We love knowing secrets, don’t we? Many times the information under wraps is something that the world, in general, is not to be privy of, and that makes us feel pretty special. I know something you don’t. Tee hee.
Other secrets really aren’t hush-hush at all, and in fact, are better to be spread far and wide. That’s the kind of secret I’m talking about here: maintaining a healthy weight in midlife.
If you’re over 50, you know how elusive “healthy weight” can seem. Our bodies have been morphing, adjusting, seeming to play tricks on us at every turn. Just when we think we have this healthy living thing figured out, our body does something different and oops…there’s a few more pounds and a new look to our figure.
What a Healthy Weight in Midlife and Eating Healthy After 50 Means
So let’s start with the term, healthy weight. What does it really mean? I’ll share my opinion, keeping in mind that I am not a health professional. But I am a woman in midlife who has spent quite a bit of time researching how our bodies change during this time in our lives. And, I’m living it every day, my friends.
To me, a healthy weight after 50 signifies the weight that is right for you. Not for me …not according to a chart…not according to your friends…not according to what an article says you should weigh. Right for YOU. Of course, eating healthy after 50 is an integral part of that plan.
Are there generally accepted weight guidelines in place? Of course. Is obesity a life-threatening health risk? It can be. We need to weigh in (no pun intended) on these as part of the whole.
And, we should know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle as we age, and they absolutely play a role in our search for healthy weight in midlife:
Eating healthy after 50 includes clean, natural foods. When we make the effort to eat foods that have not been processed and make sure that fruits, veggies, and proteins are in the mix every day, our bodies are receiving the nourishment they need without added processing and empty calories.
Of course, we’re going to overindulge on occasion, but it’s not part of what we do every day. We aim to eat healthy.
Awareness of the essential part hydration plays in our overall health. We must drink water. Every day. Yes, we’ll pee more often, but it’s all good.
An exercise plan that includes both aerobic and strength training. It’s not enough to feel good about the fact that we walk 3 times per week for 30 minutes. That’s great, but strength training as women over 50 is absolutely essential to maintaining our overall health.
A lifestyle that stays away from harmful habits such as smoking, drinking to excess or drug use. Enough said about that.
Other factors that are personal and unique to each of us can also influence our healthy weight as women in midlife:
- health issues
- health restrictions
- diet restrictions
- physical limitations
You know best of all how these health-related factors are influencing your ability to maintain a healthy weight.
[bctt tweet=”The Secret to Maintaining a Healthy Weight in Midlife” username=”inspiremystyle1″]
The other factor that we have a hard time letting go of…
This is something that I can get obsessive about fairly easily, so I know whereof I speak. 🙂 I look in the mirror at my body in all it’s natural glory, and/or I step on the scale for my weekly self-weigh-in, and my mind starts going down the path of, “but you don’t look like you used to”, or “how can I get the scale back where it was a year ago (or 2 years, or 3 years)?”
Our mind wants our body to look like it did in the past. For me, I don’t have to travel too far back in time. I’m only asking for a couple of years or so, a few pounds. That’s not much, is it?
I’ve created a healthy eating plan for women in midlife that helps beat the belly fat and bloat we experience after menopause. It makes a difference in how I look and feel for sure, but there is nothing that will turn back the clock.
So time marches on, and my midlife body continues to become, well, a midlife body. With a philosophy of natural aging as well as a budget that is a bit on the slim side, opting for any surgical procedures, fat sucking or cool sculpting sessions just aren’t part of the equation. And honestly, I really don’t want to go down that road.
What is The Secret?
My philosophy about life in general, and how I approach a healthy lifestyle, is not new, unique, an ‘aha’ moment or anything like that. But it does work and I think summarizes how I maintain a healthy weight as I go through my midlife years. Ready? Here is the secret.
Everything in moderation. Everything in moderation that you know is good for your body, mind and soul.
Let’s take a closer look at those words:
Everything in moderation…not too much of any one thing, in any aspect of life…
…that you KNOW is good…the confidence that what you are doing, eating, participating in, acting on…is good for you…
…good for your mind, body and/or soul…
That is my philosophy, my secret, for maintaining a healthy weight as I travel through midlife. And it’s also how I live every day.
Do I wander off that path now and again? Yes, usually with overindulging in the food department. But, I know that my body is being fed well, with good, clean food. Eating healthy over 50, and over 60, is always the goal. It is being hydrated every day. My attention to strength and aerobic training is keeping my body fit for my age.
And my weight? It’s not what it was 10, 5, or 2 years ago. But it is a healthy weight for me in midlife. And I feel good about that.
Linking up with This Mainline Life
This is what I am working on at the moment. Got to get to a weight and health that helps me be a better grandmother and wife.
Hi Sandra, that is a wonderful goal and motivation to have! Feeling good and being at a healthy weight affects just about every aspect of our lives.