October 24, 2024, 3:51 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
Who hasn’t heard the phrases: “It’s never too late to start exercising” or “Age is just a number”? 78-year-old Joan McDonald proves just how much truth there is in them. She only started exercising at the age of 70 and underwent an incredible body transformation. But what is the secret of her success?
Let’s face it: we often attribute many of our limitations to aging. We consider ourselves too old to party, too old for adventure vacations, and too old to achieve a toned body. In most cases, however, it’s not due to age but to a lack of motivation. Especially as we get older, we become more comfortable and sluggish. Unfortunately, our bodies change with age because muscle mass is reduced and the body fat percentage increases. Canadian Joan McDonald demonstrates how one can successfully counteract these age-related changes. The 78-year-old has actually managed a body transformation at over 70 – and even made it onto the cover of Women’s Health. Now, as a fitness influencer, she inspires others to have confidence in their abilities, pursue weight loss, and achieve fitness. FITBOOK has investigated the secrets behind her success.
At 70, Joan McDonald was suffering from age-related ailments
Joan McDonald is a shining example of how it’s never too late to “pick yourself up” and work on yourself. No matter what age or what goal you have in mind. For her, it was the transformation to a healthy lifestyle with a conscious diet, regular exercise, and mental exercise. Like many other people in old age, she had complaints that she had to treat with medication.
Shortly before her transformation, which she began in 2017 at just over 70, she weighed around 90 kilograms and was 1.62 meters tall. As a woman, she had a body mass index of 34 and was considered obese or very overweight. As a result, she had a few health problems, like many of her peers. As she reported on her Instagram profile, she was taking heart medication and heartburn medication and suffered from dizziness and arthritis (joint pain).
Daughter helped the senior get fit
Rather than resigning herself to her ailments and spending her leisure time in front of the television, Joan McDonald made the decision to transform her life. She got help from her daughter, who conveniently works as a health coach. A personalized nutrition and training plan was developed for the senior citizen. She not only received tips from her daughter, who lives in Mexico and supports her mother online in Canada, but she also uses apps to develop training and nutrition programs. However, such a transformation is only possible with unwavering discipline, ambition, and perseverance, as well as strict adherence to the plans.
Success through discipline and patience
The reward for all the effort is an impressive transformation at over 70! This includes a significant weight reduction and admirable muscles, which are now visible in the 78-year-old. Individuals half her age can draw inspiration from her example. However, discipline is not the only secret to Joan McDonald’s success. It is also her patience. This is because a slow weight loss process can be discouraging for many individuals. If there are no quick successes, people also let their diet and training slide. Achieving a healthy transformation can often take several years. For Joan McDonald, this process has been going on for eight years now.
In the beginning, she lost around half a kilo of weight per week. However, over time, the body gets used to the training workload and the reduced calorie intake. It is, therefore, quite normal for the weight loss process to slow down somewhat. For example, Joan McDonald’s weight loss slowed to around half a kilo in two weeks. In the first year of her transformation, she lost around 20 kilograms at the age of 70. In the second year, it was only five kilograms, and the following year, it was the same. So it took her three years to reduce her weight from 90 kilograms to 60. This resulted in a body mass index of less than 23 (down from 34), placing her within the healthy normal range.
As a result of her commitment to a healthy lifestyle and consistent training, the senior has consistently shed approximately two kilograms each year in recent times.
Muscle mass is important in old age
As we get older, our muscle mass is reduced if we don’t counteract this with strength training. This is exactly what Joan McDonald did. She not only reduced her weight but also built up muscle mass at the same time. This is crucial not just for aesthetic reasons but also to ensure the body appears toned and well-defined. It is also important to protect joints and the skeleton from injury and overloading.
However, strength training also has other benefits: It also triggers the release of various beneficial compounds produced by the body, known as myokines. These have a variety of positive properties in the body. They partly regulate our organ functions and help the body against serious illnesses such as diabetes, dementia, heart attacks, and many others.
How the 78-year-old trains and eats
Joan McDonald is now a fitness influencer and role model herself, especially for many older people. She is now also guiding others in developing a healthy lifestyle and making positive changes to their physique. Although, of course, everyone needs an individual diet and exercise plan, there are still a few tips you can learn from the 78-year-old.
Workout tips
- According to her own statement, she trains five times a week with weights (on machines and with dumbbells) in the gym. Her training sessions last around 90 minutes, including the warm-up and cool-down.
- She does endurance training three to five times a week. These cardio sessions last between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on her goals. Longer endurance units are useful for pure weight loss and to strengthen the cardiovascular system.
- The warm-up is important for her to avoid injuries. After each training session, she stretches for 15 minutes.
- In the beginning, she trained on machines because she was in pain from her arthritis. Gradually, she was also able to train with free weights.
- She always wears knee supports during leg workouts to protect herself from injury.
Nutrition tips
- She drinks three liters of water a day.
- Her daily calorie intake is 1500 calories, which she spreads over five meals a day.
- She consumes around 150 grams of protein, 150 grams of carbohydrates, and 40 grams of fat in her daily diet.
- A few times a month, she indulges in foods and meals that she craves and that don’t necessarily fit into her diet plan, such as Nutella.
- According to her, supplements are not particularly important for success. Her general diet, water, sleep, and training program are much more important.
- Nevertheless, she takes omega fatty acids, collagen powder, whey protein powder, BCAAs, and creatine.
- She says she does not take any performance-enhancing substances, such as anabolic steroids. And she didn’t even have to have her skin tightened after her huge weight loss success.
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Conclusion on transformation at over 70
Joan McDonald proves that you’re never too old to get fit and healthy. Nonetheless, the process is not without its challenges. It took her around three years to reduce her weight from 90 to 60 kilograms. She had to engage in rigorous training, maintain a disciplined diet, and exercise considerable patience. After all, if you want to lose weight healthily and sustainably, you can’t achieve this in just a few weeks. It takes months or even years. You also need a sophisticated diet and training plan. If you want to embark on a transformation at an older age, you should always consult your family doctor beforehand and get their opinion. A personal trainer can also offer valuable guidance on proper diet and training methods during the initial stages. Joan McDonald also takes advice from a coach, namely her own daughter.