Anonymous wrote:In your shoes and at your weight/height, I would focus ONLY on building and maintaining muscle/functional movement and not at all on weight loss.

THIS. Don't work out to lose weight; work out to ensure you can open a jar and sit on the floor in your 80s.

To lose weight, you must eat at a caloric deficit with or without exercise.

Read books by Dr Stacy Simms. She recommends heavy weights, sprints and plyometrics

In your shoes and at your weight/height, I would focus ONLY on building and maintaining muscle/functional movement and not at all on weight loss.

You need to do your own cost benefit analysis here. But you probably could make the cost less costly by choosing to do a form of exercise you love. I.e., maybe you've always wanted to learn tennis, and practicing 2x a week will lead to 3 lbs of weight loss in the long term. Maybe you really like cauliflower rice. Eating that 2x a week might lead to 1lbs of weight loss in the long term.

Can you comfortably fit in bodyweight exercises like squats, planks, push-ups that kind of thing or ab work or will that strain your back? That combined with all your walking would be awesome.

Op here - I actually used to run half marathons and lifted weights as well. But hurt my back about 3 months ago and haven’t been able to do anything strenuous since. I am trying to incorporate yoga into my day as well.

I typically walk between 10,000 - 18,000 steps a day depending on what I am doing. Eat pretty healthy but do need more protein.

I started this way of living in May and was 160 and 5’8-okay health wise but was working out orange theory 4/5 times a week for years and limiting carbs and starving and low energy all the time with NO weight loss. Switched it up to ditch OTF, join gym and strength train, walk 10,000 steps a day with weighted vest, cut added sugars and added lots of protein and fiber and I lost 12 lbs and gained muscle! My in body scan show I’m 22% fat now which in my book is pretty good. I’m not starving anymore and have great energy too and inches of my waist. Just a reset that worked for me. Might work for you too!

I would just do a few things and I bet you’ll see weight loss. Not that you need to do this though, you sound perfectly healthy and fit.


1. Impressive that you walk 13,000 steps a day-that’s great and keep it up! Movement and low impact green zone movement is really great for fat burning past 40. Try adding a weighted vest for a few miles when you go walking to improve strength and bone density.
2. Add more protein, yes I know it’s trendy but it’s true. Protein heavy every meal. Leans meats, eggs, egg whites, cheese, yogurts, powders, shakes, bars, whatever it is try to get at least 100-120g of protein daily. FIBER, also huge and important. Eat at least 30g daily. More fruits like berries, apples, and veggies like broccoli, sweet potatoes, spinach etc. add in nuts and seeds like chia or flax when you can. Fiber and protein heavy are goals.
3. Cut out added sugars and most processed food. Start making more meals at home with real food. Sweeten with natural products like and maple syrup and honey if you get cravings.
4. Carbs are okay as long as they are complex carbs. No need to be carb free, just eat whole grains, complex carbs beans, quinoa, lentils are all great!
5. Strength training 30 minutes a few times a week-DON’T go crazy on cardio workouts!! They will stress your body into producing more cortisol which makes you hang on to your fat. Strength training and lifting weights will help you shred and that combined with your large amount of daily walking will get you results.

I am 5’7” and 145 pounds at 41 years old after multiple babies. I know if I pushed myself (ie worked out hard) I could probably get back down to 135. But right now I am not working out hard (just walking about 13,000 steps a day) and I am maintaining my weight without having to diet or calorie count.

Would you died/work out to lose the extra 10 pounds or just accept this is where your body is as a middle aged woman after multiple pregnancies?