Joan MacDonald’s daughter was worried about her health. The 70-year-old, who stood at 5’3″, weighed 200 pounds after years of junk food and was on medication for blood pressure.
MacDonald told Business Insider that he played soccer, and played soccer and lob ball in the community, but he wasn’t fit.
If she didn’t change, her daughter was afraid, she would end up in a nursing home.
Fast forward eight years, and MacDonald is a 78-year-old influencer with 1.9 million followers who has managed to lose 235 pounds.
MacDonald started her fitness journey with the help of her daughter, a bodybuilding coach who helped her improve her health and diet.
MacDonald started going to the gym five times a week, where he would do 15 minutes of cardio on the machine, followed by free weights.
MacDonald has made a huge lifestyle change and now works out five times a week. Joan MacDonald
He also started eating five times a day – small meals before and after training in the morning and in the evening, and two protein smoothies.
After a year, MacDonald lost 45lb and would lose another 35lbs over the next three years. Losing weight slowly, about two to two pounds per week, is healthy and sustainable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I still have things I’m working on all the time. I’m not worried about losing weight anymore – I think it’s a good weight for my age – but I’ve been able to explain’ my body,” he said.
Research shows that it’s never too late to start taking care of your health. Another 2023 study published in the journal Preventive Medicine found that even 80-year-olds who are active or active are more likely to live longer than those who are not.
MacDonald shared some of his top tips for staying fit and losing weight at any age.
Being healthy involves changing your lifestyle
MacDonald’s daughter encouraged him to improve his life. Joan MacDonald
“You can’t follow a certain meal plan for the week and go crazy on the weekend. That doesn’t work,” MacDonald said. But “if you’re willing to change your lifestyle, and you’re willing to work hard, anyone can change the way they look.”
Personal trainer Will McLaren once told BI that the hardest part of the fitness journey is getting started, but after the first few weeks, “you’ll feel like a new person.”
It’s all about the concept
There was no hint of motivation for MacDonald to get better, he said: There was his “will to change.”
“You need to make your mind focus on what you really want. I knew I wanted to lose weight, but I also wanted to be strong,” he said.
She read many books and articles about how to lose weight that helped change her mindset, and she followed other people on similar fitness journeys for inspiration.
BI previously reported on five red flags that a fitness influencer is not trustworthy.
MacDonald didn’t stop exercising after losing weight. He is now working on adding definition to his body. Joan MacDonald
Don’t compare yourself to others
MacDonald said it’s important not to compare yourself to others because “you don’t know what shape they were in to begin with or how long they’ve been doing.”
Instead, “compare yourself from what you were to what you are now,” he said.
“And don’t underestimate yourself. You are stronger than you think,” he said, “There is nothing you can’t do. You have to at least try.”
Have realistic expectations
If you’re not in your 20s, MacDonald said you shouldn’t think that working out will make you look like you’re 20 again. And if you lose weight, he said you should expect to have loose skin.
But, he said, that should not stop you from working.
“You can only do so much, so just try to get to where you really like how you look and feel,” she said, “Be happy with who you are, and you love yourself.”