A 70-year-old lost 70 pounds and got into weight-lifting. She shares 4 tips for getting fit whatever your age.

She also started eating five times a day — small meals before and after her morning workout as well as in the evening, and two protein smoothies.

After a year, MacDonald lost 45lb and would lose a further 35lbs in the following three years. Losing weight gradually, at around one to two pounds per week, is healthy and sustainable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I still have things I’m working on all the time. I’m not concerned about losing weight anymore — I figure I’m at a pretty good weight to be at my age — but I’ve been able to define my body,” she said.

Research shows it’s never too late to start looking after your health. One 2023 study published in the journal Preventive Medicine found that even 80-year-olds who continued to be active or became active were more likely to live longer than those who didn’t.

MacDonald shared some of her biggest tips for getting fit and losing weight at any age.

Getting fit involves changing your lifestyle

Don’t compare yourself to others

MacDonald said it’s important not to compare yourself to others because “you don’t know what shape they were in to begin with or how long they’ve been doing it.”

Instead, “compare yourself from what you were to what you are now,” she said.

“And don’t talk down to yourself. You are stronger than you think,” she said, adding: “There’s no such thing as you can’t. You’ve got to at least try.”

Have realistic expectations

If you’re not in your 20s, MacDonald said you shouldn’t think that working out is going to make you look like you’re 20 again. And if you lose a lot of weight, she said you have to expect that you might have loose skin.

But, she said, that shouldn’t stop you from working out.

“You can only do so much, so just try to get to where you really like how you look and how you feel,” she said, adding, “Be happy with who you are, and love yourself.”