When my perimenopause symptoms peaked at 49, it felt like I was walking around with a dark cloud over my head. I had always considered myself a happy, active person, but suddenly, I felt sad and lethargic with little motivation to exercise. The pandemic had just hit, I started an embroidery business, my children were attending school virtually, and my husband was working from home. I wasn’t exercising and felt like I had no time to focus on myself. At my heaviest, I had gained over 50 pounds.
I didn’t recognize myself physically or mentally, so my doctor prescribed hormone medication to relieve my perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Almost immediately after starting the meds, the dark cloud lifted, and I was motivated to revamp my lifestyle, so I began going to CrossFit classes five days a week. However, I pushed myself hard during every workout and the intensity of the classes caused me to overtrain, which led to joint pain and a shoulder injury. Plus, after a year of classes, I hadn’t lost any weight, which made me feel discouraged.
It wasn’t until the spring of 2023, just after my 50th birthday, when I stumbled on a photo of influencer Kiki Hurwitt on Instagram. I was so inspired by her mid-life strength transformation, so I messaged her and asked for advice. Kiki frequently posted about the importance of strength training and counting macros, but I learned that her secret weapon was hiring a coach.
After interviewing many online personal trainers, I began working with my current coach on losing fat, building muscle, and training for longevity.
My coach Jennifer Perez and I began virtually training five days a week, focusing on a mix of strength training and cardio with an emphasis on proper form and progressive overload (gradually increasing the intensity, volume, or duration of workouts over time to build strength). I also learned about the importance of recovery and rest days. Instead of pushing my limits in every workout like I did in CrossFit, Jennifer taught me how to create a sustainable routine for long-term success.
She also taught me to count macros to support my weight loss and muscle gains. This eating approach was helpful because I realized I could still eat my favorite foods when I paid attention to my portion sizes and macro ratios. At first, it was a little overwhelming, and took time to fully understand how to create a macro-based meal, but once my coach taught me how to read nutrition labels, it became second nature. I also learned to meal prep, which sets me up for success during the week. While I’d tried a variety of diets and eating approaches throughout my life, counting macros was the only one that felt sustainable and satisfying.
After a few weeks of consistency, I felt better than I could have ever imagined. The number on the scale was dropping, which was great, but for the first time in my life, I actually felt strong. Lifting heavy weights was empowering, and I was determined to keep putting in the work to become even stronger.
Now, at 52, I lift heavier weights than I used to and balance my training with rest days to give my body time to recover.
Jennifer still programs my workouts, and my current goal is hypertrophy, or growing the size of my muscles. Over the past two years, I have been strength training three to five days per week, but now I train four days a week with two upper-body and two lower-body days, alternating push and pull exercises. On upper body push days, I focus on chest and triceps, while on upper body pull days, I focus on lats, delts, traps, and biceps. On lower body days, I focus on quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. I do five moves per session with three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Back is my favorite body part to train, so I love lat pull-downs and pull-ups. I also enjoy push-ups, even though they felt impossible at the start of my journey. Now, I can do 12 push-ups and recently crushed my first unassisted pull-up, which was really exciting.
On top of strength training, I do 15 minutes of cardio three days a week. I also aim to hit at least 10,000 steps a day, though my daily average is usually between 12,000 and 14,000 steps.
Now, I eat five times a day and focus on my protein, carb, and fat intake. Protein is my number one priority since it fuels muscle growth and keeps me satiated between meals, but I also pair every meal with fresh fruit and vegetables for added fiber.
3 Products I Can’t Train Without
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I own this ATTRACO tank top in every single color (seriously). It’s comfortable, supportive, and doesn’t cause chafing.
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I’m obsessed with making protein ice cream in my Ninja CREAMi. I’ve used it every day for the last two years and even bring it on trips, when feasible.
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My Micro Gainz weight plates have been a serious game-changer for progressive overload since they allow me to increase the weight by 1.25 pounds at a time.
I am successful in my strength transformation because of these three factors.1. I stick to an intentional schedule.
As a mom of two, it’s easy to lose track of time and put my own needs on the back burner. But in order to stay consistent with health and fitness habits, I put everything in my calendar, including when to work out and meal prep. This approach may seem excessive, but if an event is in my calendar, I know it’s going to fit into my day. An intentional schedule keeps me on track and motivated to stick with my goals.
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2. I speak kindly to myself.
I promised myself early in my journey that I would not insult my way through it. I had a ton of support from my family, friends, and my Instagram community, but I wanted to be my biggest cheerleader. There were days I was embarrassed to look in the mirror or felt uncomfortable training in the gym, but I didn’t dwell on negative self-talk. Instead, I repeatedly told myself that future Rebecca was proud of past Rebecca’s progress, commitment, and discipline to get stronger.
3. I focus on small daily habits instead of an end goal.
When I started my strength journey, I intentionally didn’t set a goal weight. I wanted to lose fat and gain muscle, but my biggest motivator was to feel better and train for longevity. So instead of fixating on quick results, I prioritized small daily habits for long-term success. Whether it’s meal prepping for the week on Sunday, hitting 10,000 steps a day, or progressively lifting heavier weights in the gym, small, manageable habits empower me to show up every day feeling my best.
Overhauling my lifestyle at 50 was not easy, but it was the most powerful decision I’ve ever made. The last two years have been some of the best years of my life and I can’t wait to keep getting stronger.
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. She’s a mass consumer of social media and cares about women’s rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.