By Lisa Let me be perfectly honest–I’ve always kept about 10 more pounds on me than I would like. I am NOT a skinny woman with muscular arms. I like to eat and I don’t especially like to lift weights and after 50 plus years my knees are too shot to run! But over my many years, I have found that if I do a few simple things regarding my body, I feel and look a ton better. (Well not a TON, I ain’t that fluffy)
Most people want to lose weight. Problem is, we (me included), often think of ‘fitness’ as being more like ‘Fittin’ this whole pizza in my mouth’. But it doesn’t have to be especially hard.
Two rules:
1. Move more
2. Eat better
Duh, right? A little more detail:
1. Move more. Make some small lifestyle changes. Park your car a little further out (you KNOW getting the closest parking space is really just about being competitive, not that you can’t walk ten steps further).
Get up from the couch more (BTW, just think about how many HOURS of your life you spend sitting slack jawed in front of the TV. Imagine looking back at your life when you are 80 years old and thinking “wow I sure wish I had watched more TV instead of having a real life of my own” Cray cray).
When you feel anxious and want to stress-eat, just take a quick walk around your neighborhood. Put some music from your own “back in the day” decade in, like 90’s cardio in Pandora or whatever music you like. Or just walk and breathe.
Consider taking a walk after meals too. It is something folks used to do and it really does make you feel less sluggish after eating. And if you have a family, it is a great example for kids. BTW, if you want to be all competitive about it, use a Fitbit or other health monitor or a walking app (free!) on your phone to measure how far you are going. The average American takes about 5,900 steps daily. If you want to aim higher, the recommendation from the Surgeon General is 10,000 steps. But don’t be overwhelmed by that recommendation. Any amount of walking beyond what you do now is a positive…step (bah dump dump).
2. Eat better. Again, small changes. Life is meant to be enjoyed so don’t think you can never eat pizza again. That would not be LIVING. Just small changes.
Look at your dinner plate tonight. The meat part should be the size of a deck of cards. The vegetable and fruit part should be about half the plate and grain (think bread, rice) should be about this size of a golf ball. BTW, macaroni and cheese is NOT a vegetable. Try to eat whole grains if at all possible. If you get a salad as your vegetable, use 1 portion of dressing (so many people get extra dressing, which is calorie suicide. Don’t drown your salad! It doesn’t like to swim!)
At the grocery store, try to focus your shopping on the perimeter of the store. Why? Because that is where most of the fresher, more nutrient dense food is kept. Think about it the next time you go. The junk food (cookies, cereal, pasta, candy) is kept in the middle of the store.
An exception to the ‘stick to the perimeter’ rule is canned and frozen…think canned beans (wash them in a colander before cooking so you won’t have a musical night), frozen vegetables (really can be as good as fresh and cheaper).
For snacking, try eating ‘as close to the ground’ as possible. All that means is eat real food…apples, oranges, nuts, vegetables. Food that hasn’t been processed to death but you could actually go pick off a tree. A small amount of real cheese is OK too.
Speaking of real, please don’t think you can fool your body with artificial sweeteners, low fat (but heavily processed) foods–so called ‘diet’ foods. There is a reason all these crazy diets are called ‘fads’. They NEVER last long. Never. The only way to go is with eating as healthy as possible and moving more. I promise you that you WILL look better and feel better.
About that pizza, eat it once a month or so. And think about some small changes here too, like leaving off the stuffed cheese crust, make it thin crust, maybe not every single meat in the world along with extra cheese. Just a couple of small changes. And no ‘fittin’ the whole pizza into yo’ mouth’ please.
Great tips and my philosophy as well. As we age, we should think of the quality of the workout not the quantity. With food, as long as it is nutrient dense and not made in a lab…it’s going to be better for you, your metabolism, your skin and your figure. Think of it as gas in the tank that either gives you energy and years, or takes away your “get up and go” and forces you to lay on the couch, with the extra pounds hidden under that blanket!