Keeping in shape when we were teenagers was so easy. No matter how much we ate, it seemed like there was no way our bodies would ever get out of shape. Honestly, we thought it would last this way forever but sadly, age caught up with us and our metabolism started to dip like crazy.
Weight gain as we age is not uncommon. In fact, all of us have to experience it one way or another. You will realize that more effort is needed to keep ourselves in shape and you put on weight even if you have only consumed half of what used to be a small meal. A sad and cruel reality of life, but there are always ways to get around it.
One way is to control our diet.
So many of us want to get back the body we had when we were younger but we have no idea how we can achieve it without consuming so little food, we lose consciousness. Controlling your diet does not mean eating tiny amounts of food and starving. It means watching the things you put in your mouth and being conscious of the amount of certain foods we eat. For example, if you are the type who needs some form of a dessert after a meal, you can opt for yoghurt or perhaps some high cacao chocolate instead of an ice-cream. Fast food should be a once in awhile kind of food and your diet will have to consist of more vegetables, fruits, grains and lean meat. There will be some sacrifices but it will be worth it.
A second way is to exercise regularly.
Remember how we used to be able to keep slim even after consuming McDonald’s three nights in a row and going to bed almost immediately? It’s not going to work anymore and you know it. So, another way we can maintain a healthy weight is keep to a regular exercise regime. Three to four times a week is a good number, for 30 to 45 minutes each time. It doesn’t matter whether you do yoga or kickboxing, all that matters is that you are working out and burning.
But while we eat clean and exercise, we have to keep in mind that we need to be healthy too. As we age, our bodies require different amounts of certain vitamins and minerals and we need to be conscious of that. Depriving your body of iron and calcium is going to wreck havoc in your bones and blood levels in the long run and you know what happens when your bones buckle? You have to stop exercising. And weight gain happens. We have to always be mindful of the fact that we are not getting any younger and give our body what it needs to function at its peak, regardless of our age.
