I was 57 and saw 60 on the horizon. As I stared at myself in the mirror, all I saw was another woman fading into oblivion and living a life of “quiet desperation.” We complain about being wolf-whistled in our youth, but a totally disinterested silence is much worse, believe me. I felt uncomfortable in everything I wore, I was listless and just ‘coping’ with life, barely waking up and grabbing life.
I said to my reflection that day, “Alison, you are not where you need to be.” Shopping had become a habit of gratitude, hoping to find something that was beyond me. I knew I didn’t want to live a life of quiet desperation and slow decline. Middle-aged women often feel like they are becoming invisible. I realized grimly that I had fewer years ahead of me than I had now. But I still wanted those years to be full of potential, possibility, excitement, and fun. I wanted to have the courage – and self-confidence – to be photographed on my 60th birthday in my gym clothes and look decent.
My love for food is undeniable. When I was in my 30s, I used to pre-review restaurants LBC radio and in 1997 I was presenting ITVs At home in the country in which I cooked from my mill house in Wales. I enjoyed eating, cooking and discovering new restaurants. The biggest problem was a general lack of structure. Ad hoc eating dominated my days, depending on work or what was closest to hand. I’d been into diets since Rosemary Connelly in the 1980s, but basically knew they didn’t work. This is exactly what the diet industry feeds on, pun intended. I had flirted with the gym on and off, but honestly, I reached the age of 57 without ever exercising regularly.
I knew there was a fitter, healthier Alison inside me, so I researched gyms and trainers. If I hadn’t solved it at this stage of life, I thought I would need help. It would take more than three months to undo a lifetime of bad habits, so I wanted an approach that would be personal, gradual and, crucially, sustainable. I opted for a regimen called Ultimate Performance, it wasn’t just any gym, but a transformation center for those who had a few extra stones with them.
On my first day, they broke the news firmly: you can exercise until you drop, but unless you change your diet, you won’t shift the pounds. I was a terrible snacker and enjoyed a drink. While it was still around the safe amount of alcohol per week for a woman, it was empty calories. If I was hungry, I’d grab a Snickers bar and happily erase it from my memory as soon as I’d eaten it. I used to brag about my food knowledge; my trainer burst that bubble when he told me that on an average day I ate 90 percent carbs.
It’s all about accountability. So I got an app to log every ounce of food and drink I consumed. I was told to stick to a certain amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats per day. Now I spend much less time cooking and shopping, because I plan and prepare everything well. 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 spend time cooking meals for the coming week.
Next was consistent strength training. Maintaining strength and good bone density is so important as we age, especially post-menopausal women. I invested in a trainer three times a week and made sacrifices so I could afford it. I gave away my car, gave up the fancy coffee and random sweet treats, I also stopped buying alcohol (and now don’t keep it in the house) and I rarely eat out. It sounds joyless, but those calories all add up. Remarkably quickly, when I saw results, I was no longer tempted by sweet things or worried about alcohol.
Initially the training was extremely tough because they really push you in the gym. Despite many moments of not sticking to the plan, I refused to quit. I’ve learned that being good 80 percent of the time is enough; don’t worry about the other 20 percent when you eat a pork pie or enjoy that extra glass of wine. For the first few months, it was a mandatory part of the process to weigh myself every day. But the defining moment came when I stopped wearing baggy clothes to the gym and bought a form-fitting gym set. That felt great.
Now, after three years of consistent exercise and eating no more than 1,500 calories a day, I am undoubtedly in the best shape of my life – even in my twenties. I can bench press 30 pounds. I can do a 100/110 leg press. I can deadlift over 60 kg, more than my own body weight. I am quite strong for my age. Recently I started doing Reformer Pilates once or twice a week to ‘lengthen’ my muscles for a toned appearance. It’s a great balance for my strength training. Exercise doesn’t define my life; it’s not terror, but it does affect my life. In a flash, I realized that putting health and fitness at the top of my priority list will trickle down and benefit me throughout my life.
I imagine my friends and family thought I wouldn’t last, I was teased about what I ate and drank. But as time went on, I seemed to be changing the way I interacted with food, and they all became quietly respectful. Then both my sons, ages 19 and 22, and my husband, 53, went through the same process at the same gym. I wanted them to learn about nutrition as well as I did.
A family that eats together and stays together has always been my belief, so on Friday we have a family dinner. That is non-negotiable. We may eat slightly different things, but everything is put on the table so people can dive in to their heart’s content. No one is controlled or made to feel different.
There was definitely a visual purpose for me. After my stint at ITV in the 1990s I managed to get a few more television appearances. I currently sell my interior products on the QVC shopping channel. People often say I looked good on television, but the reality is that I knew how to make maximum impact with makeup and hair. That wasn’t the everyday me. Recently someone said, ‘Are you sure you’re not Benjamin Button? It seems like you’re aging backwards? That felt very good. Last week I stood in line at 4am for the H&M Paco Rabanne collaboration. When I saw a beautiful silver fitted dress winking at me, I thought, “I want it.” I’m proud that you can wear a backless dress at 60.
But the greatest gift of all of this is the mental benefits. At work someone stopped me and said, “Alison, we’re all talking about you in the director’s gallery. You are so different, you look different, you walk different, you stand different, you radiate a total radiance and energy. You’re just a completely different person.” That was the moment I realized the real transformation was happening.
I have more positivity, optimism and energy levels. I thank the endorphins for this new, sunny outlook on life. It has translated into the way I live my life and run my business – Alison at Home. Last year I launched National Women’s Enterprise Week and I’ve also started investing in and mentoring other businesses. This weight loss journey is like throwing a stone into a pond and enjoying the ripple effects. Me and my new gym friends have climbed several mountains over the past few years. Last October I trekked to Everest base camp and in January I’ll be snowshoeing in the Romanian Alps. 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. I’ll grab it while I have it.
Health hacks
To walk
I walk between 15 and 20,000 steps a day. I get up at 6am and walk through Hyde Park for an hour and a half, rain, shine or snow. So around eight o’clock I’ve already taken 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 weekends and usually opt for something sparkling like prosecco or champagne. If I’m going to limit what I drink, I really want to enjoy what I drink when I decide to enjoy it.
I avoid ultra-processed foods like the plague. They are full of sugar, salt and ingredients that are impossible to understand.
As told to Delphi Hayes