For many women it can be that one mirror encounter that shouts ‘you need to do something’. For me it was seeing how lumpy I looked in a dress I had bought for a trip to Barcelona back in June. I’m sure many older women would agree that they can’t get away with wearing clothes that cling to every curve. The material needs to be a bit more substantial and forgiving. This dress was certainly not taking any prisoners but I wasn’t ready to abandon it. I didn’t take it with me to Barcelona but I was determined to have it in my luggage for my next trip. So on my return from Barcelona I commenced on an eight week programme which became 9 weeks to account for the carb fuelled three Welsh peak challenge weekend. 

I have now come to the end of the programme but it remains work in progress. I am already planning with my personal trainer another programme to start after I have indulged myself at an all inclusive which will take me up to the Christmas festivities. 

In the great scheme of things I haven’t lost that much fat. Only 3.5 kgs. But this has reduced my body fat percentage from 36% (unhealthy) to 32% (normal for my age). At the same time I have put on a small amount of muscle. It is considered rather difficult to put on lean body mass when in a calorie deficit as the body isn’t fussed what it burns to get its energy but I have managed it. Holding on to lean body mass and possibly increasing it is so important when you are trying to get lean.

 I try as possible not to talk about losing weight as this isn’t the ultimate aim. It is fat loss. So many people focus on what the scales are telling them but not what they see in the mirror. Losing fat will result in you changing shape and looking ‘toned’. Again not a term I’m particularly happy with as it is often used at the end of a weight loss journey. ‘I have lost the weight I now just need to tone up’. No. You have lost weight but you still have fat covering the shape you want to expose. And you may have lost some of that shape.  Far better to concentrate on losing the fat and protecting your muscles from the beginning. 

The science behind this is very simple:

Calorie deficit. All diets require a calorie deficit for them to work. Be it Slimming World, intermittent  fasting, keto, WW, paleo and everything else inbetween. It comes down to personal choice and what you find the easiest to maintain. For me it was having a macronutrient target on MyFitnessPal and recording everything I ate and drunk. And there was a gradual reduction in my calorie target throughout the programme. At the same time there was a increase in the amount of cardio training I did. If I had started the plan on the same calories and training that I ended on I don’t think I would have been able to sustain it. Changing something every week certainly worked for me. And starting off in a small calorie deficit will direct your body to burn fat not muscle.

High Protein. To ensure you are losing fat not just weight and to protect your lean body mass you need to eat sufficient protein. This also has the benefit of keeping you feeling full. It can however be hard to consume a lot of protein dense foods. I struggled. I very rarely ate all of my protein allowance. I will try harder next time. Do view with suspicion any diet programme that does not make reference to the importance of the amount of protein you need to consume. 

Strength training. Again important to retain and protect lean body mass. When that fat is stripped away we want to expose our sculpted muscles. This won’t happen if they have been broken down by your body for energy.

For older adults the last two elements of a fat loss programme are just so important. We are already at a disadvantage as age is causing our muscles to shrink. Medically known as sarcapenia. Losing more through calorie restriction will make you even weaker when it is our strength that is keeping us active, mobile and independent. 

The good news is that age related muscle loss can be slowed down with a high protein diet and strength training. 

I am now below 70kg. It seems a significant milestone. The only times I have been below 70kg in recent years is when I have been ill. Just under 4 years ago I was recovering from surgery. I went down to 65kg. I looked awful. I also went below 70kg ten months ago. Entirely due to a stress induced illness. I won’t go into details but just to note I never went anywhere without a supply of Imodium. 

However, looking back at my measurements my body fat was higher then than it is now.  The main weight loss was from my lean body mass. 

This time it has been through a controlled, monitored process. And the starter/finisher in me just loves it. I view myself as a science project. A very important science project. I have an excel spreadsheet where I keep track of my weight loss by lean body mass and fat mass changes and my body fat percentage. I have also calculated my ideal BMI. Not that I’m a great believer in it’s reliability but I was interested to see where I should be placed in the huge variation of the normal range of 20-25. I don’t look good at 25 and I know I would look moribund at 20. But apparently 23 would be spot on. I’m currently at 24.

I know this all sounds a bit nerdy but I find it fascinating. And as I have said before one of the most important projects you can work on is you. So I’m living the dream. 

Finally, a huge thank you to my personal trainer, Chloe, who put the programme together. She keeps me accountable, encourages me and takes me well out of my comfort zone every week.