My one major regret after 12 years of No S

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oolala53
Posts: 10072
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by oolala53 » Wed May 25, 2022 7:13 pm

I have a few things that I wish I had possibly done differently with my eating earlier, but my only real regret doesn’t have to do with eating. It has to do with the fact that I did not include and continue with resistance exercise. That has cost me a fair amount of muscle that as an older person now I could really use. I can walk for miles and miles, but that doesn’t stimulate the muscle fiber that’s needed. Lift slow and heavy!! It has little to do with weight. Muscle is where the body temporarily stores glucose so that high amounts don’t circulate. My blood glucose has risen to near prediabetic range even though I lost over 20% of my body weight and am at a “ healthy” weight. And eating practically no refined foods.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

NaomiShambles
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2019 4:24 pm

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by NaomiShambles » Thu May 26, 2022 4:12 am

You can start now!

ladybird30
Posts: 1136
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by ladybird30 » Thu May 26, 2022 8:19 am

It's a pity older women aren't more encouraged to lift heavy things. Instead we get worried comments about hurting ourselves. And media articles about exercise for women tend to be accompanied by pictures of women with tiny hand weights. So no wonder we end up not doing the strength training we need.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

oolala53
Posts: 10072
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by oolala53 » Tue Jun 07, 2022 4:02 pm

Naomi, I have started but unfortunately, though I can increase strength at my age, it is a lot harder for a 68-year old to acquire muscle. It won't stop me from doing resistance work, but it won't have the same payoff as it would have at a younger age, unless by some miracle I am an outlier. I hope you also start now or continue, if you already have. The younger the better.

Ladybird, I concur. The protocol of using very heavy weight lifted and lowered slowly was actually discovered in a program for senior women! The researchers were astounded. No injuries. If insurance programs were smart, they'd find a way to offer this for payees, maybe with an end-of-the-year rebate for completing a program that showed verified strength and/or muscle preservation or gain and continued discounts for maintenance.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

pinkhippie
Posts: 1296
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:00 pm

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by pinkhippie » Fri Aug 26, 2022 3:54 pm

Thanks for this oolala, I am always telling myself I need to be consistent with my resistance training and always finding reasons to stop.

Your story is very motivating and I think it will help me be more consistent. I know Im reaching the age of starting to lose more muscle mass every year(mid forties). And I really need to get on it.

oolala53
Posts: 10072
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by oolala53 » Mon Jan 02, 2023 1:56 am

I joined a Facebook group called Women's weightlifting over 50. OMgosh, if you are feeling like things aren't budging, you should check it out. A woman posted just a few days ago showing her progress over three or four years. She was not really heavy, and her weight has fluctuated only a bit, but her body looks so different now. I look and just think, if I do that, can I eat channa masala again without a glucose spike? It seems some of the people there are low carb or even carnivore. It is hard to build without very precise calculating if you want to use plant sources, but that's another story.

I am committed at this point to doing bodyweight calisthenics and using some weights I have already. I bought some bands and a couple of other items as recommended by an actor friend in his 50's who is kind of coaching me on some flexibility stuff through a program called Wharton. I told him about my hip problem. That hasn't changed much but it hurts whether I work out or not, so I am working out. He is very fit- practically an elite athlete as a bicyclist-, though pretty thin. I got him to add some strength moves. He claims after a couple of weeks that he could tell a difference. He is not getting enough protein to build, but likes his diet and isn't willing to change. Who am I to say? We'll see. I am grateful that he is being encouraging. He has another woman he helps. Maybe we can work together. Other stuff on my check-in thread.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

ladybird30
Posts: 1136
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by ladybird30 » Tue Jan 03, 2023 1:51 am

Well done getting going with the exercise. I like bodyweight and home exercise myself rather than gym work. As for the pain, there is also the pain that comes through not exercising. Sorry to hear you are still having hip problems, chronic pain can really draining.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

andrewemond
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:43 pm

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by andrewemond » Thu Jan 05, 2023 4:54 pm

Im 38 years old and relatively strong. I workout mostly with weights between 5 and 10 lbs. A person can get quite strong and fit using only this poundage.

For a more comprehensive look, you should read Leonard’s Schwartz’s Heavyhands, published in the 1980s. He tells a fantastic story about his new purchase on fitness at a later age…I think he began working out in his mid 50s and, subsequently, became really lean and strong (he’s in the top 10 percentile for grip strength across all age brackets).

Very recently someone posted videos of him working out and discussing exercise theory. The videos are a treasure and answered some niggling questions.

A video of him using small hand weights: https://youtu.be/AZZqcycnnDI

A video he produced without weights, for a senior audience (however, I use some of the ideas and techniques): https://youtu.be/-2Qukrb3qLw

If you have any questions, let me know!

andrewemond
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:43 pm

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by andrewemond » Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:00 pm

Also: his book I believe is out of print. A quick and free solution is to read it on archive.org (a virtual library). You can set up an account for free and borrow the book for hour-long increments and read it in your browser.

oolala53
Posts: 10072
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by oolala53 » Sun Jan 08, 2023 8:44 pm

Thanks. Just about everything I read about using lighter weights says it is possible to increase strength/muscle with them but for my purposes, you have to work until near failure, so with lighter weights it means a LOT of repetitions. Otherwise you still aren't getting to the muscle fibers that are the ones easily lost. The new possible exception is using restrictive bands, but that is tricky. I will take a look at the resources, thought.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

ladybird30
Posts: 1136
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: My one major regret after 12 years of No S

Post by ladybird30 » Mon Jan 09, 2023 1:17 am

Boredom would set in for me if I was doing high reps on the same exercise. Even if I am exercising the same muscle group, I like to do lower reps with different exercises. But whatever suits is the best exercise.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

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