Fat Loss Over 40

Im not gonna say my age but based on the title, you know Im over 40.

Ive worked out in some fashion for more than half my life. I got lean and stayed lean for many years. At some point I wanted to gain some more muscle so I knew I needed to add some body fat and eat more calories to attempt to add muscle as an "aging" female.

And now my goal is to drop some body fat to see the progress I made adding muscle. But the problem is that my body and mind are not the same from when I was in my 30's or 20's. We all know that things change, but we dont know how to change our fitness routine. Let me start by saying, Im not going to give you the answer because Im trying to figure it out myself. And each person is different based on so many factors. Like your workout and eating history.

I was talking to a friend in the industry who is in his early 30's. And he was telling me that he was going to tell people over 40 about the need for more rest and mobility. I wanted to smack my forehead and say Duh! Anyone that is over 40 knows....feels....that they need more recovery and mobility. The problem is not knowing how to put it all together.

I personally think people are tired hearing about what its like to not be able to get in shape and why, but want a plan that gets them results. And part of that is being upfront..it will take longer...it will take more consistency with nutrition. Notice I didnt say diet. You have to accept that its not a 6 week challenge, or some diet bet.

I thought I would chronical my efforts over the next several months for my own log and in the event anyone stumbles across my over 40 "journal" it may help them get started. Or who knows, maybe someone out there will leave me some words of wisdom! :)

Tomorrow is house cleaning, grocery shopping, and planning out my week. I like to do that on Sunday so I feel some sense of control throughout a normally hectic week. I like to make 1 breakfast casserole that last Mon-Wednesday. I will make a ground turkey/potato/veggie mix that will be my lunch. I dont make my dinners ahead of time because I actually like to have a freshly cooked dinner and a few times out of hte week its fish. I dont really like to have that made too far ahead of time. I hit the grocery store if needed and cook a different casserole for Thurs-Saturday and another meal, probably chicken, pineapple chili that will last the same amount of time. Sunday I eat a big fun breakfast out...that is my only meal that I dont cook myself. One meal a week. Not a full day off my plan, that doesnt work any longer like I could do in my 20's and 30's.

That just means I have to become a creative cook so I enjoy my home cooked meals. Anyway, thats my first realization/tip. Cook your own meals with fresh, unprocessed ingredients 95% of the time. The 80/20 rule doesnt work for me any longer.

The next update will be Monday and I will include my activity/workout for the day. Later!