- Have you noticed it’s become harder and harder to lose fat and keep it off as you’ve gotten older?
- Have you found that if you’re not being mindful of what you’re putting into your mouth, the number on the scale slowly creeps up?
- Seems unfair, doesn’t it?
- Despite doing some exercise, have you noticed your body is changing—but not in a good way?
- Maybe you’re one of the “lucky” ones who hasn’t gained weight…but have you noticed your body changing…like it’s “traded” some lean, toned muscle for unwanted body fat?
- Maybe you have succeeded in dropping some weight and keeping it off…but you’re not so pleased with the results.
- Instead of that lean, toned picture you had in your head, are you just a smaller version of yourself?
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The truth is that weight management gets harder as we get older—much harder.
- Not too long ago, you could cut back on some carbs, junk food, or booze and add in a little exercise (probably didn’t even matter what kind), and whammo! You were leaner, sexier, and more toned.
- But not anymore. As you get older, it’s like you experience a metamorphosis, as the artist formerly known as your body transforms into what you might call the “new normal.”
- At times, it might even feel like your body is turning against you, and no one can blame you if you feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle.
Even though it may seem like it, the reality is your body hasn’t betrayed you overnight. Over the years, a number of factors—some lifestyle, and yes, some genetic—have teamed up to help you get to where you are today.
- Simply put, life happens.
- We’re too busy, too tired, and too stressed with work, family, social activities, and more to make time to prepare and eat all the right foods in the right amounts day in and day out and consistently stick with a balanced workout routine and incorporate regular structured physical activity.
But the fact is that age-related weight gain, age-related changes in body composition (even without gaining weight), age-related metabolic decline, age-related loss in lean muscle, and age-related you name it are more lifestyle-related than age-related, which may be better described as age-compounded.
- The good news is that it’s not too late to improve your health.
- It’s not too late to enjoy more energy and vitality.
- It’s not too late to improve your body composition.
- It’s not too late to become that lean, toned picture you’ve had in your head.
Re-source: Refocus
focus (attention or resources) on something new or different : to change the emphasis or direction of
Exercise regularly. Each week, make sure to include at least 2 – 3 days of weight lifting, emphasizing movements that exercise the major muscle groups (such as squats, presses, and pulling movements).
- Also, for good cardio-respiratory fitness, include 2 – 3 days of aerobic exercise—either moderate-intensity “cardio” or high-intensity interval training.
- Sit less and move more. Sitting for long, uninterrupted periods of time is downright dangerous for your health.
- Shoot for 7,000 – 10,000 steps per day, and set alarms during the day to remind you to break up periods of sitting with mini-movement sessions.
Eat a higher-protein diet that emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods and provides an appropriate amount of energy and macronutrients based on your goals and body type.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Shockingly, it’s estimated that 3 out of 4 Americans are walking around chronically dehydrated.
- This is bad, bad news considering that water makes up 60 – 70% of your body and affects every corner of health and well-being—including metabolism, detoxification, digestion, inflammation, appearance, and cognitive function to name a few.
- The solution? Drink at least 8 – 12 eight-ounce glasses of water per day.
Fill nutritional gaps with a multivitamin. A high-quality multivitamin is like a nutrition insurance policy to make sure that you’re getting all the valuable micronutrients you need on a daily basis.
- Experts agree that there is a nutritional gap between today’s diet and what’s required for optimal health, and researchers concur that everyone should be taking a daily multivitamin because it offers safe, simple micronutrient insurance.
Stock your kitchen with all the best tools. If you truly want to eat healthy consistently, you need to make sure you have all the tools you’ll need to prepare meals at home.
- For cutting boards, choose wood over plastic.
- For pots, pans, and other storage containers, using glass, ceramic, and stainless steel are the best options with the least toxicants.
- Other essentials include a pressure cooker and/or slow cooker, blender, and good knives—although we could make a case for about a dozen other kitchen gadgets.
Choose a workout routine and find an accountability partner. Surely you’ve heard the saying if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Well, that holds true for your fitness regimen as well.
- Make sure you have a progressive exercise program that’s appropriate for your fitness level and experience and conducive to your goals.
- Also, find an accountability partner—a trainer, friend, spouse, or fellow gym goer—to help keep you on track and to help push yourself.
Know your temptations and alternatives to satisfy them. Despite the best-laid plans and good intentions, temptations will strike.
- Identify any triggers that you can—time of day, emotions, stress, people, places, etc.—and prepare contingency plans.
- One of the biggest keys to overcoming temptation is mindfulness.
- Don’t rely on will power alone. Come up with solutions.
- Have healthy snacks handy.
- Practice meditation and deep breathing.
- Work on distraction techniques
- (call a friend, write a thank you note, read a book, take a walk).
Commit to a consistent self-care routine. No matter what you do, make time and space for yourself and a self-care routine.
- It’s not selfish. Investing in yourself means you can serve others more effectively and genuinely.
- There’s no one-size-fits-all self-care routine. Consider a gratitude journal, meditation, yoga, booking a message, taking a walk, sitting in the sauna, or sunbathing.
- Whatever floats your boat and fills up your tank is what’s best!
craving and resource from “Change That Up” – changethatup.com
