Are you finding it difficult to shed those extra pounds in your 50s? Perhaps a more adaptable dietary strategy is what you need. Denise Kirtley, a 54-year-old transformation coach, exemplifies how revamping one's diet and fitness routine after 50 can lead to remarkable results. She reveals the dietary adjustments that enabled her to achieve her fittest physique in a recent social media post.
Key Principles of Denise Kirtley's Diet Plan
Denise Kirtley emphasizes balance and sustainability in her dietary approach. She lost 50 pounds in her 50s and has maintained this weight loss for almost four years. She says, "I lost 50 pounds in my 50s and have kept it off for almost 4 years now. Here's what I ate last year to maintain my weight loss,". Her philosophy revolves around enjoying food while fueling her workouts and becoming stronger.
Balanced Meals
Denise focuses on creating balanced meals that cater to her body's needs. Each meal contains approximately 25g to 35g of protein, a sufficient amount of healthy carbohydrates for energy, and the right amount of fat to support her goals.
The 80/20 Rule
Denise aims for 80% of her diet to consist of whole, natural foods, including lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and grains. She has cultivated a love for these foods because of how they make her feel.
Embracing Flexible Foods
Denise incorporates "flexible foods" into her macros, making her diet sustainable and enjoyable. This includes bread, chocolate, protein bars, pasta, protein powder, and veggie meats. She has enjoyed a bit of chocolate every day for the past 4.5 years.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Desserts on Occasions
Denise allows herself desserts on vacations or special occasions, preventing feelings of deprivation and promoting long-term adherence to her diet.
Avoiding Rigidity
Denise believes that a life with rigidity around food choices and a future of only chicken and broccoli doesn't work for her. She advocates for balance and flexibility in food choices.
Denise Kirtley's Fitness Journey
Denise's fitness journey began at 49, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had gained about 40 pounds over the previous five years, partly due to perimenopause and increased lethargy. The pandemic exacerbated the issue with constant pizza consumption and late-night binge eating.
The "Aha" Moment
Denise realized her wedding rings no longer fit, prompting her to change her life.
Initial Steps
She started following bodybuilders on Instagram and counting macros. A coach calculated her macros in a deficit, prioritizing protein based on her activity level, height, weight, and age. She also received exercise videos.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Home Workouts
Denise began lifting light dumbbells and using resistance bands at home five days a week, with two upper-body days and three lower-body days. She gradually increased the weight as she progressed.
Treadmill Sessions
In the beginning, during her fat-loss phase, Denise used the treadmill for 30 minutes, five times a week, focusing on staying in her fat-burning heart-rate zone.
Positive Habits
Denise developed a routine schedule of meal prepping, going to the gym, and embracing the lifestyle. She read books and journaled about how her life would look if she achieved her goal.
Mental Reps
Denise practiced "mental reps" every night, considering whether she was actually hungry and whether it was worth it to eat more. Shifting her mindset made her journey sustainable.
Discovering Her "Why"
Denise realized she wanted to feel vibrant as she approached 50.
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
Gym and Bodybuilding
After eight months, when gyms reopened, Denise began working with The Wonder Women, a program developed by Michelle MacDonald. She learned how to bodybuild in a gym.
Embracing Weightlifting
Denise had never used a barbell, done a bench press, a squat, or a deadlift before, but she started learning, lost weight, and gained more muscle. She fell in love with bodybuilding.
Competition
Denise competed in her first bodybuilding competition 27 months after starting her fitness journey.
Community
Instagram helped Denise build a supportive community of women, which was key to her success.
Current Training
Denise is currently training with Jean-Jacques Barrett at Tulum Strength Club, focusing on glutes and shoulders. Her training program consists of two upper-body and three lower-body days per week, without cardio, focusing on strength and muscle retention.
Training Blocks
Denise's training blocks change every four weeks, alternating between higher volume and lower weight, and lower volume, higher weight. She trains for hypertrophy.
Weekly Routine
Her weekly routine includes:
- Day 1: Quads and glutes (squats, seated leg curls, Romanian deadlifts, Smith machine hip thrusts)
- Day 2: Chest, shoulders, and triceps (bench presses, dumbbell flat flys, seated dumbbell chest down lateral raises, face pulls, cable lateral raises)
- Day 3: Hamstrings and glutes (deadlifts, sumo leg presses, back extensions, standing hamstring curls, smith machine hip thrusts)
- Day 4: Back, biceps, and delts (smith rows, chest supported rows, machine shoulder presses, face pulls, dumbbell lateral raises)
- Day 5: Glutes and light back (barbell good mornings, dumbbell pullovers, back extensions, hip thrusts, side lateral walks in a squat position, smith machine reverse lunges)
Favorite Exercises
Denise's favorite exercises include the bench press (currently at 110 pounds), cable work, dumbbell lateral raises, and anything to work her shoulders.
Daily Steps
Denise maintains a daily step goal of 10,000 steps.
Biggest Achievement
Denise considers competing in bodybuilding her biggest achievement.
Caloric Surplus
Denise went into a caloric surplus to build muscle quicker, gaining about 12 pounds in five to six months. She then did a cutting phase, reducing her calorie intake to reveal her muscles.
Overcoming Challenges
Denise is proud of her squats, despite having poor mobility in her back. She almost cried when she did her first proper squat. She now squats 165 pounds for three reps, with a goal of 200 pounds this year.
Career Transformation
Denise's fitness journey led her to change her career from executive recruiting to starting her own fitness and nutrition coaching company.
Passion
She wants women to know they can achieve what she has.
Consistency and Discipline
Denise emphasizes the importance of consistency, discipline, and desire.
Choosing How We Age
Denise believes we get to choose how we age.
Denise Kirtley's Insights on Midlife Transformation
Denise Kirtley's transformation from overweight and pre-diabetic to empowered and strong offers valuable insights for women in midlife.
Overcoming Misconceptions
She emphasizes the importance of overcoming common misconceptions about fitness and weight loss in midlife and adopting a tailored approach to nutrition and exercise.
Setting Goals and Dreams
Denise highlights the crucial role of setting personal goals and dreams in moving beyond societal expectations.
Impact of Physical Strength on Mental Wellbeing
Denise emphasizes the often-overlooked impact of physical strength on mental wellbeing and confidence.
SuperAge Podcast
In a SuperAge podcast, Denise shares her journey and inspires others in similar life stages.
Key Health Metrics
Denise gets her blood work done twice a year, including hormone testing. She is perimenopausal.
From Pre-diabetic to Healthy
When she started her journey, Denise was pre-diabetic. She is no longer pre-diabetic.
Managing Arthritis
Denise has arthritis, but losing weight and getting into a healthier state has reduced her joint pain.
Managing Hormones
Denise manages the side effects of her hormones being out of balance through diet and exercise.
Daily Eating Habits
Denise eats five times a day, including two breakfasts (pre- and post-workout), two savory meals, and one lighter meal at night.
Protein Consumption
She aims to get about 30 grams of protein in every meal, totaling 120 to 150 grams for an average person.
Balanced Energy
Eating five meals a day helps keep her energy steady throughout the day.
Avoiding Carb Crashes
Denise no longer experiences the carb crashes she used to have when she was heavier.
Addressing Women's Concerns About Strength Training
Denise addresses common concerns women have about strength training.
Fear of Injury
She advises starting small, building a foundation, and learning proper technique to protect the body from injury.
Fear of Getting Bulky
Denise clarifies that lifting heavy weights will not make women bulky. She encourages women not to be afraid to lift a decent amount of weight to build lean muscle.
Planning and Scheduling
Denise plans all her activities on her calendar to block out time for fitness.
Time Commitment
She spends 75 minutes, five days a week, on weightlifting and does cardio four times per week.
Goals for 2024
Denise emphasizes the importance of having goals and dreams, especially in midlife.
Achievable Goals
She categorizes goals as achievable things that can happen next year with hard work.