#87: My Fit After 50 Journey Update

A lot has happened since I started my journey into strength training and fitness after menopause! 💪 

In this special episode of *40+ Fitness for Women*, I’m catching up with you on where I am now, what’s changed, and how my fitness and lifestyle have evolved over the last few years. 

Plus, if you’re new to my show, you’ll get to know a bit more about my background, my journey, and how strength training has truly transformed my life after 50.

Tune in as I share:

• The ups and downs of my fitness journey over the past few years
• How I went from feeling “fluffy” and losing muscle tone to being leaner, stronger, and healthier than ever
• My approach to sustainable weight training, nutrition, and making movement a lifestyle
• The changes that made the biggest impact—not just on my body, but on my confidence and health
• How to create habits that help you stay fit without diets or extremes 

If you’re wondering what’s possible for you, or just want some inspiration to kick off (or continue!) your own fitness journey, I hope my story will inspire you to take those next steps!

Resources mentioned in the episode:   

My strength training programs >>
My walkpad >>

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to 40+ Fitness for Women
• 1:31 Lynn's Personal Fitness Journey
• 2:51 Starting Weight Training
• 4:27 Tracking Progress and Adjustments
• 6:10 Calorie Deficit and Weight Loss
• 7:38 Maintaining Fitness and Healthy Habits
• 8:57 Phases of Weight Training
• 13:23 Social Life and Fitness
• 18:11 Current Fitness Routine and Future Plans
• 21:25 Final

Transcript

#87: My Fit After 50 Journey Update


Welcome to 40+ Fitness for Women. I'm Lynn Sederlöf-Airisto, your host, and I'm a certified menopause fitness coach, which means that I focus exclusively on women who are going through the perimenopause transition and who are already in menopause and post menopause. I myself am 53 years old and post menopause.
And today I thought I would do a quick kind of catch up on how my journey has been going because I have shared this along the way with all of you. In fact, I started this podcast when I started my journey and had discovered all these things that I did not know before and felt like, man, I got to get this info out there because I cannot be the only woman struggling. With these issues of your body, all of a sudden not working and your muscle tone disappearing and belly fat appearing and all those things. So I know I have a lot of new listeners and new people who have started following me on social media and have maybe found their way to my podcast. So I thought I would Do this session a little bit as a re intro, but also as a catch up, because I haven't talked so much about my own personal experience lately. Let's get into it.
So I was looking back through some of my old videos because I actually started posting on social media on Instagram in particular back when I started my journey and sharing the tips and the information that I had. And, oh my God, I. I've changed quite a lot since then. I look at myself back then and I mean, I have gotten more toned, more lean.
My face looks different because I'm, thinner than I was. And that wasn't really the goal, but when you do body recomposition, you lose fat in your face as well. So I'll, I'll be sharing some of those videos. I've been making some new reels that have older video clips of me. And they're kind of fun to look back on and I'm glad I took them.
So I want to also encourage you that if you are starting on your fitness journey, or even if you're a year into it, or two years into it, take some video of yourself. doing things, even talking because a year from now, two years from now, three years from now, four years from now, you're going to be really interested to see what did you look like back then and how much progress you have made.
So I really started my weight training journey back in 2022 and back and it was about the turn of the year. And I had noticed that my muscle tone was pretty much gone and I was just looking fluffy and not all the way I was accustomed to looking. You know, I've been an athlete my whole life. I played varsity, field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer in high school, and then went on to play division one lacrosse at Dartmouth college.
So, you know, I'm somebody who in my teens and in my twenties and even in my early thirties, I was running many times a week. I was weight training many times a week going to yoga classes. I mean, I, it was not uncommon for me to go do a weight training session and then go for a run for an hour. That was a completely normal for me.
So a lot of my identity was wrapped up in being an athlete, looking like an athlete, looking fit. It was not around being thin. Thin was never my. Goal. I was not a dieter. Thank God, because I've seen so many women that fall into that where they're just trying to be a smaller and smaller and smaller version of themselves. But I guess because I was an athlete, I felt confident as long as my body looked athletic. 
I got started doing an online program where they had these online classes that were using weights. And it did not take me long to realize as I was simultaneously studying what you need to do to start weight training did not take me long to realize that, you know what? This is not applying the principles of building muscle because. We weren't tracking how many reps we're doing. We weren't making sure that we were doing more, this time than we did last time.
So the progress was really slow and I fairly quickly started tracking and started kind of doing my own workouts. Right. And notice that my progress was much, much faster when I started doing that. In fact, for a long time, I would have kind of the, the, uh, training session running in the background. And I'd be doing my own thing in the front ground because I was a little bit insecure about doing it myself. 
But so that first year I really did the weight training and unfortunately I didn't take a body composition measurements. In the very, very beginning, I wish I had, but when I did a little bit later, when I'd already started doing some weight training, like serious weight training, the first thing that I noticed that happened was In the body composition measurements was that I lost visceral fat and that was amazing.
So that's the belly fat, so even though I still, wasn't looking hugely toned, it takes a long time to build muscle. I'd lost some visceral fat. So, my waist started being there again. And of course that's super healthy to lose that visceral fat. And then when I had been weight training for A little bit over a year, actually, I went on 12 week, super strict calorie deficit. And I'm going to do an episode also on kind of the things that I learned on that. And maybe the mistakes that people are making, why their 1200 calorie a day deficit is not necessarily working for them. So I went on the calorie deficit and in 12 weeks, I lost about 10 pounds.
And that is when I really started looking different because I had built the muscle underneath and then I got rid of that extra fat. I mean, I am not a low body fat person right now. I am at a healthy body fat and yeah, I started looking different. And. Then for the past year, over a year, I've been able to maintain that.
Now I little bit overshot last year because so happened that last summer I broke up with my boyfriend of almost four years. So I was pretty devastated. And I I actually don't eat when I'm sad, so, I, ended up losing a little bit more weight than I meant to. But anyway, that situation corrected itself. So, you know, I started eating regularly again towards the end of the year. 
And I was really amazed because the habits that I put in place in that first year, and the things that I learned in that calorie deficit, which allowed me to put into place even better Eating habits around protein, around how many calories I was getting around being consistent around planning meals, all these habits that I was able to put into place, like changing my eating lifestyle, has enabled me to really maintain my weight.
If you look online at other, personal trainers and Fitness people for sure, their exercise habits are important and the fact that they have muscle and everything, but every single one of them is conscious of how they're eating. They're not just going out and eating McDonald's every day or picking up something on the fly.
Yeah. They are planning their meals and that has become a way of life for them. And, uh, and that has been super instrumental in my ability to maintain this level of body fat fitness, whatever you want to call it. And then I've continued to weight train and I've continued to get stronger.
Now, there are phases that you go through when you start weight training and the very, very beginning, you, your body is learning how to do this. stuff. So, you know, progress is quite quick as far as increasing your reps and increasing your weight. And that goes on for quite a while. For me, it went on for at least a year, I want to say closer to a year and a half, in some exercises.
And now I really am in the phase. So here I am two and a half years in where, yes, I'm still making progress. Yes. I'm still keeping the same exercises in my program. I rotate them to some degree, but I have certain set of exercises that I enjoy that I know are effective, that work well together, that I have the equipment and my gym and all, all the things.
And for them, progress is happening, but it's slow. So, so for me for now, if you've watched me at all on it, on, social media, you know, that, pull ups are one of my standard exercises that I do. And. I'm all the time decreasing the level of help that I'm getting. I was doing assisted pull ups and then I started using rubber bands cause they're even lighter and lighter and lighter, lighter rubber bands.
So when I first started with the rubber band, I could get. Like three chin ups, um, three times three, because I was do three sets. And then my goal was, okay, next time I'll be able to do four in one of my sets. So then I would hopefully, and it didn't always happen, but hopefully get four chin ups in one of my sets.
So it's really a matter of very slow progress, but Good progress, right? One rep per week on an exercise at this point is great. Um, so yeah, so that's where I am with my weight training. 
And actually this summer I was indulging quite a lot. I went on a trip, to Greece. I was on a trip to Paris. I was boating with my honey. So I had a lot of trips. And plus I was going out a lot more, maybe having a few more GTs than I would in the winter and that kind of thing. And I was feeling a little bit like, okay, I've put on a bit more body fat. And I actually started on a fat loss phase. And some of you who follow me more actively may remember that.
And I have to say. That fell apart very, very quickly because. My motivation to do that was so darn low. I was like, do I really need to lose this kilo of body fat like fast? Or can I just trust that when I go back to my regular habits, when, you know, vacation time is over, that it will go away. And so it kind of flopped my weight loss thing.
I had been eating maybe a little bit too much of my children's candy, maybe not getting quite enough sleep, all those kinds of things. So I got myself back on track and. Without the help of a, diet, like a, an official calorie deficit, I have been able to now get my body back to the point where I feel really, really good in my body.
So I feel like that little extra that might've come on in the summer is, is gone already at this point. The takeaway from that is that just instilling these really good habits and this lifestyle of how you eat, moving, training, all, all these things that.
Once you have that down, it becomes fairly easy to maintain your weight. You don't have to keep thinking, Oh my God, now I need another diet. And now I need to do a cleanse. Now I need to do a fast or whatever. You just start going back to your normal life and, and then everything falls into place.
And another thing that's happened to me, a huge thing, actually. So I, I got divorced in, 2016 from the father of my children. And then I had that relationship, for almost four years that ended last summer. And then this past winter, I met someone, a gentleman who is a bit my senior. And generally I hadn't even like looked at men that are older than me because they're usually they're in such bad shape.
I mean, they're the guys with the basketball, you know, under their shirt and they don't move. And they have no. Desire to move or take care of themselves. And if you think about, you know, at age 53, I'm hoping to find my rest of my life partner and I don't want to become their nurse. I'm sorry, but you know, I, I want us to be able to do stuff together.
And so for sure, I felt like older man, no way, because he's going to already be in worse shape. And then I'm going to be taking care of him pretty soon. And that's not what I want for myself, but I met this guy through Tinder and no, he did not have his age there, but he's an amazing shape. So he has been weight training for decades.
 His body fat percentage is extremely low. He has. So much muscle. Well, I mean, he's not like a bodybuilder, but, but his body composition is primarily, muscle and very, very little fat,.
 It is so great because we share this fitness, fitness, health, whatever lifestyle, and it makes it so much easier to stick with that. You know, Yeah. Yeah. We both want to eat a lot of protein. We enjoy taking walks. We've, we go to the gym together and this is something I never did in my life. I mean, I had to be 53 years old before I started going weight training with somebody.
And then in the beginning I was kind of like, Oh, really? You want to go to the gym with me? And it was like, you stay over there. I'll stay over here. And, and probably nobody at the gym could even tell that we were there together. And now, now it feels really good because we're, I mean, okay. You know, men, they're a little bit simple in that when you do things together, that's quality time for them.
So when I'm really busy. It's great to be like, Hey, let's go to the gym together. We both work out, you know, doing our own thing, but at the same time, it counts towards like couples time. Plus you get the time driving there, the time driving back and, and, you know, eating afterwards and whatever. And, yeah, that has been a huge.
Kind of change. And I want to share that also kind of the social part of my life, because I think a lot of women feel like. You're kind of over the hill and it's all over for you once you hit 50, right? And especially if you're a single on the dating scene, 
I remember a long time ago,, I was probably 48. One of my friends who was turning 50, I remember talking to her and she. Expressed the idea that she was reaching her best by date and she needed to find a guy quick. And I remember then thinking, Oh my God, no, I mean, she's beautiful, amazing, energetic, but I think that is a pretty common thing. And. Menopause also, , well, who, what woman, first of all admits that they're in menopause, are you going to go on a date and be like, I'm in menopause, you know, you think like you're saying, Oh, I'm too old kind of thing, but, life does not end here. It really, really doesn't. I'm Many years post menopause, probably six, seven.
Eight years post menopause and having the best time. I have amazing friends and that's super important to spend time with your friends. And I've met somebody who, I mean, I've never had a relationship like this. And. I never kind of expected to, including an amazing physical component to this relationship.
So that doesn't end either, at age 50 or 60. I mean, he's 61. So, and it's something that both of us value very, very much, uh, and want to hold on to all the way till the end of our lives, because. Yeah. Why not?
So really what my journey has been to date is I started weight training first, and I did that for about a year and a half. Then I focused on that loss for a short amount of time. So for three months I was in a calorie deficit and I was really, really strict with that. And I continued to weight train during that time because I didn't want to lose the precious muscle that I had built.
Then I've added in. daily steps. So just movement in general. And one of the things that I have bought, which helps me with that, is I have a walk pad. And if you're interested in information about my walk pad, you can check the show notes. 
I have added in cardio again. So for those first year and a half, I did not do very much cardio because I really wanted to focus on building muscle.
And I know that building my cardio capacity back up is not going to take very long, honestly. Compared to how long it takes to build muscle, especially. So I had limited amount of time. I wanted to focus on the thing that was most important to me, which was the muscle. Now I'm bringing cardio back into the picture or I've brought cardio back into the picture in terms of sprint interval training, which is the one that's really advised for us middle aged women.
And then also fun cardio, going back to my dance classes or going dancing with my friends. Doing things that I enjoy because honestly, exercise is not just checking boxes that you are doing things that you're supposed to do. You can just enjoy movement, go play tennis, hike, whatever it is that you enjoy doing.
And then I always do balance exercises. I mean, every day I'm doing things that are maintaining my balance. And finally, the new thing that I'm going to be adding, and this will not take more than a minute, a day actually is jumping. So jump training, either jumping in place, or jumping onto a step and down, jumping onto a step and down, this kind of thing.
And that's the one that I haven't yet fit into my schedule so that I would be really reliable on it. But that is something that I need to do. Maybe it'll be that. Every day when I come upstairs to my office, the first time when I'm about to hop on the stairs, I jump up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down 10 times.
Maybe that's a good one. Actually, that could work. That would take care of it right there. And I could do the same thing right before lunch, you know, when my stomach is empty. So yeah, a couple of times a day, 10 to 20 jumps, and that would be a good start. I mean, really a great start. Let's not make these things too complicated and then I'll develop it from there.
So that's where I am today. . And if there's something else that you would want to know, or. Or are interested in hearing more about topic wise on this podcast, then there's a new feature for my podcast hosting platform has offered, which is that you can leave me a note. Now, I cannot respond to your note, unfortunately, but.
You can leave me a message so you can say, Hey Lynn, I want to hear more about this jump training or, Hey Lynn, how do you get in all your protein every day? And, and, you know, whatever it is that you're interested in hearing more about, I would be really excited to hear what you've enjoyed, what topics you find boring, what you've heard too much of, what you've heard not enough of, because it's hard for me to judge.
I feel like I talk about the same things over and over and over again. And yet then I talk to somebody like a new client who listens to me religiously and I realize, Hmm, they've kind of missed that point. So, so yeah, we all hear things a little bit differently. Um, and some of us need to hear things many, many times before they really, really sink in.
So with that, I will end this catch up episode and I'll probably do another one in like six months or so. And in the meanwhile. Happy training!