We are halfway through the first month of 2017 and if you are over 40, I want to help you get serious about getting in shape this year. As a former personal trainer, this is something near and dear to my heart. Far too many women over 40 settle for a less than healthy version of themselves, because they simply believe that getting in shape and feeling good is an unachievable goal for them.

 Well, snatch the pebble from my hand grasshopper, because you have stumbled upon someone who has pretty much tried it all when it comes to weight loss and nutrition plans. I am hear to tell you that you absolutely can get in phenomenal shape after you turn 40! And you SHOULD! Of course our bodies respond differently to things than they did in their 20’s, and it takes a bit of tweaking and a LOT of persistence- but the pay offs are far too big to ignore! Forget for just a second about the myriad of health issues which either ARE or are ABOUT to be knocking on our doors, but how awesome would it be to stop feeling like your clothes are too tight all. the. freakin. time ? To stop beating yourself up every time you have a cocktail? Or a cupcake? I mean seriously, life is just too short for that sort of thing.

*A topic for another day, but let me just say here: If you are talking mean and down to yourself in ANY way……..just stop it. Stop it now. Ain’t nobody got time for that sista. There are plenty of other people in this world who will put you down. Don’t take on that roll for yourself! * 

My most recent trial of a nutrition/workout plan can be read about here and here and again here ,if you are interested. I am going to be honest. After giving that method a very good try (meaning, I hit my entire plan with at least 85% accuracy), I don’t recommend it. I saw little to no change at the end 14 weeks (In fact- I saw a bigger change at around 5 weeks!). I was working out 6 days a week, very hard, and eating to hit my macros. If I had continued, no doubt, my body would have gotten with the program over time, but honestly, I was left feeling burnt out. Too much weight lifting. Too much time in the gym 6 days a week, and too much tracking everything. At the end I was left feeling worn out and with a sugar/carb craving that I didn’t have previously. Not exactly what I was hoping, but I did learn a lot about how simple carbohydrates affect my body at this age.

I’m getting back to what I know works. It’s fast, efficient, and you can see results pretty quickly: A very Paleo leaning diet, with a small amount of carbs thrown in around my work outs. This means that the main focus every day is around meat and vegetables. Lots of vegetables! If you’d like to follow me with this, (and it really does work), you will be eating protein and vegetables at every meal, cutting way back on sugar, and throwing in a small amount of faster digesting carbohydrate (rice, 1/2 a bagel, potatoes) around your work out times. Coupled with quick but sweat inducing work outs…….you will lose fat.

This is hard in the beginning because you are cutting back on those white carbs that your body becomes so easily addicted to AND you are asking your body to move more than you were previously. It will rebel. It will tell you that you are going to die if you don’t have that croissant with butter….right. NOW. But you don’t need it and that feeling won’t last.  You will burn fat much, much faster without all those white carbs. Its tough getting over that first hurdle, but after a few weeks without them, you can then put them in their proper place in your life……..in moderation, for special occasions……without any of the guilt. Lovely, right?

There are also a few supplements that are tried and true for women our age and they can help you achieve results even faster. We’re going to go there. (I’m not peddling anything…..these are just the things that I know work!)

So keep checking back in, and place your email in the box in the sidebar. Load up your fridge with meat and vegetables. Lets make 2017 OUR year. Lets just dive in and get it done!  I will have work outs,grocery lists and tips,  nutrition plans, encouragement…….the works! All especially for women over 40. We’re in this together!

Also, coming up, I have some fabulous Sephora finds. Also some not so fabulous ones. But I am digging through the hype and finding the products that are actually WORTH our hard earned, Over40 bucks.

Check back soon- this is going to be a great year!

Cheers!

Melissa

Linking up at Not Dressed as Lamb