gettinfitover40

The American diet is killing America. Diets high in fat and sugar pack on the pounds and clog arties. If you’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and flee the super-sized McYuckies than eating right will be as simple as one, two, and three.

One: Eat Your Breakfast

At first breaking the, “I don’t eat breakfast” mantra may be difficult, but it’s important to reset the bodies metabolism by feeding it after the night time fast. A woman’s body needs fuel to jump start her day, by eating a small, healthy breakfast you’ll avoid the mid-morning binge.

Two: Make your breakfast fresh and healthy

Fruit, whole grains, or a protein shake will fill you up while providing healthy fuel for the body. As the body begins to heal and reset its fat burning ability, you will begin to feel better. Oatmeal (avoid the quick cooking type and head for the steel cut or old fashioned) is perhaps one of the best breakfast foods simply because it can be made in advance and is quick to reheat. Fruit, nuts, and yogurt are an easy grab if you are in a hurry.

Three: Eating to Live

A healthy breakfast keeps you from being distracted or moody and begins to purge the body of unhealthy chemicals. Yes, chemicals: dies, preservatives, additives. A lifetime of eating super processed foods damages the liver, pancreas and lymphatic system, leaving its victim sluggish and overweight. Small steps, such as eating a healthy (and not processed) breakfast, will help you to begin the healing process and set your feet on the path to weight loss and better overall health.

Exercise is an important step towards a leaner, healthier body, but what about those who suffer from allergies? Should allergies cripple the woman whose goal is to get moving? No. Due to recent treatments of allergy symptoms, most people seldom even think about their allergies. What you may not know is how beneficial exercise is in the fight against seasonal allergies.

Moderate exercise boosts immune system performance, causing the lymphatic system to run more efficiently. Because the Lymph system has no central pump, as the cardio system does, it must rely upon the movement of muscles to do get its job done. When in motion, the body is moving muscle groups, causing the removal of excess fluids in body tissue and producing immune cells, all through the lymphatic system (the lymph system includes tonsils, spleen, nodes and vessels)

I personally made this discovery just days ago. For the majority of my life, I have suffered from allergies. Beginning at age thirteen, I was plagued by seasonal allergies. With each turn of the calendar I found that my allergies continued to grow and lengthen in duration. Last year I was diagnosed with allergy induced asthma. Never once was it suggested that weight loss could free me from the crippling effects of allergies.

In the two months since I began exercising five to six days per week, my allergies have decreased dramatically. I am walking thirty to forty-five minutes per day, outside. The steroid inhaler that once made it possible for me to breathe is only used one puff, once per day, instead of the prescribed two puffs, twice daily. I cannot account for the dramatic decrease in allergy attacks. The only possible answer is that my lymphatic system is running more efficiently causing my body to not react to allergens.

More information on allergies and exercise:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_557499.html

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/exercise-allergies.html?pageNum=2#2

I am an emotional eater. I wasn’t always. In my younger days when I was stressed or upset my stomach was usually so twisted into knots that I couldn’t eat. Sometime after my children were born, things changed. Food became more than sustenance. It became my friend, my companion, my way of dealing with the stress of life.

A couple of years ago my husband nearly died and I was faced with the simple fact that I was using food, not faith or strength, to battle my fears. Two years later a friend of mine asked me a very pointed question:

“Why are we fat?”

I admitted that part of my problem was laziness but the other part was more emotionally charged. I had gained 15 pounds in just under a year when I was a foster parent. It was a difficult time for me and I turned to food to help me cope with the tension in my life. There is no denying the scientific connection between foods and emotions.

According to the Mayo Clinic, foods such as chocolate, cause the body to release trace amounts of endorphins which elevates your mood. Because of the body’s reaction to food, we train ourselves to eat comfort foods when stressed. It is a vicious cycle that must be over come.

Questions to ask yourself

• 1.       Do you eat when you are upset or angry?

• 2.       When something good happens, do you reward yourself with goodies?

• 3.       When you are sad or lonely, do you eat?

Ways to avoid emotional eating

1.       Ask yourself if you are truly hungry – then don’t eat

2.       Avoid the kitchen when stressed – don’t tempt yourself

3.       Take a walk or a run, listen to music, or phone a friend

4.       Try acupuncture

5.       Eat a chili pepper

      6.       Keep junk food out of your house. If it isn’t there, you can’t eat it

Knowing how you react in specific situations can help you to tame the beast of stress eating. As with every lifestyle change, you have to plan ahead to avoid pit falls.

Remember, this is your body and your life. Make it the best it can possibly be.

Now that you’ve decided to really bite the bullet and start a healthier lifestyle one thing you have to do is exercise. I know, I know, I know! I know you’re thinking,

“I can’t afford to join a gym.”

“I’m really in horrid shape. I don’t think I could walk down the street!”

“I’m embarrassed about how I look. I don’t want people to see me exercising.”

Regardless of what’s in your wallet or how out of shape you are, you can begin to exercise.

BUT FIRST: IF YOU HAVEN’T DISCUSSED EXERCISE WITH YOUR DOCTOR STOP RIGHT HERE AND MAKE THAT CALL! The goal is to become healthy, not dead. Be certain that beginning any form of exercise isn’t going to send you over the edge.

Let’s address the gym idea first. If you are brave (I am not) and can afford it, a gym is a perfect place to begin working out. Some of the amenities provided may include (but not limited to) cardio machines, weight training, group classes (such as Pilates or yoga), and many offer childcare.  Most gyms staff personal fitness trainers who can help you work towards your goal.

Later, I’ll post about different gyms, what makes them rock (or not), and which ones made me feel comfortable.

A word of caution on joining a gym: make sure to read the fine print. Some gyms have huge cancelation fees or may require you to purchase a membership which lasts for 12 months or more. Be certain you know what you are paying for before you pay for it.

What if the gym isn’t for you? The cost is just not in your budget or the idea of “locker room” has given you flashbacks to those dreaded high school years. Or maybe it’s just that you feel so awkward. I basically fall into all three categories: I cannot afford a gym membership, I’d rather die than dress down in front of anyone, and I’m not terribly agile any more (funny thing age!). What’s a fat girl to do?

Simple! You find a way to exercise. You take a walk, even a short one. I recently read an article about a woman who lost 150 pounds in two years. When she first began walking she could barely make it from her door to the mailbox (basically one block). Her husband, out of fear, walked with her. It was hard. Really hard, but every day she walked and soon she walked a little further.

To me, that woman is a hero.

Since I haven’t joined a gym, I have had to be creative about my workouts. I own two Winsor Pilates tapes, which I use a couple times per week. I am also a subscriber to Netflix and found that I could use the PLAY NOW feature to workout with programs on their site. My current favorites are workouts from CRUNCH gym.

I’ve also become a walker. I try to walk a minimum of thirty minutes per day, regardless of what other workout I’ve done. Walking is a great exercise because you can do it anywhere: your yard, your street, the park, the school track, anywhere!

I’m really excited about the pounds that I’ve lost. I’m more excited about the strength that I’ve gained. I feel empowered, stronger, and leaner. It’s nice to notice the small things, like how much I can lift (two gallons with one hand) or how much easier I breathe (up a long flight of stairs without huffing and puffing!)

Exercise, in any form, will kick start your workout and begin to reshape your body. Remember, don’t give up. Results can be slow to show, but I promise you’ll start feeling better and looking better sooner than you think.

To help jump start your exercise program, check out these useful sites:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exbeginners/a/exforbeginners.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=60287

http://www.bet.com/Lifestyle/bodysoul/Life_BAS_GetFit+ForTh+NewYearWithSevenSimpleExercises.html

http://www.refrigeratorraid.com/2006/05/a_beginners_gui.html

Each Saturday I will post links to websites that you may find helpful. The web is full of free weight loss help and that’s always a great thing. It’s especially helpful for those on a limited income or for those who would prefer not to join an outside weight loss group.

Today, I’ve chosen several easy to use calorie counting sites. There are a couple of basic sites that simply provide you with calorie information, while others offer a staggering array of goodies.

Calorie counting can be tricky, which is why these sites are helpful. Perhaps you have a dinner date and don’t know what to order, many of these sites have restaurant information to help you make the best possible choice for your meal.

 If you cannot locate the meal or restaurant on a calorie counting site, I suggest looking the restaurant up online and seeking out any nutritional information there. By doing this you will have made your dining decision before leaving home, thus avoiding the high calorie, high fat pitfalls.

Also, when eating out, keep in mind that not all salads are created equal. For instance, perhaps you’ll be dining at Baja Fresh this evening and you decide on the Baja Ensalada® with Chicken with the Olive Oil Vinaigrette; 310 for the salad and 290 for the dressing total calories: 600. A better choice would have been the Original Baja Taco with chicken for 210 calories.  It’s all about planning and knowing what you’re putting into your mouth before you do.

Saturday Linkage

The Calorie Counter offers the basics at this calorie counting site, but you can look up most foods and get a calorie count for each. It’s good for those who don’t want to join a group, but still want to count calories.

Today I would like to address one of many fears that women who are struggling to lose weight face: the scale. It has become the beacon of triumph and the authority of defeat in nearly every woman’s battle against the bulge.

In order to lose weight, you’ve given up certain things. Perhaps it’s the fried foods you adore or processed sugary treats. You have made many sacrifices and just about the time you think you’ve made some real progress, you climb up on the scale and find that you haven’t lost any weight, or worse, you’ve gained. This revelation steals your motivation. Its voice snickers in your mind, “You can’t do it. You’re a failure. You might just as well eat whatever you want, because you will never lose the weight!”

Our motivation to lose weight cannot be based on the scale. It cannot! I myself went for weeks losing a pound then gaining two. It was hard (oh so hard!) to press on and to keep eating right and exercising, but I knew that I would lose. I had to. A person cannot change the way they eat and exercise without some benefit.

To date I have lost a total of 13 pounds since April 21. I realize it’s not a landslide amount. It’s not as much as my exercise buddy has lost, but each of those pounds represents hard work and dedication. I try not to allow the scale to set my mood for the day and if I begin to hear that snickering, evil voice whispering in my head, I take a walk, it hates that.

Seriously, I don’t hear a voice in my head, but I think you know what I’m driving at. We cannot allow the scale (or a person for that matter) to steal our motivation to get fit. If we dig deep within ourselves and pull on our teflon skin, the numbers on the scale cannot stick. Nothing can steal your motivation if you continue to focus on being healthy, not skinny.

Tips for Avoiding Scale Fear:

Weigh-in only once per week – This is important for a few reasons. Weight can fluctuate greatly from day to day. It’s important to choose a day for weigh in and step on the scale at the same time of day, which should always be after you’ve woken up, walked around a bit and before you’ve had anything to eat or drink.

Hide your scale – If you are really struggling with those numbers, than don’t weigh in. Seriously. If you are eating well and exercising, you WILL lose weight. Buy yourself a tape measure and keep a weekly record of your measurements. The wonderful truth is that as you begin to reshape your body, your clothes will begin to fit differently. It’s very motivational to realize that the size 20 you wore three weeks ago is actually a bit loose.

Be honest with yourself– Your reflection doesn’t lie. Tell yourself the truth about where you are at but more importantly, where you are going! I’ve made a point of saying my weight out loud. It keeps me real. It helps me to stay focused and it reminds me of where I’ve been, how far I’ve come, and where I’m going.

Find a friend – Perhaps the best tool against scale fear is a friend or spouse who will support you and help you to stay motivated. For me, my exercise buddy did more cheering during my weeks of none weightloss than at any other point. She helped me to stay focused on exercise and eating well and less on what the scale said. She has been one of the key players in my race to fitness.

The scale can be a great tool to help you see success just don’t let it rule how you get there.

Everything has a beginning. The same applies to the day you decide to finally get fit. It’s the beginning of a new life, a new body, and new you.

Yet, beginnings can be scary and often times we are held captive by our fear of change. There are many ways that we will sabotage the beginning of a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps you’ve heard or even thought these same excuses:

“I’m too busy to exercise.”

“The gym is full of super models. There is no way I’m going to workout there! Not with this body!”

“I’m just so tired.”

“I don’t have the right shoes or workout clothes.”

“I can’t afford it.”

Are any of these familiar? In my lifetime I know I have uttered all of these. I’ve felt the strong pull of the Doritos’s bag and my comfy faux-suede sofa. I know how hard it is to lace up your walking shoes and walk in the rain and the heat.

I also know how great it feels to finally get off that sofa and throw the bag of chips away. It’s empowering!

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Why don’t you join me and let’s get fit, over 40 and  beyond, together.