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[Bungo]

Bungo- your Dexa scan improvement is really motivating! I've just got a personal trainer to work on weights with me. Did you just/mainly focus on the Liftmor programme exercises? I'd love to see that sorts of gains you've made.

Hi, I found a personal trainer and for the first few months, I just focused on getting strong, using whatever program he designed for me. Then I asked for deadlift and squatting and overhead press to be included once a  week. I do alot of other exercises too to have a well balanced program, just try to include these 3 most weeks. Ideally you could do some jumps too. I moved to doing a powerlifting programs after a few years. It allowed me to focus on something other than being  skinny. If you take to it,like I did, it's a brilliant feeling to get so strong and see progress month by month. I sometimes forgot why I was doing it in the first place.

[CLKD]

  That's too much like hard work Bungo    

[floraljo]

Bungo- that is fab! I've been watching lots of videos and looking at lots of stuff online of older women doing body transformations and I find it hugely inspiring that progress can be made after 40. If I don't do anything, I'll just get miserable about it and beat myself up about poor habits when I was younger. I'd love to be doing what you're doing and powerlifting. I think your story would be helpful to so many women especially those like me who have suffered eating disorders. Thank you

[CLKD]

We have threads on cycling; skipping and dancing have been tried; dog walking ........... finding something that we enjoy is important, mayB have a chat with a trainer at your local Leisure Centre?

[Bungo]

Bungo- that is fab! I've been watching lots of videos and looking at lots of stuff online of older women doing body transformations and I find it hugely inspiring that progress can be made after 40. If I don't do anything, I'll just get miserable about it and beat myself up about poor habits when I was younger. I'd love to be doing what you're doing and powerlifting. I think your story would be helpful to so many women especially those like me who have suffered eating disorders. Thank you

Try it and see..it is important to get a trainer for a year so financially that is alot.For me it was worth it. I would never have accepted gaining so much weight otherwise. And being a healthy weight and not borderline underweight is important for density.  I don't beat myself up for all those years of damage, it definitely helps psychologically to know you're what you can. HRT is meant to be equally good though so I'm hoping that will sort my hip which is still -2.2 ..I gained 10% in my.worst vertebrae in 4 years which is unreal ..I'd say even the biophosphates don't have that success.  Hope it works out for you and most importantly that you enjoy it..Life's too short otherwise

[CLKD]

Dance like no one is watching 

[sammy828]

Similar story, anorexia as teenager and small framed. Definitely go for a Dexa scan as soon as possible so you know your baseline. Mine didn't deteriorate too badly until my 40s so you may  be pleasantly surprised. When I was 47(I'm now 52) ,I became aware of effects of bone density and menopause so I went gung ho into tackling it.  Because I still have anorexic mindset I found it easy to discipline myself Started barbell strength training with a PT after reading about the Australian Liftmor study. Worked up over a year to heavy back squats and deadlifts and overhead presses. After over a year I went out on my own. It's important to lift heavy alot of the time eg over 5 reps. Also started to eat a bit more and have gained 5kg but mostly muscle. Am 8 stone for first time in my life which is hard to deal with but I'm putting my health first. I started tracking my daily calcium and ensure I'm eating enough  protein  (I aim for 90g) and take a vitamin k and magnesium supplement each day. I take 50g of prunes a day too. It's work but it's a great feeling getting stronger and stronger, a bonus on top of the health benefits. My worst lumbar vertebrae had T score of  -2.9 and is now  it's -1.7 so on the right track. Also started hrt this year as neck of one of my hips is still -2.2  so hoping that helps that. I've a dodgy knee else I'd be doing 50 hops a day to help my hips(hopping in all four directions; front, back, and both sides. The rotational hopping stimulated different parts of the hip).
I never want to have to take meds so it's worth it for me.

Brilliant!  You are doing it all right.  The Liftmor program is effective.  Congratulations on your improvement.

[floraljo]

Laszla - how did your scan go?  I'm still putting mine off...

[sammy828]

I’m similar - dexa showed osteopenia, mild case. I am slender with small bones.  I started HRT and am following the Liftmore Protocol for weightlifting.  Eating calcium rich foods.  Don’t know if it’s working as I will have a new scan in summer.  Nice to read that some people here are getting results!

[Bungo]

That's brilliant Sammy, I'm sure you'll see positive results and you only have mild osteopenia so could end up with bones that are better than normal!  Am due  another Dexa in the summer too, had sciatica so wasn't able to lift as heavy last year and will be very disappointed  if don't see an improvement.  I must be very close to being post menopausal at this stage so maybe I can only aspire to not losing for a few years. Are you enjoying the lifting?  I had to eat plenty of protein too so have gained so much muscle over the past 5 years

[floraljo]

Bungo- I'm really interested in your story and what you've achieved- very inspiring.

[Bungo]

Bungo- I'm really interested in your story and what you've achieved- very inspiring.

How are you getting on with the weightlifting floraljo? Are you enjoying it? The way I look at it, even if my density doesn't massively increase my bones will be so strong and apparently that's as important as density( having good quality bone). So its a no brainer to do for the rest of my life. I confess I'm hoping I'll get to a decent bone density and will be able to ease off a bit in a few years and maybe just try to maintain my muscle . It's tough work and I've a love/hate relationship with it.

[laszla]

Laszla - how did your scan go?  I'm still putting mine off...

Hi floraljo, sadly my follow-up scan revealed that hip and nof went from osteopenia to osteoporosis, despite my taking loads of estrogen (4 pumps estrogel) and the consultant saying it could be reversed. I'm getting an implant this year as a last resort x

[Bungo]

I wonder were you definitely absorbing the oestrogen? Are you post menopausal? That's very disappointing to hear.. We're all so unique, what works for one doesn't for another

[floraljo]

Laszla- sorry to hear that. I hope the implant will work for you.
Bungo- my exercise and diet have been hit and miss recently but I've mostly managed 2 exercise sessions a week but probably not lifting heavy enough. I do need to rectify that and general lifestyle but it's hard being a single working parent and trying to juggle lots of stresses at the moment. I'm clinging on to your story as a success story that all is not lost with my bones. I keep delaying the scan as I don't feel mentally strong enough to cope with bad news as I'm already anxious about a lot of stuff going on. But it's very helpful to hear from people who saw improvements when changing lifestyle... and I will focus on this. Thanks