Mother, 51, who has a better figure than she did in her 30s after ditching processed foods and taking up weight-lifting claims men are constantly asking her on dates
- Laura Heikkila, 51, from California, looks better today than she did in her 30s
- Felt less body confident after having a baby at 35 and changed her workouts
- Claims that men on Instagram regularly contact her via DM's asking for a date
A stunning 51-year-old mother, who looks better today than she did in her 30s claims that men are constantly sliding into her DMs with dating requests.
Laura Heikkila, 51, from California, had a skinny frame in her 20s but says after giving birth to daughter, Jayden, now 16, in 2002, she was less body confident.
Over the next 15 years she switched processed foods for healthy meals and cardio at the gym for weight training - maintaining her size four (UK size six) figure but increasing her weight from 120lbs (8st 6Ib) to 110lbs (7st 9Ib) - to get her toned figure.
She now says that via her Instagram page men regularly contact her asking her for a date - despite being married for the last 20 years.
A stunning 51-year-old mother regularly gets told that she looks better than girls in their twenties - and she claims men are constantly sliding into her DMs with dating requests
Laura Heikkila (pictured recently), from California, didn't feel confident in her own skin, despite being a naturally slim woman, until her mid thirties
Laura at the age of 34 (left) before the birth of her daughter and today (right) after she overhauled her regime, which saw her cutting out processed foods and starting weight-lifting
Her muscular figure has prompted many positive comments from strangers who tell her she looks better than girls in their twenties.
She has since created a fitness community called Ageless Women and has over 26,000 followers on Instagram.
Share this article
But now admits she gets requests from men who slide into her DMs (direct messages), which she says her husband, Jay, 49, is cool with as they have been married for 20 years.
'When I was in my twenties and early thirties, staying thin just came naturally to me - I exercised a little but can't say my diet was that great,' Laura said.
'After I had my daughter at 35 it was a little more difficult to lose the weight and that was when I discovered my passion for working out and cooking healthy meals.
Laura, pictured in her 20's (left) and today (right), had a naturally slim body but after she started to do more gym work with weights, she felt much more confident about her physique
The mother of one has created a fitness community called Ageless Women and has over 26,000 followers on Instagram and gets requests from men who slide into her direct messages
The mother-of-one first started getting really serious about her health and fitness at the age of 35, when she was trying to lose her baby weight
'I've been consistent with my diet and exercise for the last fifteen years which has helped me maintain my body.
'When I was in my twenties I never really thought much about my health - I just wanted to be thin, so I did mainly cardio, but really ate whatever.
'I probably had a lot less confidence at the time and could never imagine posting the pictures I do now, although I guess that wasn't an option since there was no internet.
'I think when I first started getting really serious about my health and fitness at thirty-five it was to lose the baby weight, but then I discovered weight training and how I could change the composition of my body and I was hooked.
'Now it has become more about my health and longevity. My father suffers from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and that has really motivated me to stay healthy and fit.
'Being consistent has been the key to my success - I eat a diet of whole foods which is largely plant based along with some organic chicken, turkey and wild caught fish. I weight train several days a week and also incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts and yoga.
Laura admits that after she had daughter Jayden (left) at 35, it was more difficult to lose the weight; that was when she discovered a passion for working out and cooking healthy meals
Laura says that maintaining a healthy lifestyle has enabled her to remain more active and do more traveling, even as she gets older
Laura says that her husband Jay (pictured together) is also into his fitness and it has positively affected their marriage
'Maintaining my body has allowed me to live an active life with a lot of travel and it has also given me a platform in social media to help other women regain their confidence.
'My husband is proud to have a fit wife and he has been really cool about all the male attention I get especially since I started my Instgram account which sometimes seems more like a dating site because guys are always sliding into your DMs.'
'But I don't think much of it because my pictures are there to inspire women to not give up on themselves.
'I get comments like, 'are you really fifty?' 'You look like you're in your twenties' or 'do you date younger guys?' To which I respond that my husband frowns upon that.'
Laura says that her husband is also into his fitness and her fitness has positively affected their marriage.
'I feel that I have so much more body awareness and confidence than when I was in my twenties. I truly know what it feels like now to have an abundance of energy and I don't suffer from constant stomach aches that I had in my twenties due to poor diet,' she said.
Laura admits that she get comments like, 'are you really fifty?' You look like you're in your twenties. Pictured with her daughter Jayden (middle) and her husband (right)
Laura says that she likes to keep active on the weekends with hiking and also biking with her daughter (right)
Laura - pictured in her early 40's (left) and today (right) - says her body has changed after weight training and a diet change
'I feel more confident in my skin and I'm proud to be fifty-two and tell people my age, because I feel my body reflects someone that has taken care of their health.
'I started my Instagram page the year of my fiftieth birthday to document my journey to turning fifty.
'I wanted to share the changes I was making to improve my health and body, also I wanted to hopefully inspire other women to not give up on themselves.
'My husband is also very fit so it's a passion that we share, and I think we both appreciate that about each other because we still find each other 'hot'.
'I no longer do long sessions of cardio like I did in my younger days but stick more to a regimen of weight training.
'I love to be active on the weekends outdoors by hiking or walking on the beach. I also no longer eat processed foods like I did in my twenties, but rather I cook most of my meals from scratch using whole foods.
Laura pictured in her early thirties on the beach in a bikini - she says she focused on cardio then bit now does weights
Laura warns women that they shouldn't starve themselves: 'Your body needs healthy food and protein to grow and maintain lean muscle'
Laura's tips for older women to lose weight are to cut out all processed foods and start weight training
'When people see my now, they always comment on my being fit and then when they find out how old I am I usually get the comment, 'you look better than girls in their twenties'.
'When I was in my twenties people used to ask how I stayed thin and honestly I didn't have to do much back then. Now it definitely takes a lot more time and effort to maintain.
'My advice to someone getting started would be start off slowing with creating healthier habits. Eat a diet of real food and avoid processed food.
'Concentrate on weight training as you get older, because we naturally lose muscle as we age and need to constantly be working on building more.
'Don't starve yourself. Your body needs healthy food and protein to grow and maintain lean muscle. Stay away from long intense cardio sessions as this only produces more cortisol in the body which leads to weight gain.'
