Joan MacDonald, who is now in her 70s, used to be unable to climb stairs. Now, she has more than a million followers on Instagram and is known as a fitness influencer.
She began her journey to change five years ago when she was tired, had bad arthritis, and found it hard to be active, even if it was just walking up a flight of stairs.
She said that she reached her breaking point when a doctor told her that her blood pressure was going up and that she would need to take more medicine.
A personal trainer named Michelle MacDonald came to see her and told her that changing what she ate and how much she worked out would improve her life.
Joan MacDonald said, “When Michelle gave me that choice, I knew it was now or never.” “I was tired of living.”
Joan MacDonald went from her home in Canada to Tulum, Mexico, where her daughter Michelle MacDonald lives and owns a gym, a few weeks before she turned 71.
Instead of snacking all the time, she started following a diet plan made by her daughter. This ensured she got enough fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in her five meals daily.
Joan MacDonald has been to the gym before Michelle MacDonald because of her Wonder Woman strength and bodybuilding coaching program.
“In the beginning, it was hard,” Michelle MacDonald said. Most people don’t know that my mother was in the trenches trying to make sense of everything and getting frustrated.
Joan MacDonald says that feeling better right away gave her the drive to keep going.
In the first month of training, she lost 10 pounds.
Joan MacDonald started getting fit as soon as she got back to Canada. She used an app focused on macronutrients to track what she ate and how much she worked out.
“I work out five days a week,” she said. “Two of those days are cardio days.” It gives you something to look forward. “I like doing that as a habit.”
She has lost 65 pounds and stopped taking medicine for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and acid reflux in the last four years.
Joan MacDonald started an Instagram account to keep track of what she had done and talk to other people to help her health. Her daughter had told her that she should do it.
Train With Joan is her Instagram account, and 1.5 million people follow it. Michelle MacDonald is a fitness and nutrition coach who works with women of all ages. She has a website and app for women of all ages.
She thinks that people who follow in Joan MacDonald’s footsteps will learn that it is never too late to make a positive change, no matter how old you are or what you are going through.
“It has nothing to do with magic.” “It’s hard work, but it’s work you’ll be glad you did,” she said. “What matters is that you will be stronger and healthier at the end of the day.”
The MacDonalds gave five suggestions for people of any age who want to get healthier.
Consider your sleep.
Michelle MacDonald said, “We don’t put a lot of value on sleep in our culture.” “However, there is a lot of evidence that not getting eight hours of sleep has profound effects on hormones, brain function, and the body.”
Eat protein at every meal and drink a lot of water.
Michelle MacDonald says that her mother and most other women she works with are too thin. She says you should eat five meals daily, with protein at each one. If you want to be 130 pounds, you should eat 130 grams of protein every day.
Michelle MacDonald says you should drink at least three litres of water daily.
She told him to drink more water and take it easy. “Drinking with care is a great way to show that you’re taking care of yourself.”
Move around.
Michelle MacDonald suggests that people start by taking 10,000 steps daily, which can be done in small amounts throughout the day.
She says you should do strength training for 45 minutes a few times a week.
“Train with a goal in mind, and don’t keep lifting the same weights for the rest of your life,” she said. “If you want to change your body by lifting weights, try to push yourself on purpose.”
Focus on having a good attitude.
Joan MacDonald positively talks to herself to help her reach her goals.
She said, “I’m still learning about mindset, but I know it’s important for everything.” “It’s something you need to get better at.”
Like her daughter, she says that writing in a journal first thing in the morning is a good way to set goals and start the day with a clear head.
Document your progress.
Michelle MacDonald says that you can keep track of your progress by taking a picture of yourself on the first day of your trip.
“Start with a picture… and keep taking pictures once a week,” she said.
“It’s possible that you won’t notice any changes, but you will.”