Move It Or Lose It Over 50
The Scoop
Hey gang! Well, it is the first Monday in February and I am ready for it! I love new beginnings, even the beginnings of each new week. With new beginnings I think about what I want to do to make my life fresh, purposeful and fun! This month I want to really focus on fitness. I’m not talking about losing weight but about finding a balance between a happy life and being fit. For me being fit equates with my happiness.
Anyway long story short, I am going to look at my fitness journey over the last couple of years and see how it has evolved. I am doing these posts for myself as much as anything because they give me direction, keep motivated and held accountable. I hope you will follow along and share your thoughts as well!
Note: If you’re not into the fitness posts don’t worry I will be doing my regular fashion and lifestyle posts mixed right in with the fitness.
MOVE IT OR LOSE IT
Nothing much has changed for me regarding this phrase. Science supports it. If you don’t stay active you lose the ability to be active. This varies in degrees depending on many things like genetics, current health, lifestyle and much more.
I’ll start this series by answering frequently asked questions regarding my age, diet, and activities. You can see how it has changed or evolved from a couple of summers ago when I did a series of Move It Or Lose It posts by going here and scrolling down to my first post on June 24, 2017. Or you can go to the top of this page under Home and click on Health & Beauty. And now let’s get crackin’!
FAQ
1. How old are you?
I am 58.
2. How much do you weigh?
My weight usually runs between 120 and 125.
4. How tall are you?
Exactly 5’ 4 & 3/4”. I round to 5’5”
5. How do you stay fit?
I was raised by a very active dad and a mom who taught me the importance of taking care of my body. My mom taught me about healthy eating and the importance of not smoking. So it has always been a part of my life. She never gave us sugar or sodas and I am grateful because I still have every tooth I was born with.
My diet is not rigid so when I say I do something I mean, most of the time. Maybe 80% of the time. I don't beat myself up too much if do something out of line with what I think is healthy. To me, being happy is the most important thing to staying healthy. If I deprived myself of foods I loved I would be truly unhappy.
I love to cook and eat. I try to eat less meat which is not too difficult because I don't think meat has much flavor on its own. It is what you put on it that gives it flavor. I love all fruits and vegetables. I love nuts, grains, beans, etc. I used to love bread but have learned to tone it down. Maybe a slice of whole grain now and then. When I do pasta which is not too often I do whole grain also. We eat very little sugar and use only olive or avocado oil for cooking. Here is a typical day for me.
Breakfast: I eat late in the morning around 10 or 11 AM most days. My two favorite breakfasts are scrambled eggs with spinach, tomato and avocado or a bowl of steel cut oats with banana, honey, peanut butter and almond milk . I also like mixed berries with wheat germ and walnuts in Greek yogurt for a really quick meal.
My breakfasts are varied most usually, thinking is it good for my body. I love a doughnut but can’t stand the logy feeling it gives me when I am done. I also am very careful about portions. Too much of even healthy food makes be feel bloated and sleepy while my body tries to digest.
Lunch: My favorite lunch is to make a dip using 1/4 cup of cottage cheese mixed with 1/4 cup homemade salsa. I dip organic corn chips (from Costco) in it. I'm addicted to this right now! Just about 1/2 cup each mixed really fills me up and I don’t get sleepy.
Snack: I try not to snack but when I do it is fruits, nuts, seeds. They are so good for us and I love them. Sometimes I have a treat by taking a couple of dates and filling them with goat cheese. I die! I do eat cheese, I just try to watch my portions.
Dinner: It varies but we often mix a can of beans (any kind, but we like black or cannelloni) a can of chopped tomatoes ( I prefer fire roasted tomatoes) onion, garlic, jalapenos or some other heat and chopped roasted organic chicken breast. It is fast, easy, filling and delicious! At least a couple of nights a week we will have a burger or home made pizza. I love to make my own crust and pizza which keeps it more healthy. We eat a lot of salads too. I make lots of healthy soups. I also don’t eat after 6:30 or 7 PM. I will write about why in future post.
Exercise: I have always been active. It is hard for me to sit long. I have walked, lifted weights, practiced yoga, ran, hiked, etc. I started running in my mid-40s and loved it so much that I still do it.
I currently am doing fartlek runs where I run fast five minutes then walk or jog two minutes then run five again, and so on. I do this for 30 minutes. This is when I am in Phoenix. When I am at our mountain home I do trail runs on a mountain trail that’s just outside our door for two miles. We live at a 5,300 foot elevation and the trails are fairly rugged and up and down hill so two miles is quite a work out. I do these runs two to three times a week. On the other days I either walk 3+ miles or do a one a hour hike at a local mountain. I really do something every day but once in a while I take a day off. These workouts are not easy for me, I get tired in a way that I didn’t when I was younger but they are fun! My husband does all the walks and hikes with me.
Sleep: I want to add this because I feel it is so important. I know not everyone can just fall asleep and stay asleep but I do and I sleep most nights between seven and nine hours. I think all the exercise helps with my sleep.
So this is my normal routine as of now. Like I said I hit this mark 80% of the time so it is not perfect but who needs perfect? Stay tuned for my next post where I will be talking about “ Moving Is The Thing”
Excerpt: “For the over fifty crowd, common sense and, increasingly, scientific research suggests that constant use will retain our physical capabilities and form. Once lost, however, it may be difficult or impossible to regain former capabilities.“
Thanks for stopping by!
Peace!