They say that a woman’s “midlife” experience can be a time to enjoy the newfound freedoms that come with being an empty nester or it can be a stressful time filled with regret because of unfulfilled dreams and worries about changes in her body and metabolism. Perpetuating the cycle of the situation is the fact that stress often makes it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
When a woman reaches the mid point of her life, she begins to question her identity and this is often exacerbated by her children leaving home (empty nest syndrome) and her own parents are aging and are demanding more of her time and attention. Many things are in flux, and women may find themselves questioning decisions they’ve made in the past and are frustrated because of unfulfilled goals. Oftentimes emotional issues suppressed for years may surface making things even more tumultuous.
Studies are being undertaken on the effects of chronic emotional stress and how this type of stress contributes to age related weight gain in mid-life women. On a positive note however, is the fact that maintaining regular physical activity will prevent help prevent weight gain.
I found some great tips on Weight Watcher’s website about fighting the battle of the bulge for women in mid-life. One great article I found can be reviewed here.
While I know that maintaining a routine exercise regime will help, I am finding it excruciatingly difficult to juggle my job, family, classes, and a workout schedule. If only there were 28 hours in each day . . .
Do you hate your bathroom scale? I don’t, because I refuse to own one! But, my husband has this crazy scale. It’s insane–the damn thing says your weight out loud and then announces how many pounds you’ve lost (or gained) since you last used the it!
Believe me when I say that I don’t need a voiced scale telling me that my numbers are a bit higher than they should be. I have enough reminders in my life each day–my too tight clothes, my every growing waistline and arse, my emerging second chin–you get the idea.
Why can’t I believe those diet gurus on television who say don’t worry what the scale says–instead, be concerned about the way you feel and your fitness instead. Well, those things aren’t going so well for me either!! My self control and determination have simply vanished. And, I don’t know what it’s going to take to motivate me to lose the nagging pounds. However, I did come across a suggestion from an Anne Collins website:
“Ignore your weighing scales for a month or so and focus on improving your eating habits.”
You’re supposed to do this because weighing yourself all the time reinforces short-term thinking (i.e. How much to I weight today, or this week?). Whereas long term thoughts (i.e. How much do I want to weight in six months?) supposedly help with lasting weight loss.
Another suggestion was to reaffirm your commitment to long term weight loss by telling yourself “I’m going to slowly reduce my weight and improve my body shape because I know that slow steady weight loss lasts for ever.”
I’ve got to sign off for now-my husband’s yelling for me–apparently something’s wrong with his talking scale. (I just hope he doesn’t find out where I hid those batteries!)
Do you have a workout buddy–you know someone who goes to the gym with you and pushes you when you feel like quitting? I used to. But that was three years and twenty-five pounds ago when I lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My friend Pauline and I would go to the YMCA every morning at 5 a.m. We took turns driving and we got to know each other pretty well. So well in fact, that she knew that there was no talking to me before I had at least three large sips of my coffee! (To say I’m not a morning person is an understatement!!) But, Pauline and I grew accostomed to each other’s early morning habits and we became great workout buddies.
Once we arrived at the Y, Pauline and I would head downstairs to the group fitness room. Once inside we’d grab exercise steps for our step class or our kick bags and weighted gloves for kick-boxing sessions.
Alas, since moving back to Wisconsin in June of 2005, I haven’t had a workout buddy quite like Pauline. At first I blamed it on my 3 hour round trip commute into Madison from my home in Sullivan each day. Then, seven months ago I took a job much closer to home. And, while my one way commute has gone from 75 minutes to 25 minutes, and there is a workout facility right across the road from my new office, I have yet to visit it or attend a fitness class there (or anywhere else for that matter).
Seeing my recent struggle to lose the nagging pounds that have plagued me this thirtysix plus months, my husband offered to be my new workout buddy. Well, that’s went okay for awhile. Then one of use would have a stressful day at work and instead of exercising, we’d grab a libation of one sort or another and head for the easy chairs in front of our fireplace. We were beginning to settle into a routine alright, but it wasn’t one that promoted weight loss!
Then, something happened three weeks ago. The Wisconsin weather turned for the better, and my new workout buddy and I renewed our exercise committment to each other. Now, we either walk or bicycle everyday (weather permitting). My new workout buddy and I are feeling better and we’re enjoying this new found time together to be invigorating.
Yeah, I still miss Pauline and the girls from my step class a lot. (I wonder what my husband would look like in pink spandex doing Jazzercise moves? LOL!)
Okay, I got on the scale this morning and I’ve actually gained weight. I’ve been trying so hard!! What’s going on? I think I know-I’m a food lover! I just can’t help myself. And one of my all-time favorite places to go for a good casual meal is the Yard House. My husband and I discovered the place when we visited Oahu last November. It was right down the sidewalk from our hotel. The food was so good! In fact of the 10 nights we were there, we ended up eating there most of those nights. In addition to the great food, they play fun music and have 100s of choices of draft ales and lagers (another diet downfall of mine).
One of my favorites at the Yard House are the Firecracker Wings. I even asked for the recipe but was told, “It’s a secret.” Well, after a bit of searching, I found a recipe that comes very close:
Talie’s Firecracker Wings
2 large garlic cloves
1 ½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp hoisin sauce
4 Tbsp mild honey
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
2 dashes of cayenne
3 lb chicken wings *
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions (green part only), finely sliced
(* I like to use drummies/wingettes. If you use wings, cut off and discard the tips from chicken wings with a large knife and half the wings at joint before cooking.)
Put oven rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and lightly oil the foil. Use additional pans if needed. Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a large bowl and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Add wings/wingettes to sauce, stirring to coat. Arrange wings/wingettes in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wings to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion. Serve immediately.
Give it a try and let me know if this is one of the reasons I’m struggling to drop those nagging 25lbs!
I recently spoke to my physician about my weight-loss goals. She expressed that in addition to monitoring caloric intake, that it’s important to find a workout regime that include weight training. I admitted to her that I had been slacking off a lot.
I told her how good I had felt a few years ago when I was working out 5x a week. We also talked about a workout buddy system and personal trainers, both of which I’ve had in the past. My personal trainer was a young guy named Joe. Joe was the quarterback on Coe College’s football team and was assigned to me through a personal training course. But that was several years ago when I worked and lived in Iowa.
Quite frankly, my doctor told me to start eating healthier foods, find a workout buddy and regime, and to stop making excuses. She also referred me to the American Heart Association’s website for weights to improve my fitness level with weight training.
Well, I logged onto to http://www.americanheart.org/ and found an article weight lifiting and middle-aged wonene. Apparently, “women who lift weights twice a week can prevent or at least slow middle-aged spread. Their study of overweight and obese women found that strength training dramatically reduces icreases in abdominal fat compared to similar women who merely received advice about exercise. The women in the two-year weight-training program decreased body fat percentage by 3.7 percent, while body fat percentage remained stable in the controls. The strength training reduced intra-abdominal fat, which is more closely associated with heart disease and metabolic disturbances. More specifically, the women who did strength training experienced a 7 percent increase in intra-abdominal fat compared to a 21 percent increase in intra-abdominal fat among controls, a difference of 15 percentage points.
One of the most frigthening thoughts noted from the article was that you’re considered obese when you have a BMI over 25. My doctor mentioned that my BMI was too high for my height and age but I didn’t hear a number. And, now I’m afraid to call back.
Okay, haulin’ my butt out of bed almost an hour earlier every week day is a drag! However, I do have to admit that I feel better and my pants are beginning to feel a little looser. I’ve lost only a couple of pounds but I convinced myself it’s because I’m gaining muscle mass and muscle weighs more than fat. (Yeah, right?!)
I was so proud of myself for losing a couple of pounds, until I talked with a coworker at a training session yesterday afternoon. She’s about my age, has teenage kids, at home and is juggling work, family, and fitness. She’s lost 50 pounds!! We talked about how easy it is to get off track and fall back into the bad habit of not exercising regularly. We’re both convinced our exercise regimes will be better once all this d*&n snow melts and we can get outside and walk during our lunch breaks. (Good thing UW-W isn’t closer to McDonald’s or Culver’s. Because if it were, I could see us walking there during our breaks for a “bite” to eat instead of walking for exercise!!)
My 23 year old son who recently returned home from a 4 year stint in the Army and who is a UW-Whitewater student has agreed to be my workout buddy if I pay his membership to the fitness center here on campus. I sure hope he’s not thinking of putting me through some boot-camp like regimen! My stomach muscles already ache from the few sit-ups I do each morning before I jump in the shower!
Last night I experienced a full moon, hormone fluctuations, and chocolate cravings. SO, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and ate half of the cookie dough before I could get the cookies baked. I was so sick I couldn’t even get up early to do my little morning exercise routine I recently readopted. And, needless to say I won’t be getting on the scale tomorrow for my weekly weigh-in. #*($!
Work, school, homework, family obligations, housework, work, school, homework, family obligations, housework. Ugghh! When am I supposed to find time to exercise? How can I justify not making the time to exercise? I need to make a re-commitment to myself. My typical size 8-10 frame has expanded to a 12-14. I have no energy, none of my clothes fit, and I feel miserable!! I’ve got to do something!!!
So, I set my alarm for 45 minutes earlier than normal–5:15 A.M. instead of 6:00. And, just as I was settling into some delectable REM sleep, the annoying little buzzer on that damned alarm clock went off. I hit the snooze button. Nine minutes later, the same annoying buzzing sound. Then reality struck! Today was the day I promised myself I’d pull my ever-increasing sized arse out of bed and perform my morning exercise routine–the same routine I abandoned two and a half years ago when my family moved back to Wisconsin from Iowa. Yep, today was the day. No more excuses of I’m too busy, too tired, too this, too that.
After struggling with 25 crunches (I used to be able to get in 50 before I even began to think about ‘feeling it’), I launched into an upper arm workout and was horribly dismayed that I could only perform twelve push-ups and I had to exchange the 7 pound weights for 5 pounders. My ‘break’ from exercising had turned into a stint of 30 months of not doing much of anything for my body and boy was I paying the price!!
Hi. Welcome to my Blog. This is where I’ll be sharing thoughts about juggling fitness, family, work, and life. So, jump off the hamster-wheel of your chaotic life and join me on the elyptical machine as we sweat our way to a healthier, less stress-filled life!