1. NEVER EAT DIRECTLY FROM THE BAG. Measure out the quantity of food you are planning to eat, then put the rest away. EXCEPT when you buy PORTION CONTROLLED PACKAGES. You should have a small meal every 4 hours. I carry packs of crackers and water when I’m not home to insure I don’t get too hungry. Your stomach shouldn’t be growling but not too full either. 2. SMALLER PLATES = BIGGER LOOKING PORTIONS You eat less also. REALLY! 3. SELF CONTROL STARTS AT THE GROCERY STORE. If it’s not in the house, you can’t eat it. Go with a list and stick to the list. 4. INCREASE YOUR EXERCISE IN SMALL WAYS. Buy a pedometer to measure your steps. Wear it all the time, every day. Force yourself to walk up and down stairs if you own a multi-story house. Betty White, the actress, said "I stay in shape by owning a 2 story house and having a bad memory.” Park you car far from the store entrance. Walk around stores, malls and large places like Costco or office building (if you work in one). 5. USE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS FOR LIFTING AND TO DEVELOP UPPER BODY STRENGTH. No more than 5 pounds. Soup cans are perfect! As with all exercise, use common sense and follow doctor’s instructions. 6,. READ NUTRITION LABELS. NEVER assume you know what's in a product! For example, be aware of things like “no sugar added.” There can be natural sugars that are still fattening and unhealthy. 7. REWARD YOURSELF ONCE A WEEK. Whether you like ice cream, chocolates or some other food, , allow yourself one small amount as a reward for staying on your diet. 8. USE "BEFORE AND AFTER" CLOTHING AS AN INCENTIVE. Hang a pair of pants that are your largest size, to see where you start, next to a pair of pants that are your goal size, to see where you’re going. 9. PUT FAT PICTURES OF YOURSELF ON THE FRIDGE AND MIRROR IN YOU BEDROOM. This is a great reminder of how much progress you're making. 10. “DIETING IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE” (quote: Roger Green). Don’t let a “slip” in your diet weaken your commitment. Ignore the infraction and get right back on the diet immediately! You CAN get the future you want. |
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HOW MANY CANDLES are on your birthday cake? If there are 50 or more, it's time to change the way you exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we all need at least two and a half hours of moderate aerobic activity per week and twice-weekly sessions of strength training to improve our health, no matter our age.But this changes when you reach your 50th birthday, and different aspects of fitness become more important. Strength training, for example, becomes a priority because the risk of falling increases. According to the CDC, more than one in three people age 65 or older fall each year, resulting in fractures in the hip, pelvis, spine, arm, hand and ankle.“One of the things that older people worry about is falling, and the ability to stop yourself once you start falling is due to the power of your muscles,” says Costco member Todd Miller, an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at George Washington University. “That's why strength training is so important.” According to the CDC, one New Zealand study of women 80 years of age showed a 40 percent reduction in falls with simple strength and balance training. Mixing up your routine by including strength training, following a variety of workout options and focusing on flexibility helps keep you functionally fit after 50 by making you strong and mobile, experts advise. Use the following tips to get started. Variety Trying new ways to exercise, like Zumba, spinning and swimming, can keep you motivated and, by working different muscle groups, improve your functioning and mobility as you age. “Exercise can become boring if you get locked into the mindset of doing just one thing,” says Fantigrassi. Setting goals “When it comes to choosing an exercise plan, it helps to think about what your goals are: What do you want, need and enjoy doing?” says Dan Ritchie of Functional Fitness Solution, which specifically targets baby boomers. “Do you want to travel, or play with your grandchildren, or stay independent? Once you decide what you want your life to look like, you can work toward that goal of functional fitness.” Published originally The Costco Connection January 2015. Keep moving to get the most out of the golden years By Heather Larson First appeared in The Costco Connection, January 2015 ALTHOUGH RETIREMENT means the end of the 9-to-5 workday and the beginning of more leisure time, retirees need to spend some of that time getting a healthy dose of physical activity. Recent studies indicate seniors who exercise every day reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s and have the healthiest hearts. Move more to improve health The National Institute on Aging says people with arthritis, heart disease and diabetes benefit from regular exercise. It also helps people with high blood pressure or balance problems, and those who have difficulty walking. Even healthy seniors should incor- porate physical activity into their day so they can maintain their health and independence. Just one hour of activity a week reduces the chance of Alzheimer’s, says Dr. Hanh Nguyen, an internist and geriatrician with Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. “The benefits are very clear,” says Nguyen. “Not being active has some severe risks. We’ve noticed patients who [are sedentary] lose calcium in their bones, their muscles shorten and their balance and coordination suffer.” When you’ve been sedentary for a long time, the hardest part is beginning to move your body again, says Dr. Marc Leavey, a primary-care specialist at Lutherville Personal Physicians, a Mercy Medical Center community physician site in Maryland. Begin slowly In addition to scheduling a checkup with your physician, Leavey, also suggests hiring a trainer to ensure you’re doing the best exercises for your needs the correct way and that you’re not on a path to injure yourself. A personal trainer can help you build up your regime gradually. To find a trainer who is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, visit (nsca.com.) Don’t set impossible goals for yourself, says Nguyen, and then quit when you can’t meet them. Find what fits your lifestyle and create a time for activity in your schedule. Once you’ve incorporated physical movement into your routine for one or two months, it becomes a habit, and after six months you’ll find it difficult to stop. Ed Cook in Bellingham, Washington, has lost 100 pounds since he retired 17 years ago. He wasn’t really trying to lose weight; he felt fine at his heavier weight. Still, he made sure he ate healthy food, began working out in a gym for an hour, four mornings a week, and increased his time on the golf course from three times a month to four days a week. Measure your steps Devices that measure your movements, like accelerometers, motivate you because they give you an accurate picture of how much you’re actually moving, says Scott Danberg, director of fitness at Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa in Miami.The usual daily requirement is 10,000 steps a day, Danberg says, but for beginners he cuts that in half and recommends his clients take 5,000 steps a day. That makes the approach much friendlier and more doable. Danburg concurs with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which says you should accumulate a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, per week. “Simply break up your day into three 10-minute durations,” says Danburg. “It’s a good start and most often builds a base and motivation to do more and more movement.”Walking up and down the aisles of yournearest supermarket or mall is a great way to get in 10,000 steps, says Linda Perlmutter, a retiree in Wellesley, Massachusetts. “Shop and exercise at the same time,” she says. She notes that the axiom “Use it or lose it” becomes more important as we age: “When I use it, I feel better both physically and mentally.” C Tips for easy exercising DR. MARC LEAVEY, a primary-care specialist, suggests revisiting activities you did when you were younger, like tennis or basketball, but pursue them at a level that currently suits you. He’s also a staunch supporter of swimming for retirees, because of its overall conditioning properties and low impact. For balance and stamina, try yoga and Pilates. Tai chi can be valuable, and for those who can’t stand for long periods, he recommends “chair chi,” which is done seated. Strength training for healthy older men and women firms muscles and improves endurance and aerobic power, and can help slow bone density loss. Dr. Julia Samton, who is board certified in psychiatry and neurology in New York, says thinking outside the box and pursuing activities like kayaking, gardening, walking with friends and sightseeing while on vacation make physical activity fun. Harvard Medical School’s website includes “Easy Exercises for Couch Potatoes” (search “couch potato” at health.harvard.edu). You can do them during commercials when watching TV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends its “Growing Stronger” program for retirees, online at growingstronger. nutrition.tufts.edu.—HL |
AuthorI've been a fashionista since the age of 7 when my Grandmother taught me how to sew clothes for my dolls. At age 10 I started making clothes for myself. I've taken college courses in textiles and garment construction. These days I work in the retail fashion industry and love helping my clients look great! Categories
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