One of the most difficult aspects of this life journey for many people is keeping themselves fit and maintaining their weight as they age. I’ve experienced these difficulties myself for years. I went from a young man who seemingly couldn’t gain weight (no matter what I ate or how little I exercised) to a middle aged man struggling with a bursting mid-section and the inability to walk up a couple of flights of stairs without having to take deep breaths. Having once been a fitness trainer (as a man in my early 20s) who was paid to help other people overcome these challenges I thought that somehow I’d be immune from middle age weight gain and loss of cardiovascular ability. I was not.
Over the years I’ve taken action to keep my weight under control and stay in shape (as they say) in terms of cardiovascular ability. These things are important for a couple of great reasons. First, studies have shown that people who limit excess weight live longer and have fewer health problems. Second, improved cardiovascular ability contributes to an active and fulfilling quality of life. Neither of the prior reasons have anything to do with vanity. They’re practical aspects of life. Some people may simply think, “I don’t care about my weight or cardiovascular ability.” Because there are people who enjoy a sedentary lifestyle where they can eat what they want. That’s their right, but it’s also their funeral. What about the rest of us? Those who want to do their best to live a long and active life. There is a basic prescription that can move you in the right direction health wise and that’s what this post is about.
Disclaimer: What follows is not specific advice for anyone in terms of a diet and exercise plan. Consider it documentation of my experience. Always consult a physician or other health professional when making changes to your diet or exercise regimen.
I have distilled my simple philosophy of attaining better health into three basic priorities as follows. Eat less. Eat better. Move more. I detailed my own personal experience losing weight (10 pounds specifically) back in 2023. Since then I’ve gained back a few pounds but then rededicated myself to keeping my weight in check by focusing on the three aforementioned priorities. Granted that these priorities will offer varying results depending on your age, genetics and personal health situation. Still, if you’re a reasonably healthy person without serious limitations then considering these priorities can’t hurt.
Eating less. Let’s face it. In modern society in the developed world eating has become less of a necessity and more of a habit. I know that when I’m not actively engaged in an activity that requires a lot of attention I tend to think about snacking between meals. The stress of work and life is another well known driver of food consumption that goes beyond a need to stave off hunger. The amount of food we eat can also be driven by social considerations. When I worked in an office every work day it seemed like there was always extra food in the break room that precipitated a gathering of people and I know that would attract me to join the group. Often we don’t want to be seen as the loner who sits at their desk when everyone is gathering for a few minutes. Similarly, I’ve been in plenty of business situations where there has been a happy hour or dinner that I was expected to attend for business purposes. Those are situations where you look out of place if you’re not eating along with everyone else. Family events or parties tend to be similar. I know that in my family food was equated with love. The message was always, “Eat more.” My mom and grandma would get upset if they didn’t think their kids were eating enough. And so over consumption of food can be wired into our brains from an early age.
Breaking the habit of over eating is a tough task. As with any bad habit recognizing that it’s a bad habit is the first step towards improvement. The times when you’re alone and eating are easier to approach I believe. Usually that’s at home. At home the two best techniques I’ve discovered for limiting consumption are as follows. First, stop buying the things that you eat but really don’t need to be eating. These are usually snack foods that you like to munch on between meals. If you don’t have them around then you won’t consume them. It’s that simple. Second, resolve to portion your food out when you cook at home. Even when we eat well there’s a tendency to eat more than is necessary. Try weighing food on a small scale or using measuring cups to limit how much you cook. The guidelines for what portions are best will vary from person to person so this will involve some experimentation. Trying limiting your portions and cutting back on your snacking certainly can’t hurt your health.
The final thing I’ll say about eating less has to do with eating out and ordering in. When we eat out and order food in the portions tend to be more than we need. I say do it less. And when you do eat out or order in don’t be shy about saving some of the food for later. Another technique that I’ve used successfully when on a dinner date is asking my date from the start if they’d mind sharing a couple of plates instead of ordering separately. This might not be comfortable for everyone but it’s certainly worth trying.
Eating better. Our faster paced, stressful lives have created a situation where people often eat for convenience rather than considering their health. The fact is that in modern society we’re eating more food (a lot more) that is processed and contains ingredients that aren’t as nutrient rich as our body needs. Moving food consumption from processed foods that are high in sugar, salt and/or fat to more natural foods that are filled with nutrients is undoubtedly an important factor in achieving an ideal weight and improving our overall health. One of the challenges people face in this area has to do with interpreting the messaging of food companies with regard to their products. There are brands that have instilled the words smart, better or good (for example) into their products in an effort to make those products a default choice for people. The messaging works! The truth is though that if a food is packaged and processed it can’t be better than something that is natural. I know that I still consume processed food so I’m not saying that a 100% move to natural foods is an answer. But a move of some of your food consumption (recognizing that each person has different dietary restrictions) to natural foods can’t hurt.
I’m no expert on natural foods but I will say that for me it comes down to simple choices. Such as, instead of buying the frozen, breaded and seasoned chicken parts I’ll buy fresh chicken breasts or tenders from the butcher section of the grocery store. Or I’ll buy a salmon steak from the fish section instead of the pre-seasoned and pre-cooked frozen packages of fish. I don’t buy canned or frozen vegetables. I get them fresh from the produce section. Ditto for fruits. These are simple choices. The thing that can be challenging is to get used to consuming foods that are fresh and have less sodium. The flavors are different and the food may not seem as satisfying as processed food is. In terms of fresh foods I recommend trying different ones and also experiment with your own seasonings. I understand that for many people time is a factor when it comes to nutrition which is why ordering in or buying pre-cooked frozen foods at the store have become so popular. I can’t solve that problem in this post, but I will ask you one question. How important is it for you to improve your health (and perhaps the health of your family) so that you can live a long and fulfilling life?
Moving more. The third thing that has a major effect on our health as we age is the amount of movement we do. In the modern age most people have become a lot more sedentary. Everyone I know these days works a desk job, where most hours of the day are spent sitting at a desk working on a computer. As a result many people, myself included, don’t have enough movement built into their work day to sustain good health. Which means that in order to sustain good health people need to be deliberate about moving their bodies to improve their health. I’m not going to go too far into specifics here because that can get complicated. Things like walking, jogging, basic calisthenics or light weight bearing exercises are all possible, and necessary, for most people to maintain their health. Two points of difficulty for people in this area are time and motivation. It’s up to each of us to carve out a bit of time (as little as 30 minutes 3 times per week is a good start) and to motivate ourselves to move more. As with the above priority I’ll ask a question. How important is it to you to have a healthy, strong body as you move into your later years? One reason it’s important to me is that I feel like I have a lot more traveling to do in the world and traveling is just simply easier when one is fit and healthy. Do take time to think of the reasons improved health and fitness could benefit your life, now and in the future.
Of the types of movement I mentioned above walking is the most fundamental and also the most accessible. I walk 4-5 times per week weather permitting. I don’t say time permitting because I’ve committed to making the time. I watch less TV. I don’t spend much time following the latest drama or offering the world updates on social networks. I do make time to write and explore different ideas I have about this journey we call life. But I always make sure I’ve gotten my walk, or other exercise, in each week. I do take days off when I’m very tired or not feeling well. Those are the exception for me and not the rule. Why? Because I’m committed. Assuming your general health situation allows for it (and I understand that for some people it doesn’t) moving more can be a great benefit to your overall health and can even contribute to a positive mental attitude. Why not try it?
General health in this journey we call life is something I plan to go into a bit deeper in future posts. Not too deep mind you. I’m not any kind of a health professional. I’ll repeat from the disclaimer above that the best specific advice for you should come from a licensed health professional. At the very least think more about your health and the things that you can do to improve it so the future looks and feels much brighter. All the best to you in your journey!
In The Midst Of A Journey 