I started strength training more than 20 years ago. On top of that, I was active in various sports — badminton, hiking, running and cycling.
At the age of 45, life felt perfectly balanced. My career was thriving and I was lean and fit at 52kg. I enjoyed my wine, ice cream, chocolates and desserts without worrying about weight gain.
Life, however, has a way of quietly shifting priorities.
Work took over. Slowly my sports activities dropped off one by one. Eventually, the only exercise I kept was strength training. Even that went from three times a week at the gym to just weekends.
Soon after my 50th birthday, I noticed my clothes getting tighter. I didn’t know what was going on.
Workload increased. Parental care set in. I was constantly rushing from one commitment to another. Time was slipping out of my control.
I continued paying for my gym membership every month — but rarely showed up.
Meanwhile, my eating and drinking habits stayed exactly the same.
By the time I was 53, I had to buy an entirely new wardrobe. My belly fat had become obvious, and my energy levels had plummeted. I struggled to sleep at night and fought to stay awake during the day.
Brain fog became a constant companion. In meetings, conversations often felt like a stream of words I could not process.
I tried to push myself back into the gym regularly, hoping exercise alone would fix the problem. But exhaustion and lack of sleep made every workout feel like pushing a boulder uphill.
The mind was willing. The body refused to cooperate.
At 55, still unsure of what was happening to me, I made the decision to quit my job. I believed work stress was the root cause of my problems.
By then, my weight had climbed from a lean 52kg to a flabby 62kg. I was constantly tired and sluggish.
Then Covid happened.
Lockdowns forced the world to slow down. Social activities stopped. Life became quieter. For the first time in years, I had the space to step back and reflect on my health.
Through research and reading, I realised what I had been experiencing was related to peri-menopause and post-menopause. The decline in hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone affects many aspects of the body, including metabolism, hunger signals, sleep quality and stress levels.
That realisation became a turning point.
I began to change my lifestyle. I stopped drinking alcohol and cut out desserts. I switched from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. I created a small workout area at home and began daily strength training with dumbbells.
I also adopted a calorie deficit.
Within eight months, I brought my weight down to 52kg again. I felt leaner, although some belly fat remained.
But I learned another lesson along the way.
I had maintained the calorie deficit for too long. Eventually, the cravings came back. I found myself wanting sweet foods again and slipping into some old habits.
When I saw the weight and belly fat creeping back, I decided it was time to take a different approach.
I decided to invest in my future health and engaged a personal trainer who was also a nutritionist and lifestyle coach. He designed a programme that focused on sustainability rather than restriction.
The changes were simple but powerful:-
- Eliminating sugar, simple carbohydrates and alcohol.
- Maintaining a moderate calorie deficit.
- Managing caffeine intake.
- Prioritising 7–8 hours of sleep.
- Addressing sources of stress.
- Strength training the right (and effective) way.
- Staying active throughout the day (I started walking more instead of relying on my car)
- Most importantly — consistency
Within three months, the results were remarkable. My weight dropped, body fat reduced, belly fat shrank and I felt stronger than I had in years.
Once my goals were achieved, we shifted back to a normal calorie intake while prioritising protein.
That was three years ago.
Today, my weight, body fat and energy levels have remained stable. I have cheat days, but with awareness and moderation.
Most importantly, I feel strong again.
This journey taught me something important - health is not about extreme diets or punishing workouts. It is about understanding your body, adapting to life’s changes and building habits that you can sustain.
For many, juggling careers, family responsibilities and stress mean putting our own wellbeing last.
But small, consistent steps — better sleep, mindful eating, regular movement and managing stress — can make a profound difference. And remember, stress can sometimes be self-inflicted. It often comes from how we choose to react to external situations.
It is never too late to take back control of your health.
Twenty years after I first picked up a pair of dumbbells. But it was only three years ago that I realised the real goal was never just to stay fit. It was to stay healthy — physically, mentally and emotionally.
And that health is something we can all rebuild, at any stage of life.
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Coco Nut (anitadharam@yahoo.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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