Losing Weight After 40 (for 23 Years and Counting)

Losing weight after 40! The struggle is REAL

Losing weight after 40? Ha! I’ve been trying that for 23 years. Yes, you read that right, twenty-three. And before you do the maths, yes, I’m proudly 63 and officially a card-carrying member of the “I’ve tried every diet under the sun” club.

Let’s just say my relationship with weight loss has been… complicated. Think Ross and Rachel, but with fewer kisses and more calorie counting.

“Weight loss isn’t about being PERFECT, it’s about showing up, EVEN on the days you DON’T feel like it, & proving to yourself that you’re WORTH the EFFORT.”

Diet Disasters and Midlife Mayhem

I’ve dabbled in Weight Watchers (where I discovered my deep hatred of tracking points), flirted with Slimming World (where they told me pasta was “free” and I took that quite literally), and even gave the Grapefruit Diet a go (which, in hindsight, was borderline punishment).

I’ve counted carbs, sins, steps, and regrets. I’ve juiced, fasted, cabbage-souped, and even bought something that was basically just flavoured air in a sachet. Unsurprisingly, nothing stuck, especially with real life throwing in its usual mix of stress, back pain, and the occasional celebratory pavlova.

The Business of Sitting (and How It Didn’t Help)

Starting my own business? Brilliant. Empowering. Life-changing… Also: sitting down for hours on end.

Combine that with a back injury thanks to surgery that went slightly sideways, and any dreams of bouncing around like Davina McCall in a perky Lycra set were well and truly dashed. I wasn’t lifting weights, I was lifting laundry baskets, deadlines, and the occasional oversized handbag.

Exercise felt impossible. Motivation was elusive. I even tried a 5:30am bootcamp in the park, whatever the weather, which mostly resulted in me questioning my life choices while soaked, muddy, and half-asleep. And don’t even mention burpees, I broke into a sweat just hearing the word.

Enter: Clayton & the Message That Found Me (Eventually)

Now here’s where it gets interesting. While poking around in the dusty back alleys of my Instagram junk folder, I stumbled on a message. From Clayton, an online fitness coach. Sent two months earlier.

I’d somehow missed it. Or maybe, just maybe, I was meant to find it when I did.

I fired off a reply with more apologies than punctuation marks… and bless him, he forgave me.

Online Coaching That Actually Works After 60

Fast forward just two months, and here’s where I’m at:

  • 17.34cm off my waist
  • 6cm off my hips
  • And a noticeable lift in confidence, energy, and jeans that actually fit again

It feels like a miracle. But really, it’s just a brilliant coach, a realistic plan, and me finally prioritising myself. Turns out, you don’t need to punish your body to change it, you just need to work with it.

Maybe My Dad Was Right After All…

My dad used to say, “You’d be amazing if you just tried a bit harder.”
And while that used to make me roll my eyes (with love), I think he might’ve had a point.

I just needed the right nudge, or in this case, a very delayed Instagram message, to help me get going. And now? I feel amazing. Stronger. More capable. Slightly less obsessed with pavlova (but let’s not get carried away).

So here I am, 63, still running my business, still occasionally glued to my chair, but also showing up for myself. Proving that midlife weight loss is absolutely possible, even if you’ve been trying since Nokia phones were still a thing.

And if you’re still scrolling Instagram thinking nothing changes? Check your junk folder. Seriously.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that you don’t need to be perfect, you just need to start. Even if you’ve been “starting again” since 2001.

It wasn’t about cutting out joy or living on lettuce. It was about finding someone who could meet me where I was, with a plan that felt doable, sustainable, and (shockingly) even enjoyable.

So if you’ve been putting it off, or telling yourself it’s too late, it’s not. You just might need the right coach in your corner.

And if you’re curious, go check out @clayton_onlinecoaching on Instagram. (Yes, the guy whose message sat in my junk folder for two months!) He’s the real deal, and trust me, he replies faster than I did. And if you have a question for me then contact me here…

Yvette

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