Around Christmas time, at home in Romania, we borrowed a friend’s hacksaw to try to cut my engagement ring off. Drastic measures to resolve a simple problem. I’d put on so much weight that my rings were wedged on causing me pain. The hacksaw plan didn’t work so I decided to lose the weight instead, a long tortuous process that sounded, back then, like deprivation and suffering. My heart wasn’t in it and my resolve crumbled within days. Fast forward to July and I’ve dropped a large amount of weight in the last week. The wedding ring is off but the engagement ring is still stuck, give me another week on that one. I’m going to tell you how and why here.
Discaimer: This post has very little to do with travel!
Getting My Fitness Back After 50
I always lose weight when we travel, particularly in Asia, so our month in Egypt in April started me on the right track. The scary thing was, I didn’t realise how much I’d put on.
On our first morning in Cairo I dug out my seldom ( never) worn linen trousers, a UK size 12. They strained over my thighs and stubbornly refused to fasten. It was a shock! Those trousers were big when I bought them, I’m usually a UK size 10 and Next clothes are famously generously sized.
I got closer and closer to being able to wear them again during our time in Egypt, but when we got back to Romania the weight piled back on and I was back to square one.
I resolved to start running again, but that was impossible for me in the village with big scary sheepdogs, I had to wait for London and a fresh start.
In Paris, during our road trip I figured I should quit coffee and wine too, my menopausal sweats were not my favourite thing, so I decided to try that path and see if it helped. I haven’t touched either since, that was 10 days ago.
On our first day in London, within hours of arriving at our base for the next 5 weeks, we headed to the supermarket to stock up with good, diet-friendly groceries.
We filled a trolley with food for the whole week, cheeses, vegetables, chicken and beef along with an assortment of fruits, olive oil, Greek Yoghurt and eggs. The majority was veg and we picked the cheapest options, plenty of cabbage.
A full week’s shop came to just £80. Eating better saves you money too. What wasn’t in the trolley was bread, pasta, rice, pizza or any processed food with the exception of a big box of cereal for the kids and a block of high-quality dark chocolate for emergencies, I’m realistic!
Next stop after the supermarket was the running store where I bought cheap tights and shoes. I had to buy an XL in the tights, that didn’t feel too good, but I knew that spending on gear would be an extra incentive.
That night I ran with my Ironman husband, the aim was just a lap of the park and back to the house, nothing too ambitious, to run at all would be a bonus and I was very prepared to walk.
The photo above was taken in 2010, that was the last time I was fit enough to run seriously and in that shot I’m completing a half marathon in Far North Queensland, our old home. I was 44 and ultra-fit and lean. I missed that.
Fast forward to today. It’s Saturday, exactly 8 days of eating well and 7 days of running later. I have lost a LOT of weight, I feel fantastic and tonight I will run 5 Km, I passed the 5 Km mark on day 4 of running. And you know what? It’s been easy.
What I Did That’s Different to the Usual Approach.
I ran every day.
I’ve done a lot of exercise in my life, from aerobics, to step, to fitness groups, to boxing, to personal trainers. The only thing that gets me fit fast and makes the weight drop off is running.
Previously when I’ve been getting back into running I’ve been with groups or trainers that have recommended running every few days, maybe 3 or 4 times a week. I know from experience that this hurts.
After you run, on day 2 you will be sore. It will be so bad that you’ll struggle to go up and down stairs or even sit, you certainly won’t feel like running. If you take some time off for this soreness to go before running again your soreness will be back on the second day after that run.
My Ironman husband told me there was a simple solution to this, run every day. I didn’t believe him but it’s worked a treat. Since day 2 I have had no soreness at all. As you’ll see below, short, slow, recovery runs after big push days have been working for me.
Here’s what I’ve run.
- Day 1. Lap of the park. I ran, slowly, to about 1.5 Km before running 100m, walking 100m to a total of just under 3 Km. Towards the end I included a hill sprint. Hill sprints are the magic sauce of improving your running.
- Day 2. Same distance, pretty much the same run/ walk plus hill sprint.
- Day 3. Same, but I ran the whole way, hurting like crazy because the soreness had arrived.
- Day 4. 5 Km run . Yes it was hard but I was determined to do it, plus hill sprint.
- Day 5. Back to the original 3 Km, very slow, very gentle.
- Day 6. The original run plus a bit extra, 4 Km no walking, but we did pause to play on the swings with Boo for a while, he ran 4 Km too. I raced him on the hill sprint, he beat me, but it’s getting so much easier. Also walked for 3 hours while shopping in London.
- Day 7. 5 Km again, but faster.
- Day 8. Rest, an enforced day off ( Boo’s birthday!)
- Day 9. 5Km again, excited to run after a break, much faster, much easier ( sub 8 minute Km s for the first time)
So you see, no huge distances but I’ve kept it ticking over. I’ve had music and I’ve had an app to track my runs ( try run keeper) so I know exact distances and times. Every day I’ve been out for a short half hour walk too. I’ve also had my amazing family to support me, without Chef at my side I would have stopped and walked every day so far. I run very slowly, but that doesn’t matter, I’m getting out there.
Here’s what I’ve been eating.
I know myself. If my food isn’t delicious and abundant I’m not a happy camper. I also knew I’d crave carbs like crazy. The carb cravings only lasted around 4 days, I’m fine now, but my secret stash of dark chocolate has been a huge help.
I’ve eaten unlimited, huge quantities of vegetables (not potatoes, no carbs), usually cooked in olive oil along with eggs, bacon or other meat.
I’ve given up on being vegetarian or vegan for now, I just can’t do it at the moment with cooking for the kids. Other meals have been based on delicious things like mushrooms with blue cheese and garlic. I’m not going high fat, I can’t believe that saturated fat is good for you so I’m sticking with my olive oil.
My cheese affair is still rampant, it’s just not on a pizza base any more. After my run around 4pm I don’t bother with dinner, I’ll maybe have a few olives and cheese or some fruit and Greek yogurt. Yes, I may be hungry, hungry is good.
So no “diet” food and I don’t feel in any way deprived. Dinner is tiny, breakfast and lunch are big. It works for me.
How Has This Affected the Menopausal Symptoms?
Little difference to be honest. I’m probably going to put coffee back on the menu. I’m still getting the sweats but I generally feel great so I’m not so hung up on them.
How Has This Affected our Finances and Life?
I can’t believe how little I’m spending. No more popping to Tesco Local for a sneaky bottle of Merlot and grabbing some humus, olives and French bread, or worse, crisps, as an evening munch-fest. We’re spending way less than usual so I’ve been treating myself and the kids in other ways.
I finally got myself that fabulous, flat wash bag I’ve wanted for so long ( I love it!) and I’ve treated myself to new make-up and delicious (packable) things from Lush to make life lovely.
The kids still get cakes and sweets, I just don’t join them. It’s an all-round win-win. Chef and I are spending far more time together too, running and talking. His interest in extreme triathlons is no longer quite as alien to me as it was, we’ve grown even tighter.
Boo comes with us to the park, D is being very teenager-ish and refusing to be seen with us, but that’s normal. Life is good.
I’m Not Trying to Tell You What to Do
I’m not going to tell you to follow my diet or exercise plan, it’s not a plan, it’s just what’s working for me. “People” generally don’t recommend running every day but I’m not pushing myself, I’m taking it nice and easy and using slow runs to recover. I thought you’d be interested, that’s all.
How Much Weight Have I Lost and Why No Before and After Photos?
I don’t know how much I’ve lost but it’s a lot. It’s very noticeable, in just 4 days it was noticeable. Those linen trousers fit, particularly round my thighs but I still can’t get that engagement ring off. I’ll get there.
I try not to get hung up on figures so in the same way that I don’t monitor my site’s daily traffic I don’t count calories, measure food or weigh myself, I just know what works. I see my clothes fitting and I see my reflection improving, I don’t care about the irrelevant numbers.
In 2 Weeks I’m Doing a 10 K
My first 10 K since 2010 and I can’t wait. I’m going to nail it!
I promise you that on that day there will be photos, by then I won’t be caring about my big butt, wobbly belly or gargantuan thighs, I will be a runner, and that will be amazing.
Fitness and Weight Loss in My Late 50s
Update: I’m well into my 50s now and still run. I can bang out a 10Km run ( slowly) usually without too much trouble and I regularly run 5Km on the treadmill. The tropical sun keeps me from road running these days. I’m still a little overweight, a Kg or two, but I’m a size 10 mostly. I did put on about 10Kg in the 2020 lockdowns, but I lost it again easily. I’m certainly not as heavy as I got in Romania, but strong and fit enough. I embrace intermittent fasting, mountains of green veg and good-quality fish and meat. We farm sustainably and love life. I still eat too much dark chocolate, cheese, and wine because you’ve got to have some fun! Long may it last.
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thanks to this article. Your blog is really excellent and worth a read.
How will you go in a hot country running? We have been travelling in the tropics for over a year, and just strolling on flat land, is about as much exercise you can do without becoming very hot and sweaty, and needing to drink gallons of water. The tropics are not conducive to exercise and we see very few locals in the cities doing any at all, a major problem for these city dwellers of hot countries. We have seen people running and exercising in the evenings though, but this definitely could not be done by yourself, you would need an exercise partner for safety.
It’s been fine Catherine. Chef goes out and trains between about 5am and 9am 6 days a week. 9am is too late really, it’s hot, but he goes for hours on end. I tend to go out for 5Km around sunset. He comes with me, not for security but because he’s my personal trainer, I’d walk if he wasn’t there to kick my butt. We lived in Australia a long time, far north, very tropical, I’d run every morning around sunrise and watch the sun come up from the beach. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun 😉 Chef has a camel back and carries 2 water bottles on his bike. Plus he’ll just stop and buy water if he needs to. I don’t need water for 5Km and right now I’m not fit enough to do more. But we’re doing a Hash House Harriers run soon, everyone just takes camelbacks. As soon as Ironman is over I’ll get a chance to train more….unless of course he qualifies for Kona. Then the nightmare continues.
Nice article! You can come back to fitness any age. It may be a bit harder obviously, but the rest is up to you!
Running no good for people with prolapse unfortunately, so I’ve started swimming and I’m sorting my diastasis recti out before combatting the prolapse exercises….they weren’t working and I think this is the reason why. It’s amazing how we are of a certain age and doing similar things. As you know I cut out alcohol in January and now I’ve started on the sugar and carbs. Caffeine is tricky but I may consider it-I don’t drink loads. The thing is I don’t feel deprived, I feel in control. Give yourself a pat on the back.
So they’re hoping you can get your muscles working gain and kind of slurp it back into position? The coffee was easy because we were at the end of the road trip and I’d only been having one or two per day, I’d gone through the worst of withdrawal. And of course, I’m not saying it’s forever!
Slurping back into position-yup…..we have the best conversations.
Yay for you! It’s great that you’re doing something for yourself and feeling the benefits. I think the hardest part is starting. It’s so uplifting when you feel good and healthy within yourself, it transfers onto the rest of the family. Good luck with your 10K!
Congratulations! Why is it so hard to lose in Romania — other than the dogs? Do they eat a lot of bread and white potatoes? I can lose weight when it’s just me because I simply don’t have bad things to eat around, but when my sons or husband bring in their treats, I’ll go for some tortilla chips when I’m still up and hungry at 3 pm. I definitely need to add more exercise.
Butter, Smantana ( sour cream, on everything), cheese, and ….crisps. And we get no exercise other than skiing a few times a week, we literally sit on our butts all winter. The kids love crisps and it’s almost nightly, with a nice glass ( or 5) of cheap, good Romanian wine. There’s your problem!