I’m Not Trying to Get Smaller Anymore. I’m Getting Stronger

There was a time when almost every fitness goal I had came back to one thing:

Losing weight.

What does the scale say?

Did I lose another pound?

Is my stomach getting smaller?

Do my clothes fit differently?

And after gaining 67 pounds during menopause, I definitely wanted to lose the weight.

I eventually did.

Through changing the way I ate, choosing fresh foods, exercising consistently, incorporating cardio and strength training, walking, biking and simply refusing to give up on myself, I lost 75 pounds.

Today, I’m around 160 pounds.

And here’s the interesting part.

I don’t want to keep getting smaller.

I actually like where I am.

Now I want to see how strong I can become.

My Goal Changed

I’m 53.

And somewhere along this journey, fitness stopped being only about what I saw in the mirror.

Don’t misunderstand me.

I still want to look good. 😂

I like seeing definition in my body.

I like my curves.

I like putting on clothes and feeling good in them.

I’m currently working on my body composition, including reducing my overall body fat and continuing to work on my midsection.

But I’m not doing it because I hate my body.

Quite the opposite.

I feel good in my body now.

That’s what makes this stage different.

I’m not standing in front of the mirror thinking:

I need to fix her.

I’m thinking:

Look how far we’ve come. Now let’s see what else she can do.

I Started Thinking About the Woman I’m Going to Be

One day, fitness became about something much bigger than my waist.

I started thinking about myself at 60.

Then 70.

Then 80, God willing.

And I started asking different questions.

Will I be able to climb stairs?

Carry my own bags?

Get myself up from the floor?

Travel?

Walk for miles when I want to?

Maintain my balance?

Keep my independence?

Enjoy my life without feeling like my body is constantly limiting me?

Suddenly, building muscle didn’t feel like something I was doing just because I wanted my arms and legs to look good.

Muscle started feeling like an investment in my future.

Then I Added Military Calisthenics

Once my goal shifted toward strength, I wanted to challenge myself differently.

So I added military-style calisthenics to my workouts.

Let me tell you something.

That workout will humble you. 😂

Your own body becomes part of the resistance, and movements that look perfectly innocent can have you reconsidering several of your life choices.

But I love the challenge.

Because something happens when you keep going.

You get stronger.

A movement that was difficult becomes more controlled.

You can do another repetition.

Your endurance improves.

Your core becomes stronger.

You start noticing what your body can do, not simply what it looks like.

And that feeling is completely different from watching a number go down on a scale.

I Still Care About My Midsection

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

Or perhaps the belly in the mirror. 😂

Yes, I’m still working on mine.

My midsection is one of the areas I would like to improve as I continue working on my overall body composition.

But I’ve stopped treating my stomach like an enemy.

I’m not starving myself.

I’m not doing endless crunches expecting them to magically remove fat from one particular area.

I’m not chasing detoxes or miracle fixes.

I’m continuing to work on my whole body.

Strength.

Movement.

Nutrition.

Protein.

Sleep.

Recovery.

Consistency.

Patience.

Because I’ve learned something important:

I can want to change something about my body without hating the body I have today.

Those two things can exist together.

My Body Is Not a Before Picture

Women spend so much of our lives being encouraged to look at ourselves as unfinished.

Before.

After.

Too big.

Too small.

Not toned enough.

Not young enough.

Not whatever-enough.

I’m done with that.

My body today isn’t a sad little “before” picture waiting for some future version of me to finally deserve celebration.

This is me now.

I can love her now.

Dress her now.

Photograph her now.

Celebrate her now.

And still train her for tomorrow.

That’s what Still Becoming means to me.

There isn’t necessarily a finish line.

My goals changed when my body changed.

And they’ll probably change again.

After 50, Strength Hits Different

There’s another reason I’m thinking differently about strength now.

As we get older, maintaining muscle, bone health, balance and mobility becomes increasingly important.

This isn’t about frightening women into exercising.

It’s about understanding that our workouts can do more than help us fit into a particular size.

They can help us prepare for life.

And that has completely changed the way I look at exercise.

I don’t just want arms that look strong.

I want arms that can lift things.

I don’t just want nice legs.

I want legs that can carry me.

I don’t just want a tighter stomach.

I want a strong core supporting my movement.

I don’t just want to look healthy.

I want to feel capable.

I’m Training Because I Plan on Living

That’s really what this chapter of my fitness journey is about.

I’m not trying to become 30 again.

I’m not fighting my age.

I’m not trying to erase every sign that I’ve lived.

I’m 53.

I’ve been through menopause.

My body has changed.

So has my strategy.

I’m taking care of the woman standing here today while thinking about the woman I hope to meet years from now.

And every squat, walk, plank, dumbbell, kettlebell and military-calistenics session feels a little different when I think about her.

Because I’m not simply working out for today’s mirror.

I’m making deposits into my future.

And I hope when that older version of me is walking through an airport carrying her own bag, climbing the stairs, traveling, laughing and living her life, she remembers:

I was thinking about you.

💜 Ready to Start Building Your Stronger Chapter?

I created STRONG AFTER 50: Strength, Mobility, Balance & Building a Body That Carries You Through Your Next Chapter for women who are ready to think beyond the scale.

Inside the 39-page digital guide + 30-Day Strong Body Workbook, we talk about building and preserving muscle, strength training, mobility, balance, bone health, cardio, protein, recovery, body composition, measuring progress beyond weight and creating a stronger body for the years ahead.

This isn’t a 30-day body-transformation promise.

It’s an invitation to start investing in the woman you’re still becoming.

I’m not training because I’m afraid of getting older. I’m training because I plan on living.

💜 Stronger. Healthier. Happier. Still Becoming.

Sharonda Lynn

Founder, Still Becoming Wellness

This article shares personal experience and general educational wellness information and is not a substitute for individualized medical care or professional exercise guidance.