I was 57 and could see 60 on the horizon. When I looked at myself in the mirror, all I could see was another woman sinking into darkness, living a life of “quiet despair.” We complain about being whistled at in our youth, but completely neutral silence is much worse, trust me. I felt uncomfortable in everything I wore, I was lethargic and just “coping” with life, barely waking up and clinging on to life.
That day I said to my reflection: “Alison, you’re not where you need to be.” Shopping had become a practice of gratitude, where I only hoped to find something that went beyond my hips. I knew I didn’t want to live a life of quiet despair and gradual decline. Middle-aged women often feel a sense of being invisible. I clearly realize that I now have fewer years ahead of me than I have behind me. But I still wanted those years to be full of potential, possibility, excitement and joy. I wanted the courage and confidence to be photographed looking decent in my gym uniform on my 60th birthday.
My love for food is undeniable. I reviewed restaurants in my 30s LBC Radio and presented ITV’s in 1997 House in the Country I cooked in my mill cottage in Wales. I enjoyed eating, cooking, and discovering new restaurants. The real problem was a general lack of structure. Depending on my job or the closest thing at hand, makeshift meals governed my days. I’d been dabbling in diets since Rosemary Connelly in the 1980s, but I basically knew they didn’t work. This is exactly what the diet industry thrives on, pun intended. I had flirted with the gym from time to time, but frankly I reached 57 without any regular exercise.
I knew there was a fitter, healthier Alison inside me, so I researched gyms and trainers. If I couldn’t make it at this stage of my life, I figured I needed help. It would take more than three months to eliminate a lifetime of bad habits, so I wanted an approach that would be personalized, gradual, and most importantly, sustainable. I chose a regimen called Ultimate Performance; This wasn’t just a gym, it was a transformation center for those carrying a few extra stones.
On my first day, they delivered the news firmly: You can exercise until you drop, but you can’t keep the weight off unless you change your diet. I was a terrible snacker and enjoyed a drink. While it was still around the safe weekly amount of alcohol for a woman, it was empty calories. If I were hungry, I would eat a Snickers bar and as soon as I ate it, I would gladly erase it from my memory. I used to boast about my cooking knowledge; My trainer burst the bubble when he told me that I eat 90 percent carbs on an average day.
It’s all about responsibility. So I was given an app to enter every ounce of food and drink I consumed. I was told to stick to a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat per day. I now spend much less time cooking and shopping because I plan and prepare properly. Every three months, I wake up at 4 a.m. and head to Smithfield Market, where I buy all my meat, poultry, and seafood. Then, every Sunday, I take time to cook for the week ahead.
The next thing was consistent weight training. As we age, especially in post-menopausal women, it is very important to maintain strength and good bone density. I invested in a trainer three times a week and made sacrifices to pay for it. I gave up my car, gave up fancy coffees and random sweet treats, I also stopped drinking alcohol (and I don’t keep it at home anymore), and I very rarely eat out. It sounds seedy, but all those calories add up. As I saw the results, I very quickly stopped being tempted by sweet things or fussing over alcohol.
In the beginning, the workouts were extremely difficult because they really push you into the gym. Even though there were many moments when I couldn’t stick to the plan, I refused to give up. I learned that being good 80 percent of the time is enough; Don’t beat yourself up for the other 20 percent while you tuck into a pork pie or enjoy an extra glass of wine. For the first few months, weighing yourself every day was a mandatory part of the process. But the decisive moment came when I stopped wearing baggy clothes to the gym and bought a well-fitting sports suit. This felt great.
After three years of constant exercise and a diet of no more than 1,500 calories a day, I am undoubtedly in the best shape of my life; Including my 20 years. I can bench press 30 kilos. I can do 100/110 leg presses. I can deadlift over 60 kg, which is more than my own body weight. I’m pretty strong for my age. I recently started doing Reformer Pilates once or twice a week to “lengthen” my muscles for a tighter look. It’s a great balance for my weight training. Exercise doesn’t define my life; It’s not a terror, but it shapes my life. In a lightbulb moment, I realized that putting health and fitness at the top of my priority list would trickle down and provide benefits my entire life.
I think my friends and family thought I wouldn’t make it through, and they made fun of me about what I ate and drank. But as time went on, it was like I was reshaping the way I approached food, and it all became quietly respectful. Later, both my 19 and 22 year old sons and my 53 year old wife went through the same process at the same gym. I wanted them to learn proper nutrition like me.
I have always believed in a family that eats together, stays together, so we have family dinners on Fridays. This is indisputable. We may eat slightly different things, but everything is put on the table so people can eat as they wish. No one is controlled or made to feel different.
There was definitely a visual goal for me. After my stint at ITV in the 90s, I took part in a few more television gigs. I currently sell my interior design products on the QVC shopping channel. People often comment on how good I look on TV, but the truth is, I knew how to work the makeup and hair game to maximum effect. This wasn’t my everyday me. Someone recently said: “Are you sure you’re not Benjamin Button? “You look like you’re aging backwards?” This felt really good. Last week I found myself queuing up at 4am for the H&M Paco Rabanne collaboration. When I saw a silver dress winking at me, I thought, “I want that.” I’m proud to say that yes, you can wear a backless dress at 60.
However, their greatest gift was the mental benefits. Someone stopped me at work and said: “Alison, we are all talking about you in the director’s gallery. You are so different, you look different, you walk differently, you stand differently, you radiate a complete aura and energy. You are a completely different person.” That’s when I realized the real transformation had happened.
I have more positivity, optimism, and energy levels. I thank endorphins for this new and sunny perspective on life. This has become the way I live my life and run my business – Alison at Home. Last year I started National Women’s Entrepreneurship Week and also started investing and mentoring other businesses. This weight loss journey was like throwing a stone into a pond and enjoying the ripple effects. Me and my new girlfriends at the gym have climbed many mountains in the last few years. I trekked to Everest base camp last October and will be snowshoeing in the Romanian Alps in January. Most people don’t expect to make new friends in their 60s. I wish I had known years ago how empowering having physical and mental strength can be. The important thing for me is to be able to say yes to some things in life. I’m grabbing it while I can.
health tips
Walk
I walk between 15 and 20,000 steps a day. I get up at 6 a.m. and walk for an hour and a half in Hyde Park, rain or shine. So around eight o’clock I had already walked eight or nine thousand steps.
Caffeine
I drink black coffee until noon, then I don’t drink any coffee at all.
Alcohol
I limit alcohol to weekends, usually sticking to something sparkling like prosecco or champagne. If I’m going to limit my drinking, I want to actually enjoy what I drink when I decide to indulge.
I avoid ultra-processed foods like the plague. They’re full of sugar, salt, and incomprehensible substances.
As told to Delphi Hayes