Coming up on 50

5

50isnifty

Member
Hi there - I am new to this forum but have been using Cathe's tapes for a few months and I love them! I have Terminator, Hardcore extreme, Boot camp/ muscle endurance, IMAX 2 and IMAX 3,and Lo Max. Can hardly wait for her low impact circuit DVD. I was just looking at the ratings for her DVD's and I personally think Hardcore extreme is harder than terminator mainly because of all the jumping involved.


First of all - anyone out there 50 and older? I know you are all out there because I seem to recall a thread somewhere back in the archives. what are all of you doing for your exercise routine? And what are you eating to keep your weight under control? I would say, I am for the most part pretty good about what I eat but I have to stay on top of it all the time to keep my weight under control. 5'6" and about 125 lbs.


I want to know - anyone having problems with their knees? As much as I like doing Cathe's DVD's - doing them too much causes my knees to ache. Even LoMax sometimes. I think it has to do with using the step too much. I try to alternate with running because it doesn't seem to be quite as hard on my knees, believe it or not. Have been taking glucosamine to see if its helps.

Also anyone having trouble with sleeping? This is my first year in menopause and in addition to having to fight the belly fat, I also have a hard time sleeping. And hot flashes galore. So I am usually hot and tired and I feel fat. Its fun! Not going to do hormone replacements and fortunately for me, I've been doing weight bearing long enough that my bone density is pretty good.

My older sister says it will get better. She's 4 years older and just started doing triathlons last summer. Who says 50 isn't the new 40! we plan to stay in shape so we can ski for free!

Oh and for all you Seattle-ites out there - Go Seahawks on Sunday!
 
Hey Ms. 50! This is my year of turning 50. Two months away. So far, so good. I haven't hit menopause yet, but I'm very interested in hearing how others deal with it too. I'm not as slim as you are, but I'm reasonably content with my weight. No knee problems so far. I'm so glad to hear that your sister thinks it gets better!!

WELCOME!!!!

-Nancy
 
WEll I am pretty close! I am 48. I just started Cathe too! I had a couple of injuries that kept me from working out hard. But I Knew what I was doing just wasn't going to cut it anymore. I had put on about 6 lbs in 2 years. Slowly but surely. So, I have been trying to eat clean and work out with Cathe and other things for a month. I have lost those 6 pounds! I am now 5' 4" and 119 which I was weighing in at two years ago! But I still need to work up some muscle again. Oh and I measured my waist today and it is 26"!! Now that might not be a big deal to some of these lovely ladies but I can't remember having a waist measurement of less than 27".
So it is working! I have been doing her cardio & weights, her beginner step and Muscle Max. I just ordered Kick Max, Lo Max, Stretch Max and The Pyramids.
I try to not do step more than 2 times a week to keep my knees ok. I also started doing some Interval training on the treadmill.
I haven't started menopause yet, but I'm right with you on the sleep issues! In fact, this last week has been particularly bad! Sometimes up at 3 am, sometimes up at 4 when I don't have to get up till 5:15. Not fun. But I am sure the exercise helps instead of hinders the process.
Good luck to you!!! We are lucky to be fit and feeling good and keepin up with Cathe (ok I'm sorta keeping up lol)
 
Hey! 50 is the new 30!!! I am 49 and have been exercising for YEARS and doing Cathe for about 4 years, I guess. I did have some knee issues in Oct but went to the PT and it has really improved. He kept telling me that it was good to go in as soon as I did rather than waiting til it was really bad. Some people will never have knee problems, but if they (or any other problem) ocurrs, I would say at our age, getting it under control sooner is better! One thing that is great for my legs and knees is spinning. I am new to that and love it! It is my main cardio for the past month, and then who knows?
Interesting news about soy:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060124...vQDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
 
Fifty is just two years away .... Menopause was 2 years ago. I had a complete hysterectomy. It wasn't fun trying to find the right HRT combo, but now I use estrogen and testosterone. I can sympathize with the no sleep and the hot flashes. One night I had 13 soaking night sweats in a 7 hour period. Unless you have had one you just can't understand.

I have gained a couple of pounds and I know my metabolism has slowed down. It really stinks because I have exercised since I was 25, I rarely eat out and I eat totally healthy. I am trying to make peace with it, but...


On a geographical note - do you live in the Seattle area? I am moving to Port Townsend in March. I hope it stops raining.

Debbie Russo
 
I'm 49, will be 50 in November! 1956 was a good year, huh? ;)

So far, so good. I am still the same weight (5'7", 115 lbs) and no menopause yet, although I think I have some perimenopausal stuff going on... insomnia, headaches, nothing major though.
 
I knew there were more of us out there!

I do feel lucky to have good health. went to the doctor a little while ago for a physical and the results were really good. the less medicine I have to take as I get older, the happier I will be!

And yes menopause and periomenopause wreaks havoc with your metabolism. I kept gaining weight in spite of exercising a lot and barely eating any food. I really have to mix up my exercise routine a lot so my body cannot adapt. But it would much rather store fat than burn it. Cathe's interval training has been very helpful, but its still a challenge.

And yes, I live in Seattle. I am sorry to say, it does rain here a lot. BUT - the summers are superb - we are surrounded by water and beautiful mountains- and we have good coffee! Plus the area you are moving to, Port Townsend is very nice.........
 
50isnifty-
There is one thing I'm a bit unclear on, and maybe you can help. Does your sister say that the problems with "metabolism" get better over the years, or is that a permanent problem?

I did notice a few weeks ago when I had a bad cold that I was eating very little (for me). I was literally having a 200-300 calorie bowl of soup for dinner every night for about a week and didn't lose an ounce. That seemed rather odd to me, because in my younger days if I were eating so little I probably would have lost about 5 lbs. Yet, nothing! It was very surprising.

Perhaps I'm showing my ignorance of all things biological here, but I'm not even sure what metabolism is. I mean, my doctor has me on synthroid and says my levels are normal, so isn't that supposed to mean that my metabolism is "normal". Guess I need to do some reading on this topic. I've been avoiding it because I'm probably afraid to know the real answer!

Thanks!
-Nancy
 
Hi 50isnifty!

I am 53 and my main menopausal complaint is "sleep deprivation". Everything I read states that getting a sufficient number of hours sleep is key in weight loss. However, if I get 3 hours a night, I am lucky. Every night, I say to myself that I am going to get up and exercise in the morning before I go to work, and every morning I can't because I am so tired. And speaking about "hot flashes", I never wake up soaked, I just always seem to be warm. Its the middle of January, and I have to sleep with 2 fans going. I am not sure of how long this will last, but I would do anything for a Good Nights Sleep.

Elln
 
Oh, Elln! You poor dear! So sorry to hear it. Have you spoken to your gyn? Can they do anything to help?

-Nancy
 
Elln,

I am so sorry about your insomnia. I understand completely. Have you tried any of the over the counter medications like "Simply Sleep". It works for me when I take it.

I also have friends who swear by Ambien or Lunestra (sp?). Those are prescription, but seem to be very effective without being habit forming.

Good luck! I never thought in a million years that I'd have insomnia, but I do on occasion. It's not fun.
 
50IN, I also use Tylenol PM if that helps at all.

I hope you don't mind if I just post quick thank you to Jeanne Marie here. Jeanne Marie, your posts on the other thread were so well-stated. I just wanted to mention that your last post actually caused my opinions to shift a bit. I was very influenced by your intelligent, enlightened viewpoint. If there's one thing that's really great about this age it's the perspective we have that many call "wisdom". Awww, let's face it, we ARE wiser. It cannot be denied. :D :+
-Nancy
 
Wow, thank you so much Nancy! What a great thing to say... you made my day! :D

I am curious...I would love to know what it was I said that influenced your viewpoint, and how it changed your line of thinking. It really is wonderful to have these dicussions and learn so much isn't it? There sure are a lot of smart, savy women here (but of course!) :D
 
I just turned 50 last summer and 50 IS the new 30! Also, I'm a Seattleite - I live on the eastside. So yes - GO SEAHAWKS!

I don't have problems with my knees, but to insure I maintain that, Santa brought me a spinning bike for Xmas, so I Xtrain alot for my cardio. I alternate step, spinning and kickboxing.

I'm not menopausal yet either, so as long as I get a good workout I sleep like a baby! Same goes with my weight. I've never had any weight issues and I attribute that to a commitment to fitness and good health. I eat pretty clean except for my occasional chocolate indulgence.

To Debbie - Port Townsend is completely different from Seattle. It's very laid back, many beautiful old homes and antiques shops. That kind of thing. It's a beautiful place on the water.
Jo
 
Jeanne Marie, I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll answer your question in a PM. I absolutely agree with you that it is delightful to have a place to discuss issues with such intelligent women!
-Nancy
 
All your posts are so inspiring. I'll be turning 49 this year, and I have experienced the menopot recently. About 2 years ago, I gained 15 lbs. in a very short time period, and it mostly went to my waist/abdomen area. I have been very thin all my life, and never had to diet, so this was somewhat of a shock to me. I obviously have to watch what I eat now, something I never had to do. I also want to be more consistent with my workouts. Is there a particular way of exercising that you think would be more beneficial at this stage of my life? Is more cardio needed, or more weights? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi Runcrazy - did you see the seahawks getting their send off today from Qwest field. Hope they do well on Sunday.

Still haven't gotten into spin yet, but my brother in law is REALLY into it. Big time. I haven't gotten into it though - I think it has something to do with being on a machine indoors. After 30 seconds, I want to either look at the clock or get off. But I know it burns calories big time so that's a great thing to have as part of your routine. And you are lucky to be able to sleep. That's a gift!

Nancy 324 - I don't know much about what happens to your metabolism when you hit menopause, but just from my own experience it seems like your body tends to store carbs asfat instead of burn them like it should. That is also assuming you don't have a metabolic disorder or a thyroid problem. Its almost like your insulin becomes way too effective at dealing with the extra glucose that enters the system - it goes right to fat! So adopting a low carb lifestyle permanently -and I am not talking about giving up fruits and vegetables, but more limiting refined carbs like bread, pasta, chips, cookies - all that stuff -as much as you can - is probably the best way to go. From what I have heard that kind of eating also will do a lot to lower your blood values - your cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL's and probably will raise the HDL's. Lower your intake of sat. fats and increase your intake of omega 3's and 6's - Then when you throw consistent exercise into the mix, then you've got a good recipe for good health hopefully!

Elln - sorry about your not getting sleep but i feel your pain! You also have to find a good gynecologist - one who understands all the issues that menopausal women face. Mine was not terribly sympathetic - he took me off Lo-ogestrel cold turkey and I was suffering for a couple of months.My hair was falling out in clumps, I couldn't sleep and was very fatigued and I kept gaining weight. Told me that if I had problems, to come back. Not - here's what you are going to experience and here's what we have to help you with it. I was given a prescription for ambien and its OK but I really don't want to rely on it all the time. The thing that really helps is consistent exercise - it tends to help with the hot flashes, but not so much the sleep thing. can't tell you reliably what DOES help. I do know that when I am on vacation, I sleep better so maybe its related to stress too! I know some of my friends have gone to naturopaths, but the results have been mixed.
 
Hi All -

I'm almost 54 and do Cathe rotations 6 days a week. I'm currenly doing Debbie's (FitnessFreak366) Endurance rotation. Last year I was having trouble with my knees, but did a five mile run last month with no problem. I'm thinking that doing lots of Cathe's leg workouts has strengthened the muscles around my knees. I can't think of any other reason why the problem has gone away.

No sleep problems are another issue altogether. I wake up a 3 a.m. most nights and if I'm lucky I go back to sleep, sometime not. I was experiencing mild hot flashes over the summer and began taking black cohosh, soy extract and a few other natural remedies and the hot flashes are gone - for now. I've heard other women say theirs went away for 2 years and then came back.

My metabolism doesn't seem to have changed much as I've always gained weight easily. Too many bad carbs will put the pounds on me, so I have to be careful.

I've never been so fit. I am sure I'm in better physical condition than my 24 and 25 years old daughters. (I don't LOOK better, just FEEL better). I'm sure they couldn't get through half of the Cathe DVDs that I do.

So far, 50s are not too bad. I'm just trying to age gracefully!
 
Coralocean 57 - Yes, the days of being able to eat what you want and as much as you want are officially over. SIGH. Yes, I used to be there too. But this IS fixable! I wasn't sure - are you on a regular exercise regimen already? If not, I would recommend starting out with walking! Increase your distances incrementally until you are walking for about an hour - and don't just walk on the flat - do hills, do stairs - do it all! FInd an exercise buddy if that helps.

If you are already exercising, I would recommend cardio and weights for at least 50 minutes. Again if you haven't been exercising, I would increase to this level incrementally. Sometimes, it helps to join a gym and take a class that's offered several times a week -having friends in class always motivates me to go! Good luck!
 
Hi Bubbles100 - you remind me of my older sister!You both are very fit - She works out about 6 times a week and during triathlon season, she usually will do two events in one day to get ready. I was wondering where is the link for the endurance rotation you are doing? And I was also wondering which dvd's you have for legwork - maybe if I do more legwork and a little less jumping, my knees would be happier. Thanks!
 
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