61-Year-Old Woman Lost 40 Pounds By Making These 2 Simple Changes
Are you in your post-menopausal stage and struggling to lose weight? Ilene Block is the founder of Silver and Strong, a coaching company that specializes in helping women over 50 get into the best shape of their lives. In fact, she herself lost 40 pounds at the age of 61 (and 55 pounds altogether) by making a few simple changes to her routine. "I totally changed my body composition at 61 by changing these 2 simple things," she writes across a recent viral Instagram video. "Can it be that simple? Yes it can!" she added in the caption.
She Changed Her Approach to Diet
Many people think not eating or eating much less is the key to achieving a dream body. But the opposite can be true. "Eat as much as possible to fuel your body (not as little as possible to be skinny)," says Ilene in her post.
She Changed Her Approach to Exercise
Another game changing thing she did? She changed her approach to exercise. "Lift heavy weights 4 to 5x a week (Heavy for YOU)," she says in the post.
She Used to Yo Yo Diet
"I spent 40 years yo-yo dieting – eating as little as possible – and focusing on doing more cardio that weight training (and never heavy enough)," she continues in the post. Here's what I changed and what you can start doing TODAY to make a difference in how you look and, more importantly, how you feel."
She Follows These 3 Eating Rules
She went on to change the way she ate and followed these rules. First, she eats "at least 100g of protein spread evenly throughout the day," she says. "Eat your biggest carb rich meals right before and after your weight training," is her second rule. And her third? "Track your macros – if you are not eating at least 1800 calories a day, you likely need to do a reverse diet to rev your metabolism before attempting to lose fat," she says.
She Weight Trains and Does Some Cardio
She also changed her exercise focus. "Weight train 4 to 5 days a week – lifting heavy weights (heavy for YOU). Most women don't like heavy enough so they don't get the benefits of muscle hypertrophy, which is what makes your muscles grow," she says. "Cardio is important for heart health and can be a good tool to aid in fat loss when you are in a calorie deficit, but it should never replace weight training."
Muscles Burn More Calories Than Fat
She also points out that muscles burn more calories than fat. "The more muscle you have, the more you can eat and maintain the same weight or lose body fat," she says. "Weight training also helps keep your bones strong, which is especially important to us post menopausal gals. Strong bones and muscles allow us to maintain our overall strength and fitness and independence as we age."
Here Are Some More Tips
"Changing how you eat and move can seem overwhelming, but if your goal is healthy aging, both are necessities. Start slow and remember these mantras," she says.
- Consistency, not perfection
- Discipline, not motivation
- Comparison is the thief of joy
"You are not too old; it is not too late to get in the best shape of your life starting today," she concludes. And if you enjoyed this article, don't miss I Hit 60 and These 15 Anti-Aging Foods Keep Me Fit and Feeling 20 Years Younger.
