Re: Spreading waist line
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:47 am
Ah, the old middle-aged spread debate. It's a bit of a chicken and egg debate. Does your metabolism slow as you get older or are you less active and so put on weight more easily? I don't think anyone really knows the answer. Maybe a bit of both.
I don't believe that a spreading waist line is inevitable. What is inevitable is that if you eat more than you use you will put on weight. I don't want to scare you, but if you are putting on a 'few pounds' every year you may well be heading towards type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sore joints and increasing infirmity as you get older. Again, this is not inevitable.
Without knowing what you eat and how much, it is difficult to give any specific help but I would urge you to ask youself these questions:
Do I really know how much I eat?
Do I monitor my potions?
Do I eat without thinking?
Do I snack a lot?
Do I get the recommended amounts of exercise each week: 150 minutes of moderate exercise (exercise that makes you a bit puffed) and 2 strength sessions per week?
As we get older I think we have to monitor what we eat a bit more than when we are young. Just as we wouldn't expect to be able to drink lots of alcohol without consquences, so I think we need to be more aware of what and how we eat and to regulate it.
I'm 62 now and am now 2 stones lighter than I was in my 50s but that is because I thought 'enough is enough' and took myself in hand. I am now very careful how much I eat. Not really WHAT I eat, but the AMOUNT I eat. Portion control is vital, I believe. I weigh foods so I know how much I am eating. I don't guess at what a portion is.
Exercise is also the other component. Not just in keeing weight down but in keeping you healthy as you get older. Research has been shown that fatter people who exercise regularly are less likely to have heart disease and more likely to be fitter than thinner people who do no exercise. You don't need to join a gym. Walking is a very under-rated form of exercise.
So, yes in part age is an excuse. It's a choice, isn't it? Do we want to continue eating in a way that puts on a few pounds every year and say 'oh well, it's bound to happen as I get older', or do we want to take control in our older years and make sure we have a fit and independent old age?
I don't know if I am allowed to promote myself here, but if you look at my website http://www.overfiftyfitness.co.uk you will see that I have 'undiet tips' and tips on how to start exercising safely.
I don't believe that a spreading waist line is inevitable. What is inevitable is that if you eat more than you use you will put on weight. I don't want to scare you, but if you are putting on a 'few pounds' every year you may well be heading towards type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sore joints and increasing infirmity as you get older. Again, this is not inevitable.
Without knowing what you eat and how much, it is difficult to give any specific help but I would urge you to ask youself these questions:
Do I really know how much I eat?
Do I monitor my potions?
Do I eat without thinking?
Do I snack a lot?
Do I get the recommended amounts of exercise each week: 150 minutes of moderate exercise (exercise that makes you a bit puffed) and 2 strength sessions per week?
As we get older I think we have to monitor what we eat a bit more than when we are young. Just as we wouldn't expect to be able to drink lots of alcohol without consquences, so I think we need to be more aware of what and how we eat and to regulate it.
I'm 62 now and am now 2 stones lighter than I was in my 50s but that is because I thought 'enough is enough' and took myself in hand. I am now very careful how much I eat. Not really WHAT I eat, but the AMOUNT I eat. Portion control is vital, I believe. I weigh foods so I know how much I am eating. I don't guess at what a portion is.
Exercise is also the other component. Not just in keeing weight down but in keeping you healthy as you get older. Research has been shown that fatter people who exercise regularly are less likely to have heart disease and more likely to be fitter than thinner people who do no exercise. You don't need to join a gym. Walking is a very under-rated form of exercise.
So, yes in part age is an excuse. It's a choice, isn't it? Do we want to continue eating in a way that puts on a few pounds every year and say 'oh well, it's bound to happen as I get older', or do we want to take control in our older years and make sure we have a fit and independent old age?
I don't know if I am allowed to promote myself here, but if you look at my website http://www.overfiftyfitness.co.uk you will see that I have 'undiet tips' and tips on how to start exercising safely.