Fitness Myths and Facts

There are some myths out there around diet and exercise. One of these myths is that we gain body fat as we age and that this is an inevitable fact. While our metabolism does slow down slightly after age 40, the reason that we see people gaining weight after age 40 is not because they are aging. The reason is that those who are gaining weight after 40 do so because they decrease or have no exercise in their life. This will lead to a decrease in muscle mass and an increase in fat mass over time. Incidentally, this decrease in muscle mass and exercise also resulting in a decrease in bone strength as well.

The less muscle mass and bone mass that we have, the fewer calories that we need. Most people do not decrease their caloric intake until they reach their late 80s or 90s. It's interesting, that most people who live into their 90s are not particularly obese. This is because if they were obese earlier in their life and did not do anything about it, they don't live into their 90s.

So to live longer, you want to live stronger. Start now to increase your metabolism with some resistance training at least 2-3 times a week. This will help ward off the osteoporosis issue and increase the muscle mass. Be sure to work all the major muscle groups, legs, arms, back chest and shoulder. Remember that the area that the body tends to deposit fat as we age is in the middle or abdominal area, so keeping this area strong will do a great deal to help you live long and strong.

Metabolic Types and Stress

Two other factors that affect your weight loss and or gain and your diet is your metabolic type and the amount of stress in your life. There are those of us out there who are the sports cars and those who are trucks. You have to match the gas with the vehicle. Or in other words match your food with your internal metabolism.

Stress plays a factor here also in that stress produces cortisol and we know that cortisol increases belly fat. Cortisol also leads to carbohydrate craving which adds to your problem. Look for ways to reduce your stress and thereby your cortisol levels.

Best Diet Tips #5

Have you ever hit that plateau where you just can't lose any further weight? This is a problem for most dieters, which is one reason I say to just stay off of the scale except for once a month. You will have some weight gain at times, it happens.

Be aware of how your clothes are fitting. If they are beginning to be snug on you, look at how much you are eating. One of the very best ways to help you lose weight is to eat 6-8 very small meals a day. Not only will this help your blood sugar levels, but you will never get that ravenously hungry feeling. You'll be amazed at how the pounds will drop off.

#7 Healthy Habit

Managing your weight is the last habit to get into. We all know that if you are over weight you are more likely to develop disease.

The National Institutes of Health have actually shown that waist circumference is a strong predictor of mortality. Men with a waist greater than 44 inches women with a waist greater than 41 inches have a 25% higher mortality rate.

So watch that waist line and what you're eating!

Increasing Obesity

I feel the need to caution everyone against obesity during these hard economic times. The tendency to buy cheaper foods may result in an increase in weight gain. As you know, the increase in weight gain leads to more illness.

This isn't the only problem with increasing obesity during tough economic times. There is an increase in stress during these times which will cause the release of cortisol which causes an increase of the fat stores especially around the abdomen.

The word here is to be cautious about not only what you are eating but what your children are eating as well.

Vitamin C Deficiency

Here are some of the signs and symptoms you might experience if you are not getting enough Vitamin C.

Some of these you may be familiar with, like bleeding gums, gingivitis and weakened tooth enamel. You may also experience dry and splitting hair, rough dry and scaling skin, easy bruising, nosebleeds and anemia.

Swollen painful joints and the inability to fight off infection and inflammation are related to the weakened immune system, which requires Vitamin C.

There is also the possibility that you will gain weight because of a slowed metabolism related to a low level of Vitamin C.

My best advice is be sure you're eating foods with natural vitamin C and if you're not eating many of those, be sure you supplement with Vitamin C.

Slow Down and Enjoy You Food

For the holiday, slow down your eating. In other words take more time to eat and really enjoy what you're eating. By eating slowly, you are likely to eat less. This also gives your brain time to turn off the "hunger" button and you are less likely to feel too full or like you've eaten too much.

If you have a fast eater, you are likely to consume more food because your brain doesn't tell you you're full until after you've eaten way too much. So just take it easy and really enjoy what you are eating.

The side benefit here is that you get to eat some of those favorite foods and you may actually consume less and not gain weight through the holiday!

Feeling Good with Serotonin

More on Serotonin here. You may be aware of serotonin by the initials that are sometime used to refer to it's chemical structure. Serotonin is 5-HT. Many weight loss programs refer to having 5-HT in their product. One of the things that Serotonin does is to help regulate appetite. It's really not clear if this is a direct action or if by alleviating some depressive symptoms the individual actually eats less. Many individuals with depression eat more than usual and gain weight.

If you think about it, feeling good about yourself does not make you want to eat more. Not feeling good, can definitely make you want to eat more in the hopes that food will make you feel better.

So what can we eat to help promote serotonin production? More on this tomorrow.