I recently saw a sign on a Florida road marquee shouting out “Weight Loss is Fat Crying.” We probably all need to become a part of that “crying scene” sometime in our senior lives. It can be easy as substituting grapes for a brownie to lower calories consumed.
It can be easy as keeping hunger pains away by eating high fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables and air-popped popcorn. In 1994, the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) began an ongoing study of the habits of over 10,000 people who had lost significant amounts of weight and successfully kept it off for a long period of time.
On average, these individuals lost 66 pounds and kept the pounds off for 5.5 years. In the Costco Connection Magazine, January, 2015 edition, NWCR informs us of the importance of a one hour daily exercise program to keep a person’s metabolism (burning of calories) working at its maximum potential.
The NWCR comments, “we focus on paying attention to portion sizes and eating high-quality, less-energy-dense foods. We encourage people to meet physical activity goals, monitor weight, and adjust food intake as required.”
The organization has also found that long-term weight loss/maintenance depends on a mental mind-set or a personally chosen powerful motivation that leads a person to a lifetime commitment of this healthy exercise and eating behavior.
Sun Citians and Stingray Swim Club members Joe Loughlin, Lisa Yost, Kathleen Wulf, Sandy Hupert, Nancy Moore, Pat McFarland, Denise Grandolfo, Susan Koprowski, Linda Hallman, and Nancy Cihlar are all in agreement with the NWCR as they recently sited their top three goals to improve their health and wellness in 2015.
Each of the active seniors mentioned exercise and diet improvement to accomplish weight loss or maintenance and general good health for the new year. One Sun City married couple recently lost, in a period of 12 to 16 months, a combined 95 pounds on a Weight Watchers regimen.
The couple, 69 and 75, respectively, went to meetings and listened and learned there. According to the wife, “Weight Watchers has the highest track record for success of all of the different [diet] organizations out there.” She continues, “Weight Watchers makes you have accountability.” Our Sun Citian concludes, “We [my husband and I] eat healthy [and less] and maintain our workout programs. We have awareness of all that we eat. We think about it [food] before we eat it.”
Finally, another Sun City/Huntley resident is now midway through her enormous weight loss journey. She wants to share some valuable weight loss tips with all of you.
Here is her story:
“I started in early May 2014. As of now, I have lost 82 pounds. I would like to lose another 40 pounds by mid 2015. I love to be active, and even when heavy, I could swim and walk but saw those capabilities declining as I grew older. I also had high blood pressure and was developing knee pain and knew the root cause was likely to be my weight. I did see my doctor, who prescribed medications for high blood pressure. [Together] we mapped out a low-cal and exercise plan focusing on whole foods and higher protein. I have been part of the swim club for years but have been an ‘off and on again’ participant. When I decided to lose weight, I started to focus on swimming as the primary exercise in my plan. I now swim over a mile per session and try to swim three days per week and walk on other days. As I lost [weight], I also picked up biking and walking. I also use the Fitness Pal app to track my food and calories.
“The key I have found in continuing to stay on plan is to keep focused and to ‘forgive’ yourself for slip-ups but keep determined to reduce the frequency of the slips. Also, not to kid myself about portion sizes. My diet plan consists of calorie counting and exercise, with an emphasis on higher protein content and lower sugar and carbs. I have not cut them out completely, but rather than have a lot of processed [foods] or pasta, I try to have more whole foods. I eat fresh fruit as a snack and find things like the Laughing Cow cheeses or reduced-fat peanut butter to doctor them up….
“Like many who have to lose weight and/or who have lost weight, I have been here before. However, while I am working fulltime now, I see the day coming when I will retire. I want to make sure I can be active in my retirement. I want to make sure I am picking up good habits now that will serve me as I start the next phase of my life. Even though I have been successful losing weight other times in my life, I always had the stresses of work that helped derail plans. This time I want to build the good habits now and carry them into the future.”
