Like many people, my weight has yo-yo’d throughout my adult life. As I neared my fiftieth birthday, I was certain it would get harder to keep a check on it. The truth is though that weight management can be conquered by anyone! I am now lighter at fifty one than I was at thirty one.
My ‘secret’ is keeping my blood sugar levels stable. I used to hanker after something sweet as my energy sapped around late afternoon. And so my solution was to eat a handful of biscuits or a piece of cake. This then just added to the increasing store of fat around my middle!
And it appears that when fat gathers in the visible places, it’s also attaching itself to hidden areas such as the heart and the arteries. So now I’ve evened out my blood sugar level, and I rarely feel tired or overly hungry. I’m surviving the symptoms of the menopause more easily now too! But the best thing for me is enjoying a great night’s sleep.
The main change I’ve made to is to eat smaller meals, and eat them more often. When I was overweight, I’d miss out on meals thinking it would lead to less calories overall. Then by 7pm each night, I’d sit down and eat more than the rest of the day put together.
I ought to have been taking in modest sized ‘meals’ several times a day. Our metabolic rate peaks around the middle of the day, and slows down rapidly after that. That’s why we must focus on a good breakfast and two or three light meals during the day.
Sitting down to have breakfast is now top of my list every morning. Food quality is important to me, and portion size. I never put more food in than the gut can reasonably take, and visualise it being the size of a small melon.
I try to make lunch the biggest meal of the day, and keep grain to a minimum. By late afternoon, a small snack is now all I need take me through to a small evening meal. I eat lots of green and colourful veggies, and always have a protein source with each portion.
The right types of fat should still be included in our diet – this is especially important for good health. Nuts and seeds are highly calorific, but great eaten in moderation.
Lastly – and this has certainly assisted my weight loss – I’ve minimised the glasses of wine I drink each week. The high temperatures I was experiencing are a rarity now – a benefit of less alcohol I think! Have I found it difficult? Not when I think of all the benefits it brings. I’m carrying less weight, have more energy, a clearer and brighter skin, less hormonal challenges – oh, and better sex too!
(C) Scott Edwards. Navigate to WeightLossDietWar.com for intelligent advice on reduce weight and diet pill.
