Jan looks fabulous, and she is a real inspiration to me…having just turned 51, I am struggling lately with what’s appropriate for my age…I don’t want to look too young nor too dowdy!
Questions for Jan: She has a fabulous figure, does she have to work hard at it (diet and exercise) any tips on that for we 50 plus gals? I think that’s part of my problem, having gained some menopausal weight of about 20 lbs over the past few years my body feels really out of sync with how it’s put together now, and I am just wondering how other 50/60 plus ladies manage?!
Jan’s reply:
As weget older staying slim and supple requires some effort from us.
Dedicateat least half an hour a day to at least go for a walk and do some stretches. Iknow it is an effort for some of us,but it does make a difference. I havealso made a promise to myself to go back to pilates. I have found that is great for both posture and building and strengthening stomach muscles, and particularly lengthening the middle body section where a lot of woman carry weight as they get older .
Curtailing the amount you drink is another factor, having some alcohol free nights is great not only for your figure but also so for your skin .
The last piece of advice that Ireally follow for myself is reducing meal portions and trying not to snack between meals. The meal Ihave really reduced in size is my dinner meal and that has made a big difference to my weight. As we age our metabolism slows down and we do not need the amount of food we did when we were younger. Try it and see for yourself.
So what are your tips for keeping your weight under control?
Your friend is right! It it what it is, eating, weight, and over 50. I will never again weigh what I did in college, but I'm still hanging around a good BMI so I try not to miss my college thighs too much:).
A diet high in soluble fibre is also a good way to keep in shape.
Good topic! So true, that at this certain age, I too have to be extra careful with what, and how much I eat. I know, that when I have other things in my mind, I donĀ“t think so much about food. I also try to keep my menu simple. Exercise is great too, but I would have to do it nonstop in order to loose weight, so it is the intake of food that counts. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits too.
Thank you, Jan and Imogene, for posting and answering my question…I do wholeheartedly agree with your advice! I know smaller portions, especially for dinner is key. And the walking half an hour a day. I live and work right near a shopping mall where a lot of people walk indoors before work, I have a co-worker who does that, she is 59 and looks great! It's being consistent with diet and exercise that is the key. I also have to realize at 51, I can't eat like I did at 21 or even 31 and also get by without exercising. Alas I had hoped I could! But discipline and self-control need to take over!
Thanks again, great advice I will take to heart!
PS, Imogen, I am sorry I spelled your name incorrectly in the first post!!
Great tips! I move for one hour a day: brisk walking or yoga. Avoid (most of time!) high calorie, low nutrition foods. Follow Weight Watchers guidelines re portion size. Allow myself to not eat everything friends or restaurants serve.
Also, don't forget flexibility, balance and bone density (weight bearing exercise and mental acuity. So many women are fixated on weight (especially 'the number') but ignore these essential dimensions of fitness.
I am in my late 40's and love to run, which helps, but I have also found that skipping alcohol several nights a week really helps. Everyone's body is different, but I think that even one glass of wine, beer or a cocktail really slows down my metabolism. Plus it's a lot easier to get up early and go for a run if I didn't have a glass of wine the night before.
Jan does look great. Really nice of Kelly to point that out and great of you, Imogen, to share her question with us. I look forward to reading all the tips.
xo
p.s. Peanut butter cups are not figure friendly no matter what lies they tell you, "I am so small. I can't hurt you. Just eat one."
Since weight control is on my topics list for two weeks hence, I thought I'd share what for me is the most successful way to keep in 30s shape. (I am 5' 8" and 134 pounds. That's five pounds over for me and I'm whittling away at it.) PORTION CONTROL. I am eating half of what I used to eat and not missing that second half of my food at all. In restaurants, I ask them to place half the serving in a doggie box before serving. I get weird looks but no one has yet refused. The other day, I ordered bananas flambe with ice cream for dessert and ate two mouthfuls. I really didn't feel I needed more. While I used to rely on exercise to keep my weight off, since meno, this no longer works for me.
I'm 46, and have definitely noticed that it takes far more effort to keep from gaining weight than it did when I was younger.
Personally, I found it helpful to really understand what really triggers gain for my own metabolism… in my case, carbs.
*sigh*
I can cheerfully pass up most desserts and sweets, but have to be REALLY vigilant about breads and pastas…
Knowledge IS power- in that everyone processes calories differently due to chemical/body type – and has absolutely been a boon to both my weight AND health…but it's not always… willpower when trying to balance a meal out with a lover, for example… š
I'm reminded of a Helen Gurley Brown quote:
[paraphrasing recklessly]
Reporter: What do you eat to stay so svelte at your age?
HGB: Depressingly little, my dear…
Ahhh, well, there ARE other trade-offs to being a "woman of a certain age"…
1) Eat more slowly. I had always scarfed down my food and as a result still felt hungry, so I kept eating and ate more at a meal than my husband, who is 6’6″ tall and weighed 220 lbs. when in the best shape of his life. It didn’t matter when I was younger, but this habit of eating quickly started to result in weight gain in my late 30s after five pregnancies. When I decided to try eating slowly, I ate a lot less and it wasn’t hard. I simply didn’t feel hungry for more. I was amazed at how well this trick worked for weight loss and for maintenance.
2) I agree with portion control. I limited my starchy carb portion to half my former portion and ate a lot of leafy greens instead of the whole portion. I felt terrible on a “low carb” type diet with no starchy carbs, so I still ate them, just in smaller amounts. The protein portion was also no larger than the palm of my hand. Things like snacky chips: I would take out a reasonable portion from the bag, put in a bowl, and put the bag away. Then I’d eat the serving slowly. It was still satisfying and I didn’t end up eating the entire bag without realizing it.
3) Cutting added/refined sugar way down always works for me. After two weeks, the cravings are gone and I now prefer my coffee with only milk added. This is a hard lifestyle change if one is used to consuming sugar multiple times per day, but it also made me feel a lot better, too. When actively losing weight, I allowed myself only a small amount of dark chocolate per day and a small portion of dessert on a special occasion (both of which I ate very slowly), but that was it. But this is very drastic and not needed to maintain a lower weight. But still, sugar consumption should still be an occasional thing, not multiple times a day.
4) I am on my feet lifting heavy children and chasing them a lot of the day. So I don’t do formal exercise other than this. But if one has a more sedentary lifestyle, such as sitting for work, then a 30 minute walk per day would be very helpful.
I’m pregnant again now over 40, so a lot of this does not apply to my current situation, but it will help me later when I want to lose all the baby weight after nursing and keep it off.
1) Cut the sugar. I eat very little… a bit of dark chocolate every day and a small portion of dessert about once per week. I drink my coffee with dairy free unsweetened milk only.
2) Cut the grains and starches way down. I canāt eat gluten, but I still eat rice, corn, and potatoes. These I eat only a 1/2 cup serving at lunch and supper. I do eat tortilla chips with salsa, but only 10 chips after Iāve put the bag away.
3) Eat lots of vegetables and a palm sized portion of chicken, fish, or pork. Eat some nuts and seeds in moderation. I canāt tolerate dairy, beans, eggs, or red meat, but those in moderation should be ok.
4) Eat more slowly. This helps me feel satisfied by my snack or meal and not reach for more.
Iām not yet menopausal (age 41), but this kind of diet kept my weight under control in my 6th pregnancy, which was an over 40 āgeriatric pregnancyā (yes, that is a medical term, lol!) and left me nice and slim after, even while nursing; when much younger, I gained a lot more while pregnant and held onto weight much longer. Now Iām the slimmest Iāve been since age 25 (first baby) and feel great! Moderation is key!!!
Ha, I forgot I had posted here before! Well, 1.5 years later my diet is still working!!!