You CAN lose weight and keep it off after age 60: I was running daily but still piling on the pounds. Now I'm in the best shape of my life... and my secret is so simple anyone can do it
Despite years of staying active and eating healthy, Lisa D'Ettorre-Liguori started to gain weight in her 40s.
She was an avid runner, walked a lot and took dance classes. But even though she was 'moving a lot' every day, she began to pack on the pounds, and she couldn't understand why.
'In my 30s, I was raising my children – I had my son in my mid-30s followed by my daughter – and we lived a very active homeschooling life,' D'Ettorre-Liguori, now 65, from San Francisco, told the Daily Mail.
'I was moving a lot. I did some running and started walking regularly, but it still wasn't enough to truly support my body in a meaningful way.
'In my 40s, things began to change. My weight increased, and I didn't feel as strong or confident.'
D'Ettorre-Liguori explained that as her weight increased she tried to combat it by moving even more. But she soon learned that cardio alone wouldn't help her achieve the body she was hoping for.
'I leaned into what was the trend at the time, low-fat eating and a lot of cardio,' she said.
'I was running during that time, and I also took belly dance classes, but even with all that activity, I wasn't getting the results I wanted.
Lisa D'Ettorre-Liguori started to gain weight in her 40s, despite years of staying active and eating healthy
D'Ettorre-Liguori does a weightlifting exercise in the gym. She got into strength training in her 40s and finally started to see her desired results
'[I] didn't understand then what I do now about hormones, muscle and how women's bodies respond to training and nutrition, so I was doing my best without the right information.'
D'Ettorre-Liguori had taken up weight lifting in her late teens, but ultimately gave that up as her 'career' and 'social life' took center stage.
'I wouldn't say I was highly active as a teenager, but I was always moving. I walked to school and back every day and lived in a very hilly area, so that helped. I played some tennis, though not consistently,' she explained.
'Then I started lifting weights at 19, and that was my first real introduction to structured training – and I both loved and hated it.'
'It wasn't a clear stop as much as a shift,' she added of why she eventually stopped. 'My career, my social life in Los Angeles... I was having a lot of fun, [then I went through] a breakup and a move, all those played a part in disrupting my routine.'
After her weight started rising in her 40s, however, D'Ettorre-Liguori decided to try strength training again, and it changed everything for her.
She said the moment she realized she had to make a change came when she was out walking her dog one afternoon.
'I came across a woman training a group of women in her garage. I joined. It was more of a CrossFit-style setup, which isn't really my preference, but it got me back into strength training.'
Now, at age 64, D'Ettorre-Liguori said she is the best shape she's ever been
D'Ettorre-Liguori in her home gym, where she exercises three times a week for about 45 to 50 minutes. Her focus is on full-body strength training
From there, D'Ettorre-Liguori explained that it was a 'slow process.' She began training regularly with the neighbor and turned to YouTube programs when she moved away.
'At some point during that phase, I started hearing more about the emerging science around muscle and its role in long-term health,' she recalled. 'That was my "aha" moment.
'I realized this wasn't about appearance, it was about how I wanted to age. From there, I went all in.
'I became much more intentional. I learned how to properly fuel my body, and took a proactive approach to my health.'
Now, at age 64, D'Ettorre-Liguori said she is in the best shape of her life.
'Currently, I train three times a week in my home gym,' she told the Daily Mail. 'I focus on full-body strength training with an emphasis on progressive overload, getting stronger over time.
'My sessions are about 45 to 50 minutes, and I take one to two minutes of rest between sets so I can train with proper intensity and form. I keep myself entertained with podcasts, audiobooks or upbeat music, it helps the time fly.'
She said she still walks daily and does 'a short HIIT session about once a week, focused on jumps and explosive, sprint-style movements to support power and overall athleticism in addition to heart health.'
D'Ettorre-Liguori also changed how she eats. Instead of sticking to a low-fat diet, she said she now consumes more balanced and macro-based meals.
'I spent too much time under-eating and not properly fueling my body, especially in relation to building and maintaining muscle,' she said.
In an effort to transform her body, D'Ettorre-Liguori changed her eating habits as well. Instead of sticking to a low-fat diet, she consumes more balanced and macro-based meals
D'Ettorre-Liguori hopes others will be inspired by her story, and realize it's never too late to start working out
D'Ettorre-Liguori told the Daily Mail she hopes others will view her story as proof that it's never too late to start working out.
'I want women to understand that you don't give up on yourself. You keep going, even when it's frustrating, even when progress feels slow, and even when you don't have all the answers yet.
'Get in the gym. Build strength. Learn how to eat in a way that supports your body, not fights it. That means understanding your macros and fueling properly – not under-eating and hoping for the best.'
D'Ettorre-Liguori said it's important to realize that results take time.
'It doesn't happen overnight,' she said. 'It took me years of figuring it out, adjusting and staying consistent, and I'm still striving and working toward fitness goals.
'But if you stay with it, it clicks. And when it does, everything changes, how you feel, how you move and how you see yourself.'
