Fifty and Fabulous! (Now What?)

I turned 53 on Friday.  (Thus, no posts for a few days.)  Finally, with my sons back at school, my house is once again quiet and organized.  I even tossed the Cocoa Puffs the other crap clogging my cupboards and fridge.  Of course I miss my sons, but, like them, I have a life and I am one year older!

They're in the trash!

Often I will have women of my age group asking why they are now seeing fat around their thighs and mid-section even though they still workout as hard as they ever did.  I really know this one!  I have this four pound thing going on and I am sure I haven't changed the way I workout or eat to create this.  So, what gives?

I haven't changed the way I workout or eat.  That's what!  As we age, we need fewer calories and we need to spice up our exercise routine a bit.   Our bodies get used to doing the same things over and over.  In order to see changes again, I'll have to do something different, I have to confuse my muscles!  It is time to take the routine out of my workouts!

Let's say I jog forty-five minutes six days a week and weight train for an hour three days a week.  I could continue this routine and maintain my body.  But, in order for my body to make changes, I need to change up my program.

I teach my weight training class so I won't change the time I train, but I will make it more intense and perhaps create more variety in my program.  I may even use slightly heavier weights or perform more repetitions for certain exercises.

Instead of jogging for forty-five minutes, I may do interval training instead, jogging for two minutes then sprinting for thirty seconds.  Maybe I will do this for an hour four days a week and hike steep trails for two hours on the weekend.  What I am getting at is to do your regular workout differently.  The idea is to shake it up and get creative; take a new fitness class or meet with a friend whose fitness level you admire and workout with her.  It is time to think outside the box and look for something new!

It took Marchelle (Bodeci Body of the Month) about eight weeks to get rid of her excess pudge from vacationing.  She did so slowly and by following the 10, 100, 5 plan!

The other component is diet.   Even if you eat super healthy, too many calories of any food will create excess fat.  All food has calories and healthier calories are definitely best, but our bodies only need so many calories to function.  At 53, my body needs less than when I was 43 or 33.  I am now probably eating half the calories I did when I was 23!

I know nobody likes to hear this, but if you are looking to rid yourself of excess fat, it is also time to eat fewer calories!  Nothing drastic, just a little less of the junk and a little more of those non-starchy vegetables.  I am committed to getting rid of my four pounds of fat and I know I will have to be more mindful of what and how much I am eating.

Even too many apples can create excess fat.  Eat to live, not live to eat!

I know what it's like to feel tight jeans and I know I have to cut back on the extra calories and ramp up the workouts a bit!