they will NEVER look like Kelly Ripa, because they are NOT Kelly Ripa (interestedly, I've never thought about Kelly Ripa until now..)

One thing that I love about being in my 40s is that I'm sooooo much wiser about what women's bodies ACTUALLY look like. There is so much variety, it is insane. And so much beauty in all shapes. I honestly don't know why people even talk about clothing sizes. I know lots of people who can wear a size 0-4 and whose bodies I do not admire. I know plenty of women in bigger sizes who I find fantastically stunning. Clothing size is so overrated.
 
A good friend of mine, was very petite, and always looked great in a photo. She was also 50% body fat, (was quite shocked, when her physician gave her that bit of bad news) had absolutely no muscle, and felt a need to starve herself. So there you have it.I love my muscle. At my age, I have to work harder for it, but, worth every minute of the journey. Don't worry about what you look like in a photo. Enjoy your body, a photo can't show the real you!
 
lwd69 said:
Comparison is the thief of joy.

No matter how hard anyone tries, they will NEVER look like Kelly Ripa, because they are NOT Kelly Ripa (interestedly, I've never thought about Kelly Ripa until now..)

One thing that I love about being in my 40s is that I'm sooooo much wiser about what women's bodies ACTUALLY look like. There is so much variety, it is insane. And so much beauty in all shapes. I honestly don't know why people even talk about clothing sizes. I know lots of people who can wear a size 0-4 and whose bodies I do not admire. I know plenty of women in bigger sizes who I find fantastically stunning. Clothing size is so overrated.
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totally agree about clothing size in my post above I'm sorry if I came across advocating a size. I was just wanting to show the op my increase in body size and using clothing size was the easiest without a picture. I've never tried to be any size those are just the size that fit me at different times in my life.

I reread my post and hope no one thought I was being a obnoxious. I'm really thankful to Cathe and the ladies on this board that age is just a number that doesn't define us. We can achieve wonderful things at any age.

When I started Cathe I came off a bad injury. I was in defeatist mind set. I could never do this or that again. There were many ladies story on this board that inspired me. I've accomplish so much in my 3 years doing Cathe stuff.

I hope the original poster read this thread and knows she is supported and hopefully inspired to forget the photo. She is in the best shape of her life. She is healthy and beautiful.
 
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If you look back at some old pics of Kelly RIpa ( search for Dance Party USA, an old show was on) she has definitely lost alot of body fat and/or possibly had some work done to get her lean look. That may or may not be a healthy thing for her or anyone else.
 
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