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Monday, August 23, 2010

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!

7 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday!

    I'm going to be 51 later this year and have been working lately to rid myself of those pesky excess mid-life pounds. I've tried to incorporate a variety of workouts into my life. I really like your 10/100/5 plan and am using it to help remind myself of what I want to accomplish and how to do it.

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  2. Happy Birthday, Deb! You are better than ever, my friend. I'm focussing on filling up on those veggies before I even touch my entree. It really works!

    Adrienne

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  3. Thanks Cherie and Adrienne! I am glad to hear you are both incorporating more veggies into your plan. I am sure it is what keeps us younger and fitter!

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  4. Hi Debra,

    Well happy birthday...I turned 53 yesterday! :)

    Thanks for the info on the exercise, I am trying to change a few things in my routine. (it was easier when I belonged to a gym) But since I quit going I use free weights and have seen better results than with the machines. I alternate power walking (lots of hills) and riding the exercise bike.

    I ordered the book "Mindless Eating" from the library. Maybe that will help me too...Like Adrienne I am doing the extra veggie thing especially when I make pasta. And eating more salads for lunch. Darn those carbs! Luckily, I'm not a huge chip person but I have a sweet tooth...

    Linda









    Linda

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  5. Happy Birthday Debra. Thanks for all the inspiration you provide on your blog. I'll be 40 in a few months and I want to maintain a healthy weight rather than put on a little each year and end up middle-aged and frumpy.

    Good on you for throwing out the food you don't want around.

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  6. Thank you Linda and Fiona! I never ever thought I'd turn forty let alone fifty-three. And, you know what, I really feel twenty most days.

    (Hey Linda, we're almost the same age!)

    My birthday gift to myself: Have a bit more fun and stuff guilt in a "shoebox". I can always take it out again should I really want to feel it.

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  7. Congrats. You look amazing. I would have never ever guessed you are in your 50s. You look significantly younger! Congrats.

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