HOW TO STAY ON TOP OF THE WEIGHT CONTROL GAME

I truly believe that the one invention that has helped America become more obese over time is the elasticized waistband. Think about it. A set in waist band is uncomfortable when we overeat or gain a few inches on our waistline. Yup! Weight gain on our waistline is uncomfortable. Rather than pare back, cut back and down size or eating, we simply unbutton our pants under our shirt under the table and keep eating. We’ve all done it. Then, we start replacing those set in waist band pants and skirts with elasticized versions in the same size. It’s a trick. It may be the same number size but it’s not the same. Elasticized waistlines allow us to continue to over eat.

You may think this line of thinking is strange but I’ve taught this to my students in The Mona Roberts Exercise Camps over the years.  I remind my students not to weigh themselves but to monitor how loose their clothes become and to get rid of all elasticized waist clothes (except for that on exercise attire). They are to buy clothes with set in waists that fit them for that time. Once they lose weight they are to have the clothes taken in and eventually replace them with smaller sizes.

Another way to monitor excess weight is to look at your face in the mirror the first thing in the morning. You’re looking to see if you can see something I call SPF (sodium poofy face). When we overeat and gain weight, our faces show the excess water weight gained from all the sodium in our diets. Rings, watches and shoes get tighter. These are red flags to cut back, start exercising and to change our lifestyles. Some of my students tell me that they refuse to get their pictures taken or to look in mirrors. Why be in denial? We know we’re uncomfortable and are not happy with ourselves. We know that your last physical showed that we must start eating healthier. Yet, many of us convince ourselves that we don’t need to or that we will change after the holidays, or after 4^th of July, or after vacation. Every time we put off changing our lifestyles we further stress your arteries and organs. Our older over fifties bodies just can’t take much anymore. Don’t you think that we’ve eaten more than enough turkey legs at Thanksgiving over our lifetimes? Haven’t we had more t-bone steaks, loaded baked potatoes and French fries than we need? We won’t miss them. Let’s try substituting high fat food with healthier food that are lower in sodium. We won’t miss that rich food. Many times we are hungry because we fill our bodies with food that has NO nutrients. Yup, we eat food with no nutrients. Chips, sodas, hot dogs, hamburgers, cookies, lunchables and desserts are all food with little to no nutrients. It’s hard to get full on this type of diet because it is calorie dense and nutrient poor. The body that is given nutrient rich food will be satisfied. Choose fresh veggies, whole grain products, fresh crunchy fruit and citrus fruit, lean cuts of chicken and turkey, extra lean cuts of beef if you must, and if you should ever want a second helping of anything, make it vegetables only. Many times our bodies continue to signal hunger because our bodies still lack vitamins and minerals and want us to eat more to get the nutrients still missing.

So let’s all hang in there. Let’s select one healthier snack and/or healthier meal a day. This healthier journey is possible with many perks along the way. We’ll have a happier outlook, nicer attitude and noticeable increased energy. Email me any questions and let me know how you’re doing in your weight control game. You can do this!

 

Mona Roberts is a teacher, motivator and fitness and wellness specialist. To learn more about Mona, you can reach her at her Website http://www.monaroberts.com