We spend a lot of time providing tips, strategies and "expert" advice on what it takes to reach success in health and fitness after 50. Today we won't be doing that. 

Instead, we've reached out to some of our most successful members, both past and present. Who better to hear from than the people who lived, breathed and sweated first hand - what it takes to reach success after 50?

It's important to note that most (if not all) of these women;

• had real life struggles (i.e. not enough time, hormonal changes, injuries/health conditions, high-stress, etc.)

• had ups and downs (i.e. plateaus, back-tracking, minor injuries, etc.)

• had little to no "gym-exercise" experience

• had never reached this type of success after the age of 50

• in spite of all this, still found a way to reach their goals

We asked each contributor to list their 3 best tips in each of the following categories;

1. changing nutrition habits
2. creating lasting lifestyle change
3. improving your fitness after 50

They each responded in their own way, in their own words and were happy to "pay-it-forward" and help you out. Many people after 50 struggle to reach their goals in a healthy, sustainable way. The goal of this blog post is to not only provide helpful tips that you can use, but more importantly, to inspire you. When we see others like us who have reached success, it can spark that drive to go and do it ourselves. 

Before moving on, we want to thank everyone who took time out of their busy week to contribute to this post. Thank you.

1. Francine V. 58 - Lost 40lbs

[kitchen make-over, focus on goal setting and mind-set, accountability and working with a coach]

1) changing nutrition habits

Get rid of everything in your cupboards/fridge that are not good for you. Prepare your food ahead of time so when you're ready to eat, you don't eat junk food because your meal is already prepared. This will prevent you from going for junk food.

2) creating lasting lifestyle change

Set up goals for yourself & make sure you follow through. Stay positive & commit to what is going to make you feel better about yourself. I saw a lot of change in my sports. I was able to work harder, have more stamina & could keep up with the rest of the young ones! 

3) improving your fitness after 50

Again setting up a goal & making sure you stick to it. The best thing for me was getting a personal trainer. They will help you through it & together you can achieve whatever you set your goal to. You can change your lifestyle after 50 because you still have years of good living ahead of you. You can do it because you want to & you can feel like a million bucks! Hard work, being positive & consistency will get you where you need to, to go through life.

2. Karen E. 57 - Lost 37lbs

[getting real, gradual change, going outside your comfort zone, perspective, getting in the zone]

1) changing nutrition habits

Don't think too much about what you are eating, just eat it and move on to something else. It gets easier as time goes by and you do end up over time changing your ways (albeit perhaps not totally) but enough to make a real change in your everyday eating habits so that eating something really naughty feels odd, not the norm. Hopefully you will have digestive problems after eating naughty things which will help you resist and not eat like that very often (or not at all but who's kidding who, we all cheat).  If you dwell on what you eat and how it tastes in relation to the comfort foods you love, you'll be disappointed so don't go there. 

2) creating lasting lifestyle change

Be real. Unless you are under extreme circumstances, you can change your lifestyle for the better.  Put a game plan in place that is sensible and works.  It may mean you have to go outside of your comfort zone.  People around you will not only accept it, it makes them realize that they too can do this.  I look at people I know that "have it together" and they have made their life what it is by ensuring that what they do is worthwhile, productive and fulfilling.  They see their time as valuable and not to be thrown away on nonsense.  

3) improving your fitness after 50

Get in the zone by taking the time, breathing and wrapping your mind around it. If you look around the gym you can see who is in the zone and who is not. In order for me to enjoy my workout whether it's at home or in the gym, I need to stretch, take my time when exercising, keep good form, breath and remember why I'm there. Any time I try to rush through it just to get it over with (yes Andre, I have done that a few times), I feel disappointed and I don't get what I came for. Get what you came for!

3. Claire C. 57 - Lost 12lbs

[preventing impulse eating, the long game, just get started]

1) changing nutrition habits

My best tip for changing nutrition habits is to make plans and leave little room for impulse eating. 

2) creating lasting lifestyle change

Just keep your eye on the long range game and keep in mind the long term benefits you are working towards.

3) improving your fitness after 50

My best tip is to do something every time you are scheduled to, just start at least and you will find the energy to do the whole workout. 

4. Barb C. 59 - Lost 20lbs

[focus on how you feel, support from others, vision of the future, age is just a number]

1) changing nutrition habits

Really focus on how you feel when you eat junk food/non-nutritious food. Then determine what your short and long-term goals are. Make a decision and get rid of bad foods. Surround yourself with positive people who will support you. Get help if you need to from a professional. Get inspiration from someone you know who has embraced good food.

2) creating lasting lifestyle change

Commit to your vision of your future. Ask yourself where you want to be in 5 years. Plan accordingly and focus on being consistent. Also most lifestyle changes take 12 to 16 weeks.

3) improving your fitness after 50

Improving fitness after 50 is about consistency. Celebrate your small victories. Look at the long-term. Be determined. Recognize that anyone can change no matter how "old" you are. Age is only a number. 

5. Laurie F. 61 - Lost 22lbs

[focus on things you like, life as a senior, try new things] 

1) changing nutrition habits

Identify healthy foods you like and try to incorporate them more often into your diet. Identify the most unhealthy food you eat regularly, and try to eliminate it, or at least reduce the frequency that you eat it. After a month, try to eliminate or reduce another unhealthy food that you regularly eat.

2) creating lasting lifestyle change

It’s a mindset. Think about how you will be when you’re a senior citizen:  do you want to grow older having various ailments, aches, pains and diseases, risk dying years before your time, and need several medications every day? Or do you want to live to a ripe old age and be as active and independent as you can, with as little medication as possible?

3) improving your fitness after 50

Find physical activities you enjoy and do them on a regular basis. Also try activities you’ve never done – you may find you enjoy some of them.

6. Mary M. 61 - Lost 20lbs

[preparation, focus on how you feel, get help]

1) changing nutrition habits

Set yourself a date as to when to start making the change, then prepare nutritional foods ahead of time, so you can pack yourself a breakfast, lunch, and if your home late you have something ready and you won't make bad decisions. Make yourself a list of healthy foods you like and find some healthy recipes.

2) creating lasting lifestyle change

For me what works is a routine of exercise and healthy eating. It's still a struggle with the healthy eating, but I'm slowly realizing I feel better inside and out when I stick to a healthy eating plan, and it's going to be lifetime commitment. 

3) improving your fitness after 50

I made the decision at 60 to sign up with a trainer as I knew I needed to do something as I was losing my strength, and I was aching all over,  because I sit for long periods of time in front of a computer. I knew i wouldn't push myself like a trainer would, and I needed some direction with weight training as I didn't know how to do it properly. 

7. Catherine B. 53 - Lost 29lbs

[breakfast ideas, track everything, hard work, when to exercise]

1. changing nutrition habits  

Eggs are very versatile, quick to prepare and keep you feeling full long into the morning. Add some spinach and mushrooms and a toasted thin slice of Bridgehead's Exceptional Loaf and you've got your veg and smart carbs covered.

2. creating lasting lifestyle change

Set realistic goals and track your progress. At Evertrain, they track your weight and measurements, as well as tracking past workouts (cardio and weight training) and detail the workouts for the coming week or month. Make a commitment to never miss a workout or adapt your workouts as needed to work within your busy work or home schedules. You have to put in the hard work to get results that you can be proud of. 

3. improving your fitness after 50

Exercise first thing in the morning, especially on Mondays. It helps you get the week off to a great start. 

8. Karen P. 54 - Lost 23lbs

[journaling, hiring a coach, focus on how you feel, "fit friends"]

1. changing nutrition habits 

My best tip was keeping a daily journal with everything I ate in it and going over it with my trainer. Even when I thought some foods might have been alright to eat, my trainer was able to add nutritional knowledge as to why maybe, it was not the best choice (i.e. some vegetables and fruits are naturally high in sugar).

This has made me more aware about checking the sugar, calorie and salt percentages on the list of ingredients when I am shopping for food. 

My trainer was able to guide me as to why it is so important to eat high protein foods for breakfast. I noticed it kept me full and also more alert through out the morning. I no longer had those sluggish dips during the day.

2. creating lasting lifestyle change

To focus on how I was feeling better. To get into a good routine and to make new friends at the gym who felt the same as me and who were also going along in this journey to get healthy as we aged. Some days I didn't feel like going to the gym (and I still feel that way). However, I push myself to go and I always leave feeling better. This makes me feel less stressed, more productive in my day to day life, happier and I sleep better too. 

3. improving your fitness after 50

 Definitely starting with a personal trainer. I never thought I would do that, nor did I ever feel I would love having a trainer. However, I quickly learnt how efficient it was, how fun it was, how every day I was learning, I was having fun while getting healthy. It was awesome to not have to think about what workout I was going to do and so nice to have someone help me in a fun, positive and encouraging way. 

9. Kathy B. 51 - Lost 38lbs

[grocery shopping, habit forming, pacing yourself]

1. changing nutrition habits

Go grocery shopping and buy less, more often; that way you always have the fresh fruits & vegetables that you love in the house and you won’t have to resort to non-perishable junk foods.  Now that the kids have grown up, I have more time to myself, and I love to buy fresh fruit every 2 to 3 days.

2. creating lasting lifestyle change

Practice, practice and practice.  It won’t happen overnight but forming the right habits will eventually take over the bad habits.

3. improving your fitness after 50

Take it slow and steady.  Just like the lifestyle habit forming, it won’t happen overnight. If you start too hard, you will injure yourself and that will set you back, if not put you out.  And keep it fun.  At our age, who wants to do something that’s not fun.

10. Mary C. 61 - Lost 20lbs

[looking in the mirror/self-evaluation, taking care of number 1]

1. changing nutrition habits

Stop and take time to evaluate your eating habits. How do you feel when you eat? Look at what your eating. How close from the source is it? Arm yourself with information and really rediscover cooking healthy. Make the  time. 

2. creating lasting lifestyle change

As much as it may not sound nice, you really have to put your health and fitness first. You are no good to anyone including yourself if your health and fitness suffer. Plus you want to be the best senior you can be!!

3. improving your fitness after 50

For me I found because I was so busy with taking care of the family, house and working I kept rescheduling me and fitness (saying "I will start next year") but that never happened. Then at 57 my health got to the point where blood pressure was high, my clothes were so tight fitting, I had no energy and felt like an old lady.  I didn't know where to start and then by chance got contacted by Andre to join his group training program.  I was scared because I was so badly out of shape. But with my husband we joined. This was the best move. I never thought my body could change, but it did. Not only my body but the mental side of me also changed. I finally felt great about me. I would say, get out of your comfort zone and seek help from fitness experts to push you to start. Just do it. It is NEVER too late for fitness at any age!!

There you have it.

What a great list of real-life practical tips on how these women were able to reach their goals and find health and fitness success after 50. Although everyone who contributed is unique in their own way, the key concepts applied for all them.

When you get through all the details, it comes down to daily practice of nutrition, fitness and lifestyle habits.

If you would to achieve the same kind of success that these women did, we are now taking new clients into our LeanAfter50-Online program. Keep reading below to find out more.

To finish off we will leave you with a quote from famous success guru Tony Robbins.  

Attn: Busy Men and Women Over 50 looking to lose weight and stop the struggle. 

If you are looking for a solution that will help you not only reach your goals, but teach you how to keep them for life we think we might have just the thing for you. 

After lots of review and customer feedback, we've improved our former program 'Evertrain Online', and created a new and improved online personal training program for men and women over 50.

We're very proud and excited to announce the newly revamped LeanAfter50-Online.