by I was 57 and I could see 60 on the horizon. Staring at myself in the mirror, all I could see was another woman deteriorating and living a life of “quiet despair”. We cry about being wolf-whistled in our youth, but absolute uninteresting silence is much worse, believe me. I felt uncomfortable in everything I wore, I was lethargic and just “dealing” with life, barely waking up and grasping life.
I said to my reflection that day: “Alison, you are not where you need to be.” Shopping was an exercise in gratitude, just hoping to find something that passed my hips. I knew I didn’t want to live a life of quiet despair and slow decline. Middle-aged women often feel invisible. I clearly understood that I had fewer years ahead of me than now behind me. But I still wanted those years to be full of potential, possibility, excitement and enjoyment. I wanted the courage – and confidence – to photograph myself in my gym gear looking good for my 60th birthday.
My love for food is undeniable. In my 30s, I reviewed restaurants for LBC Radio and in 1997 I presented ITV’s Home in the Country in which I lived from my mill cottage in Wales. I really enjoyed eating, cooking and discovering new restaurants. The main problem was a general lack of structure. Ad hoc eating ruled my days, depending on my work, or whatever was closest to hand. I’ve been on much worse diets since Rosemary Connelly in the 1980s but basically knew that, they don’t work. This is exactly what the diet industry thrives on, pun intended. I used to flirt with the gym from time to time, but in truth I reached the age of 57 without exercising regularly.
I knew I had a fitter and healthier Alison inside me, so I researched gyms and trainers. If I hadn’t cracked this state of life, I thought I needed help. It would take more than three months to undo a lifetime of bad habits, so I wanted an approach that was personalised, gradual and, most importantly, sustainable. I chose a regime called Ultimate Performance, it was not just a gym, but a hub of transformation for those carrying a few extra stones.
On my first day, they broke the news firmly: you can exercise until you drop, but if you don’t change your diet you won’t shift the pounds. I was a terrible snacker and enjoyed a drink. Although still about the safe amount of alcohol per week for a woman, it was empty calories. If I was feeling peckish I would have a Snickers bar and erase that from my memory as soon as I ate it. I used to pride myself on my food knowledge; My trainer burst that bubble when he told me I was eating 90 percent carbs on an average day.
It’s all about accountability. So, I was given an app to enter every single gram of food and drink I consumed. I was told to stick to a certain amount of protein, carbs and fats per day. Now, I spend much less time cooking and shopping because I plan and prepare properly. Once every three months I get up at 4am and go to Smithfield Market where I buy all my meat, poultry and seafood. Then every Sunday, I set aside time to cook meals for the coming week.
The next thing was consistent weight training. Maintaining good bone strength and density is so important as we age, especially women after menopause. I invested in a trainer three times a week and made sacrifices so I could afford it. I gave away my car, stopped the fake cafes and random sweet treats, stopped buying alcohol too (and now don’t keep it in the house) and rarely eat out. It sounds joyless but all those calories add up. Very quickly, as I saw results, I stopped being tempted by sweet things or much more fussed about alcohol.
At first, the training was really hard because they push you in the gym. Despite many moments where I failed to stick to the plan, I refused to give up. I’ve learned that being good is enough 80 percent of the time; don’t enjoy the other 20 percent when you eat a pork pie or enjoy that extra glass of wine. In the first few months, weighing myself every day was a mandatory part of the process. But, the time definitely came when I stopped wearing baggy clothes to the gym and bought form-fitting gym equipment. That felt great.
Now after three years of consistent exercise and eating no more than 1500 calories a day, I am undoubtedly in the best shape of my life – including when I was 20 years old. I can bench press 30 kilograms. I can leg press 100/110. I can deadlift over 60kg, more than my own body weight. For my age, I am relatively strong. Recently, I started doing the Pilates Reformer once or twice a week to “bulk up” my muscles to look more toned. My weight training is a great balance. My life is not determined by exercise; it is not terror but it informs my life. In a lightbulb moment, I realized that moving health and fitness down to the top of my priority list and benefits my entire life.
I imagine my friends and family thought I couldn’t see it, that I was joking about what I ate and drank. But as time went on it was like I was rewiring the way I approached food and they all became quietly respectful. After that, my sons aged 19 and 22, and my husband, 53, went through the same process at the same gym. I wanted them to learn properly about nutrition like I had.
A family that eats together, stays together, is always my belief, so on Friday we have a family dinner. That is not negotiable. We may eat things that are slightly different but everything is put on the table so people can go in as they wish. No one is policed or made to feel different.
There was definitely a visual goal for me. After being on ITV for a long time in the 90s, I’ve snagged a few more TV gigs. Currently, I am selling my interior design products on the shopping channel QVC. People often comment on how good I looked on TV, but the truth is, I knew how to work the makeup and hair game to get the most impact. That was not my day. Recently, someone said: “Are you sure you’re not Benjamin Button? You seem to be aging backwards?” That felt really good. Last week, I found myself queuing at 4am for the H&M Paco Rabanne collaboration. When I saw a beautiful silver dress fitted on me, I thought: “I need it.” I’m proud to say that yes, you can wear a backless dress at 60.
But the greatest gift of all is the mental benefits. At work someone stopped me and said: “Alison we are all talking about you in the director’s gallery. You are so different, you look different, you walk different, you stand different, you give off a whole aura and energy. You’re just a completely different person.” That was the moment I realized that the real transformation was taking place.
I have more positivity, optimism and energy levels. I thank the endorphins for this sunny new outlook on life. It translated to the way I live my life and run my business – Alison at Home. Last year, I launched National Women’s Entrepreneurship Week and have also started investing in and mentoring other businesses. This weight loss journey was like throwing a stone in a pond and enjoying the ripple effects. Me and my new girlfriends from the gym have climbed some mountains over the past few years. I went to Everest base camp last October and I’m going skiing 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 powerful it is to have physical and mental strength. For me, it’s about being able to say yes to things in life. Catching it while I have it.
Health trainer
Walking
I walk between 15 and 20 000 steps a day. I get up at 6am and do an hour and a half walk around Hyde Park, rain, shine or snow. So by about eight o’clock I have already done eight or nine thousand steps.
Caffeine
I drink black coffee until noon and then I don’t drink coffee at all.
Alcohol
I limit alcohol to the weekend, I usually opt for something bubbly like prosecco or champagne. If I’m going to limit what I drink I want to enjoy what I drink when I decide to be happy.
I avoid ultra-processed foods like the plague. They are full of sugar, salt and incomprehensible ingredients.
As told by Delphi Hayes
