Weight loss for many adults is a struggle no matter what your age. We have dedicated this newsletter to the unique issues facing us in our 20’s & 30’s, 40’s and 50+ years. The bottom line is that weight loss/weight maintenance is within your reach no matter how old you are…and we are here to help make that a reality. 

 

The key is understanding your individual metabolism, understanding what your body needs (and doesn’t need) and learning how to cope with the situations facing you at this point in your life so they don’t derail you into an unhealthy state for life. I wish there was one simple answer but the reality is that our medical history, diet, activity level and emotional state all play into our ability to lose weight and keep it off…and these things change as we age. 

 

You don’t have to go it alone. You don’t have to be overwhelmed, depressed and confused. As a patient at CMH, use the resources available to you such as your individualized counseling sessions, lifestyle education classes, group exercise classes, newsletters, and podcasts and make the most of your participation in Weight Management University. Earn your degree so you can have the knowledge you need to make healthy changes that will last a lifetime. Don’t be a passive participant. If you are lingering out there and not taking advantage of your full program, I challenge you to renew your commitment and personal responsibility. Write down what you are having difficulty with and use your counseling sessions to develop a realistic plan so you can put those issues behind you for good. Don’t let your schedule keep you from doing this either. We can have effective counseling sessions at the office or via the telephone. 

 

If there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed in future podcasts or newsletters, please let us know via e-mail at support@centerformetabolichealth.com, phone 757.873.1880, fax 757.873.1990 or in person the next time you are in the office. Read on so you can better understand weight loss at any age!

 

You’re probably always on the go with work, friends and family and slaving away in the kitchen is the last thing you want to do. If you choose fast food then make it healthy. Make a list of all the places you frequent away from home with “safe picks” that you can choose from the menu without having to worry whether or not they follow your diet. Things like salads topped with grilled chicken, grilled shrimp appetizers and low-carb wraps filled with turkey or sirloin steaks are always good picks. For additional terrific ideas regarding successfully eating out while losing weight, listen to the very informative CMH podcast by Claire at http://cmhva.com/default/podcasts.

 

Women in their 20’s get less than half of the recommended daily amount of potassium according to the USDA. Aside from helping keep your blood pressure in check, potassium can help prevent leg cramps that sometimes come from a high protein diet. Good sources of potassium (beside bananas and potatoes!) are melons, peaches, avocadoes, tomatoes, squash, turnips, spinach and soybeans.

 

Your muscle and bone mass are at their peak in your 20’s and 30’s. Be sure to build them as much as you can right now by consuming adequate protein and calcium. Taking a vitamin D supplement is also a good idea. Good non-dairy sources of calcium include dark, leafy greens and canned sardines and salmon with edible bones.

 

Of course, resistance training is the most important aspect of increasing muscle mass. The stress you put on your bones by weight lifting and higher-impact sports actually strengthens them and helps to increase bone density. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be, which will make weight loss (and weight maintenance) easier. Work up to -3 strength training sessions per week that incorporate both upper and lower body exercises.

 

For those women who are starting their family, this is so very exciting. Make sure you are making healthy choices before, during and after your pregnancy. Although you are “eating for two”, this is not necessarily a license to eat everything and anything. Talk with your physician regarding your weight gain progress and the health of you and your baby. It has been shown that women who are active during pregnancy often have better endurance and coping skills during delivery. Enjoy your new baby but remember to take time for yourself as well. Rest when the baby is resting if at all possible and talk with your physician to determine the best time for you to get back into a fitness regimen. This is a great time to start one of our Jump Start, 6 week or 6 month programs so you can feel your best.

 

 

Weight loss after the age of 40 becomes more and more difficult and that is because as we age, we lose muscle and that slows down the rate at which we burn calories. Weight seems to return more quickly and also seems to make us appear older. Women have a tendency to gain a significant amount of weight during and immediately after menopause and this can be very frustrating. As women age their fat distribution will change. They will begin carrying more of their weight in their trunks rather than in their hips and thighs. Keeping physically active and watching our diet will help us to cope physically and emotionally with our changing body chemistry.

 

We become more aware of health issues, especially those of us who have parent and older siblings who have, or have had, serious medical problems.   We would like to avoid all their struggles and maintain a high quality of life as we age. We would also like to be around for our families in the coming years.

 

Most of us don’t expect to lose weight overnight as we did when we were younger. We realize that we need to make some lifestyle changes that will become permanent and we are not looking for that “quick fix” because we know that it doesn’t exist. We need to learn how to read food labels and make healthy food choices. Exercise needs to become our best friend as it will rev up our metabolism and help us to reap all the benefits that fitness offers. Strength training is an integral part of our fitness program as it helps to stabilize our weight and keep our body fat levels low. Choose activities that you enjoy. You will be more likely to keep them going.

 

 

 

There is nothing magical about your fiftieth birthday that sets you up for a whole new set of rules. Your body may have already reached their fifties long before there are that many candles on your cake.  As you have read, changes do take place throughout our lifetime. These changes are very dependent on how well we have taken care of ourselves through the earlier years.

 

As we enter our early fifties our hormone levels have already begun to decrease. For women, the estrogen, testosterone and progesterone levels are falling and for men the androgens decrease leaving everyone with less energy and a lower sense of well being. Our body shape changes with added fat around the abdominal area.

 

With our metabolism slowing 5 to 7 percent per decade primarily due to muscle loss, our eating habits staying the same or slowly deteriorating and our activity level dropping, it is not surprising that we end up with those extra pounds.

 

Nutrition, exercise and attitude are the keys to successfully navigating through this time of your life. Returning to a healthy weight will allow you to move better. Movement will help keep your muscles from deteriorating. Most importantly, achieving your weight loss and fitness goals will surely improve your attitude.