Losing Weight after 60: What I Wish I'd Known Before I Gained It In the First Place
Aging and Weight Loss in Women Over 60
Photo by Moe Magners
As a woman of 60 plus, I often feel frustrated in my journey to lose weight. I've been fighting the great fight of weight since my teenage years. Making the necessary changes to my raggedy eating habits and largely sedentary lifestyle has been a thorn in my side. Yet, I know that these measures are crucial to my healthy existence and overall well-being. I really didn't understand how a woman's body changes as she ages until it was too late to prevent the catastrophe of blowing up like the proverbial balloon. Now that I know more about metabolism and the affects of it slowing down, I can begin to make the necessary changes to move towards a healthier lifestyle.
A decrease in muscle mass is the main cause of a slower metabolism. Losing weight is not impossible, but these two components certainly do not make the process easy. I realize that I have to put forth greater effort and be more consistent in whatever routine I choose to engage in to right this wrong. In my research on the subject, I found that building muscle mass is key and that strength training exercises such weight lifting and resistance training will help me increase metabolism and burn more calories. Other beneficial exercises are Yoga, swimming, stretching and, one of my personal favorites, DANCING! I not only read this, but experienced it when I was doing a number of these on a regular basis before an on-the-job injury. Another thing I found out first hand is that when you stop your routine, your body reverts back to its less than healthy state fairly quickly and you have to start all over again, which is neither easy nor fun.
Steady Wins the Race
Photo by Laura Tancredi:
Consistency has always been a challenge for me. Making lists and keeping schedules has never been my strong suit, but I know now that it's the only way to get things done. Whether it's making a weekly grocery list or keeping a spreadsheet of my monthly expenses, or writing down what I eat on a daily basis in my journal, it makes things a lot easier when I can see what choices I'm making on the regular. I'm trying my best at age 65, to simplify my life in as many ways possible. By keeping track of the rights as well as the wrongs I'm engaging in, I can determine which activities are not working and eliminate those things that are no longer beneficial to my healthy recovery.
While most of us have been taught that losing weight after 60 is a difficulty caused by the natural changes in our metabolism that occurs with aging, some holistic medical practitioners believe that with the right nutrition and exercises we can deter or even eliminate the signs of aging in our bodies. I believe (and this is just my opinion from my own experience of doing the RIGHT things) that all of the misery that comes with the body breaking down as we age can either be avoided completely or even reversed if we pay more attention to the foods we eat and do what's necessary to avoid a sedentary lifestyle. I believe that God has placed everything in our bodies that we need to take charge of our own health and well-being, both the physical and the emotional. These attributes do not have to diminish with age. After all, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, yes? Yes, we are.
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