Greetings, my friends! Hope all is well with everyone. I have been keeping pretty busy. I decided to do a bit more research in as far as the dilemma of trying to lose weight and stay healthy after the age of 50. I am 54 years old and still enduring the peri-men stage.
I know that there are a lot of benefits to losing weight and eating right at any age, but the things which worked in my 20's and 30's, even my 40's no longer work now. I came across some info on Livestrong.com and the Mayo Clinic website regarding what women should avoid after the age of 50.
Among them are the following:
Alcohol
Coffee
Cured meats (including bacon & deli meats)
Ice cream
Margarine
Fried foods
Highly processed carbs (pasta, white rice)
Soy
Sugar
Soda
Salt/sodium
Frozen dinners (including frozen veggies)
White bread
To be honest, I have always been a full-blown junk food junkie. I am talking donuts, ice cream, twinkies, pudding, pies, chips and pretzels ... all things sweet and salty. I am a very picky eater and if I had to become a vegetarian, I guarantee you I would starve to death! In fact, the only kind of salad I enjoy is a grilled chicken salad ... very plain with NO dressing what-so-ever. Oddly enough, I have always liked to eat lettuce by itself and I can remember as a kid munching out on it while my nana was making her own homemade dandelion dressing (which I would never eat either).
I was raised in a typical Pennsylvania Dutch family that ate meat and potatoes at almost every meal. Fattening does not even begin to describe it. Homemade sticky buns, chicken potpie, fried dippy eggs & bacon, scrapple, corn pie, shoo fly pies, large whoopie pies, and the like! All DELICIOUS but extremely fattening foods! Looking back, it is a wonder I did not weigh 300 pounds. Probably the only thing that saved me was the fact that I was so actively involved in school and other outside activities such as marching band.
I have changed my eating habits considerably over the years. Since going back on my diet and exercise routine, I have been allowing myself some of what I enjoy ... after all, I still love to eat without making myself completely miserable ...
What I really want to snack on ...
What I choose to snack on in order to help curb the sweet tooth cravings ...
Dry cereal I place in small zip lock bags. If I eat for breakfast, I use skim milk only.
Imagine me at 70 trying to lose weight. LOL!!! It's been a struggle, but 53 pounds have bit the dust. I follow most of that list of foods except for ice cream. Especially now that the weather is warmer. In winter I could care less. I always keep a good supply of fruit in the house and always have boiled eggs on hand. I like that Weight Watchers is taking all artificial crap out of their snack foods and I can have a crunchy now and then that's not going to blow up the scale.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is absolutely amazing how much weight you have lost and how far you have come! It takes A LOT of will power and effort, especially the older we get. LOL! KUDOS, Mary!!!
DeleteI was salivating over the list of foods you ate growing up. Weight loss is such a struggle. Why does kale get to be a healthy food and chocolate cookies are not? So unfair. Sometimes, the only way I think I'll succeed is to have my jaw wired shut.
ReplyDeleteDon't follow my example. I lose a few, then I get hungry and gain it back plus some. I still haven't found a sustainable eating plan. And I'm not a fussy eater. I pretty much like it all.
ReplyDeletegood for you on trying to get healthy!
ReplyDeleteI have the worst sweet tooth!
my weakness is chocolate:)
exercising will help you out quite a bit..a half hour walk does so much..good luck, keep us posted on your success.
If it's any consolation to you, you look like you're in pretty good shape to me. Blessings to you for doing the research and making the commitment! I'm doing the same and it is in no way easy (especially since I'm diabetic and have hypothyroid). It doesn't help that I have a taste for sweets every now and then, either. Though I have noticed that if I don't eat any sweet stuff for awhile I want it less. Maybe that could help you too?
ReplyDelete(In case you're wondering who this is, I used to blog here as 'The Magickal and the Mundane', but am starting over with a new blog.)
One last thing: what are fried dippy eggs?
Thank you for visiting Shannon! And thank you for your advice, it is greatly appreciated!
DeleteDippy eggs are what we PA Dutch folks call fried eggs sunny side up and/or over easy. We call them dippy eggs because we like to "dip" our toast in the yolks. :)
I would love to check out your new blog!
Brightest Blessings ~ Kim
Oh, of course! That makes sense. I should have known it was because of the toast. LOL
DeleteThank you for visiting! :o)
Kim, keep it going! I won't tell you how much I have to lose! LOL! All I can say is, keep busy, drink lots of water, have your dark greens and hard boiled eggs! Big Hugs! You're doing great! (Loved the food you use to eat! LOL!)
ReplyDelete