Interesting Article from my Momma!

Middle-aged Women Cutting Calories Significantly Cut Weight Gain
Maria Walton - LDS Living
02/24/2009 01:04 PM MST

Eating a whole bag of chips or an entire pint of ice cream may have
done minimal to no damage to your waistline when you were 20, but if
you’re over 40, the aftermath of such indulgences can be significant.

While, culturally, 40 may be the new 30, when it comes to what you
eat, there is a definite distinction, according to a new study from
Brigham Young University researchers.

In the January/February issue of the American Journal of Health
Promotion, Larry A. Tucker, PhD, and Laura Bates, reported the results
of their new study that will put a sour taste in the mouth of
middle-aged women not already monitoring their eating habits.

After following 192 women with an average age of 40 for three years
and tracking information on lifestyle, health and eating habits,
researchers found that the middle-aged women they studied had more
than twice the risk of substantial weight gain if they did not become
more restrained in their eating.

Although the conclusion that women tend to gain weight and body fat as
they age and become less physically active is no surprise, it is
interesting to note that, even with exercise, those who did not become
more restrained in their eating over time gained weight, but those
that did not exercise more and made an effort to eat less were 69
percent less likely to gain more than 2.2 pounds.

Columbia University researcher Lance Davidson, who was not involved
with the analysis, said the findings illustrate an important principle
of weight management.

“Because the body's energy requirements progressively decline with
age, energy intake must mirror that decrease or weight gain occurs,”
Davidson, a research fellow at Columbia’s Obesity Research Center,
said in a BYU news release. “Dr. Tucker's observation that women who
practice eating restraint avoid the significant weight gain commonly
observed in middle age is an important health message.”

But what is restrained eating? Tucker described it as choosing not to
eat certain things or not to eat as much as you'd like.

"We're not saying you need to go around hungry. That won't work. You
need to restrain from unhealthy foods, from high-calorie foods. If you
don't, you will gain weight," he told the Deseret News.

Tucker and Bates also admitted that eating properly is a skill that
needs to be practiced, and as such, they offered some tips for helping
you in your quest to eat better and get trimmer.

Record what you eat and how much. Put less food on your plate, you
don’t have to feel full or stuffed. Eat more fruit and vegetables, and
substitute low-calorie foods for their fatty, calorie-dense
counterparts. Be careful about butter and gravy, and if you have
“problem foods,” don’t keep them around

Quick Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. If you skimp on breakfast, you tend to eat a lot more at lunch just because you're hungrier. Don't skimp out on fueling yourself properly for the day!

Don't know what to eat that's healthy and filling in the morning?

Here are some ideas that I love. Feel free to share any other ideas you have!

* .5 cup (or less) oats w/ a tbs of raisins or chocolate chips
* Egg whites w/ salsa
* Grapefruits (We have a grapefruit tree- fyi!)
* Fat-free yogurt w/ berries or fiber one cereal (low-cal & high in fiber)
* Plain toast and egg whites
* Banana & dry cereal (good for on-the-go)
* Cream of wheat w/ 1tbs chocolate chips

What do you enjoy eating for breakfast?

Cleaning House

To get a good strong start, here are some good pointers/suggestions you can do.

1. Clean out your cabinets/fridge.
Gets rid of all "junk" food in the house. If it isn't there, you won't eat it. If you don't know what to do with it, maybe think of a family who would appreciate it or a food bank.

2. Get yourself a snack stash.
Designate a spot in the fridge and maybe on the counter for health, pre-prepped snacks. Some good ideas are snack baggies or containers of carrot sticks, celery sticks, grapes, orange smiles, pretzels, crackers, etc. Make sure that if you do crackers or pretzels that you measure out one serving in each bag. Your own version of 100-calorie packs for much cheaper. These are also good things to grab when running out the door or keep in the car or purse for a quick fix later versus eating junk.

3. Turn the tv/computer off.
See how much more you get done and how much more active you become without the tv or computer on. Take a walk with the dog, tidy the house, walk to visit a friend. It's much better for your health socially and physically.

Let me know if you want tips on a specific subject.

WELCOME!

Hey friends!


If you have questions about anything- health, posting something, nutrition, exercises, etc., please ask! That's what this is all about.

As a team, we can do this.

Health is a lifestyle choice.

Changes need to be made. We're going to make them!

Let's do this!