middle age fat

C

ChicagoJen

Cathlete
Hi Cathe,

I've been using your videos/DVDs for the last 10 years with excellent results, (and thank you so much for creating such high quality workouts!!!)

Over the last couple years, I've noticed that all though I basically eat the same as I always have and continue to work out 5-6 days per week (running, your videos, swimming,interval training,always changing activities), I'm not making much progress. I've even started working out 1.5 hours per session compared to my usual hour, yet I can't seem to get rid of the fatty deposits on my upper thighs and stomach. My diet is quite clean with one cheat day on the weekend.

Perhaps it's that I am now thirty and my metabolism is changing. I'm not sure, but I'm beginning to get discouraged. Is this just what happens? I refuse to give in, darn it! }(

I'm 5'8" and roughly 125 lbs, definitely pear-shaped.

Any advice, Cathe?
Thank you for your infinite wisdom! :7

Take care,
Jen
 
Jen,

I'm certainly not Cathe but felt compelled to write.

I take exception to you referring to 30 as middle age. You are just a wee pup. My daughter just turned 29, so if she's middle age, what am I?

Gee, I gotta think about that one... Over the hill perhaps.

BTW, at 5'8" and 126 lbs, I can't imagine where you have any fat!!!
 
Candi,

You crack me up! :D I love reading your posts, btw!
Yea, I know 30 isn't middle age, really, but there is definitely a difference in my metabolism. My clothes aren't fitting the same and it's driving me crazy. }(

Take care!
xo,
Jen
 
I've noticed my metabolism starting to slow within the past year at age 35.... ugh. Will be interesting to hear from Cathe.:+
 
jen, wow you must look fabulous, I am 5' 8 1/2" and I don't weigh no 125, but am pretty pleased that my size 10's are getting bigger.

You are just a kid, if you think it is slowing down now, wait until you hit 47, IT IS A WAR, WHICH I WILL NOT LOSE THANKS TO CATHE.

I bet you look great, I can't wait for Cathe's reply.

Have a great day!!!!!!!.

Debbie:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
It is a good question to ask even though you are not middle age. I'm 41 and still not sure that I'm middle age. I started having a hard time after the age of 35 also and it has not gotten any better. I also wanted to add that you are definitely not overweight. I'm only 5', weigh 124 pounds, and wear a size 4/5/6/7, depending on the brand. I know my problem is my diet. I do not eat a clean diet. I never have and at age 41 it is hard for me to change. I will keep trying and will not give up.
 
You Old Maid you, 30 yrs old, you might as well throw in the towel ! ! ! ;-)
I was 198 lbs (male but still overweight at 5'10") just about 8 months ago. I know Cathe will give you some excellent exercise advise, but the best advice you can get for "slowing down" and getting tired is to change your diet from all the processed garbage that American's all eat as that's almost all that's available in the food stores. Here's some specific advice: 1) read the more extensive post I made in the topic "need to lose 20-30 lbs") (the longer name is: "Cathe, need a suggestions for losing 20-30 lbs"); 2) then buy and read the book: Eat To Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.; then 3) start eating that way, even though it'll be tough to start with. After my wife & I got used to the new eating (lots more greens with cancer and heart disease fighting phytochemicals in them), we discovered our taste buds were working better than they had in years. Suddenly tomatoes, peaches, strawberries etc tasted delicious, (I mean, MUCH more delicious than they ever had before!) like the change from smoking to non-smoking (much more active & available taste buds), or the change in eating some veges from regular to organic.

Anyway, the point is, without ANY additional exercise I lost from 198 lbs to 160 lbs, and feel much more alive, because it's easy to move when you don't have extra fat you don't need. (I'm just at the beginning of my march back up in strength and muscle, but I conquered the fat first.)
Oh, and btw, I started Medical School at an age of 17 yrs older than you are now, so don't go around saying you're middle aged, because at 56 yr old now, I'm planning, thanks to the Eat To Live diet, to live to 120 or 130 yr old, (with no heart attacks or strokes, thank you) in which case, I'm not even middle aged yet!
 
Jen (that's also the name my daughter goes by. It's really Jennifer but that's what she prefers),

I received my June issue of Oxygen last night (I think it was June) and thought of you when I was looking through it. There were at least two girls in it that were around you're height and weight and they looked fabulous, therefore I have no pity for you...

But, having said that, I know what you mean about the metabolism slowing down...and it's good that you are so conscious of your health at your age. As our body changes, we just need to experiment to see what works. Sounds like that's exactly what you're trying to do. I like the dear doctor's idea about healthier eating. Maybe you could give that a try and see if it carves off those areas that are making you nuts.

Maybe you'll hear from Cathe, but in the mean time, Good luck! :)
 
Hi, Jen! If you had not stated that you are a pup of thirty, I would have cried "perimenopause!" or perpetual PMS as I like to think of it! LOL! The good news is, we who have made cardio and strength training a part of our lives, are less subject to the loss of muscle mass which slows down the metabolism and causes weight gain. Diminishing estrogen also plays a part but it has less impact when you are fit.

It does sound like you may have hit a plateau and you could look into the various methods of shocking your system-circuit training and interval work.

Aside from the fit lifestyle, I think warmth and humor go a long way toward warding off middle age. Candi possesses those qualities in spades! If she's middle aged, I say, bring it on! I think it makes that proverbial hill keep getting higher and higher and hey, hill work is fine training and it's possible to keep the going downhill part at bay for a really long time! At forty-one, I am pretty darned slim and strong! I attribute occasional memory lapses to the vast amount of information I have stored in my old brain and the confusion brought on by hot flashes which make me realize I am no longer a pup. Mostly, THAT is what I try to forget! LOL!

I just read that a small child asked her grandmother if she was very old and her grandmother replied, "honey, I have been young for a very long time." I love that.
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
"I attribute occasional memory lapses to the vast amount of information I have stored in my old brain..."

Bobbi,

I love your comment! I actually use this excuse a lot when trying to explain to someone why I forgot...again. It sounds pretty darn good, doesn't it?

I'm here to tell you that even at my age (49), I feel better and look better (I think) than I ever have (yes, Jen, even better than I did at 30). Perimenopause be damned...I truly believe as you get older, you can be better. I find tenacity to be a wonderful virtue.

P.S. Bobbi, I'm truly flattered! Thank you.
 
Hi All,

Thanks for the kind words and great tips. Dr. David, I'll definitely look into this book. :p Thank you for the recommendation. Honestly, I'm not implying that I'm overweight or old. I guess that I should have chosen a better title to address my question because I didn't mean to offend anyone nor do I wish to compare myself to anyone else. Everyone is different.

Candi, you're still cracking me up...

Like many of you, I'm on a fitness journey, and I'm trying to get to that next level.

:)

As always, take care and keep up the great work everyone!

Jen
 
Hi ChicagoJen - (I'm from Chicago too!!) Your post cracked me up - I'm 30 as well, and thought "oh my Gosh - I'm middle aged??" It sounds like you are in wonderful shape - enjoy!!
 
I didn't take what you wrote personal, Jen. It's just think it's funny how relative things are.

I was getting my hair cut and colored the other day and telling the guy that cuts my hair to "go a little shorter, but don't give me old lady hair". I looked over and a few feet away sat a lady that was probably in her 80's looking at me. I wanted to crawl under the counter.

We'll all be 80 someday, hopefully!
 
Oh no, Candi! I didn't think that you *did* take it personally... x(
And you are surely right, everything is relative! My only intention with this post was to just ask Cathe for advice...shoot, this was just taken in the wrong way... sorry if I offended anyone.

Take care,
Jen
 
Jen,

I know, you asked Cathe and I hijacked your post... I just thought it was so cute.

I've been wanting to tell that hair story and I was waiting for the perfect occasion.:D .
 
I love, your posts, Candi and I left out wise. I think that's something that improves with age even as the old memory fades. If I can't remember it, how important could it have been? My son, who is six and in Kindergarten, where many of the mom's are just getting started, instead of finishing off (as I am with him) was telling me about a mom who was going to have a baby. She's a young mom. He looked at me quite seriously and told me the reason I wasn't having any more babies (tubal ligation;)) was because I am old. Then he paused and said, "you're going to die," very seriously and as if it was imminent. So I shot him. A dirty look. Gotta teach that child some tact! I bit my tongue and did not say, "And so are you, as soon as I get my hands on you!" I (vaguely) remember when I was a pup and thought forty was old and now I know I'm just getting started and I intend to step, lift, run and do yoga forever. Growing older can be a wonderful adventure if you remember that the important word is GROWING!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Middle-Aged Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
.."not making much progress"? With what? Honey, your body is simply letting you know that you have no fat to lose. There is nothing wrong with your metabolism. All the diet and exercise in the world is not going to change your pear shape. It's your body, and you better learn to love and appreciate it. Sorry to be so harsh, but that's the way I see it, even though you didn't ask me. :D
 
Hi, Jen and I agree with many others here. I am soon to be 50 and with the help of Cathe, am going to lick this mid-life (and *I* really am at mid-life--;) :7 ) fat and stay in shape for life.

At 5'2" I look great at about 112#, (which I have a ways to go) and I can't imagine in your tall height (I'm so jealous) that you could be over weight. But we all have our feelings about our bodies.

One thing I've noticed is that in addition to Cathe's every day and running and etc---I have to keep active all the time. For awhile, I was using the fact that I worked out to make excuses NOT to park my car farther away, and NOT take the stairs and basically sit around--which leads to eating out of boredom ;) also.
When I began to vigorously garden (I mean digging etc) and clean house and get those chores done that I'd been putting off IN ADDITION to my workouts, I saw greater results.

Good luck.
 
Jen:

I gotta agree with Nancy here and we mean it in the nicest possible way. I am sure what you refer to as "fatty deposits" are probably the only vestiges of body fat you have left. You are female, some degree of body fat is a requirement. We have to accept that fact gracefully. To try to lower your body fat even more will engage you in a fight with nature that you cannot win, short of making yourself extremely ill.

Your body changes as you get older. Fact. Your metabolism slows down somewhat. Fact. But since you are already working out a tremendous amount, you are in great shape and doing everything posible to keep that metabolism ticking over. How about you change your attitude to appreciate your feminine curves? Try looking at yourself candidly, asking others how they see you and you may find it a mind opener. I am sure a lot of others will see you as "cut" or even "too skinny." I myself would probably see you as too skinny: I too am 5' 8" and I weigh 128 typically, and I don't need to lose weight. I have some fat on my thighs and it's been there for ever and will stay there, no matter how much cardio and weight training I do, because it's what makes me female. But at age 39 I am in great shape and looking young and looking forward to my forties.

I think it is a mistake to force yourself to work out for an hour and a half each day now. It's not about working out longer, but smarter. Of the six days you work out, make three weight training, three cardio. Make sure you do one interval training day and one circuit training day like Boot Camp or Circuit Max. Change up your lifting style every 3 or 4 weeks to avoid the comfort zone and emphasize heavy weights over endurance. Everything I have ever read in zillions of fitness magazines say this. This is the formula. Reducing your calories will not lead to further fat loss becuase if you don't eat enough to fuel your workouts, your body will think it is in starvation mode and will hold onto those pockets tenaciously. Not to mention you will feel extremely fatigued.

Short answer: I don't think you are doing anything wrong. You need to re-appraise who you are as you enter your thirties that's all. And you know what? As you work your way through your thirties and into your forties, you will become far less self-critical, more self-accepting, you will love yourself and your body for who and how you are. Take a lesson from Bobbi, Candi and Nancy here. I am sure they all have a body part or area they would ideally like to change, but it won't happen, they accept this and they are strong women no matter what! You too will work out what is a healthy body for you, what matters to you really, beyond scultping the body beautiful which really doesn't make anyone happy. Seriously, if the most important thing to you is getting rid of last vestiges of female body fat, I think it's time to take stock of what really matters in this life.

Jen: you are fabulous! Now get out there, enjoy your thirties and go make your mark on the world with that wonderful mind and personality of yours!!! To be loved for your physical perfection is sad: to be loved for your mind, personality, warmth, humour, generosity, that is the stuff of life.

Clare
 
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