Crucial Tips for Women Losing Weight Over 50

Get a yoga mat, correct size exercise ball and commit to a doctor-approved workout.

What a surprise to discover that this Sacramento Realtor is actually a wealth of practical knowledge for women losing weight over 50. My manicurist, Rosa, started complaining about her weight during my visit on Friday. She grabbed a roll of fat on her stomach and with a disgusted tone moaned, “Look at this!” Her shirt that used to fit no longer fit; it was too tight. Being the compassionate person that I am, I tried to comfort her. Ha, I said, that’s nothing. In another 10 years you’re gonna discover that fat has crept around to your back and taken up residence over your ribs. Fat travels. Never before in my entire life have I seen a ripple of fat on my back.

Goodbye silk dresses. Rosa’s mouth fell open. I pressed on.

You will have so much MORE to complain about 10 years from now. Be thankful for that little roll of fat. Wait until your entire stomach turns into an alien blob, shaking from side to side like an earthquake in that massage chair. Rosa appreciates my advice as we are about 10 years apart in age.

I warned, most important, don’t even THINK about getting a Fitbit, Rosa. She looked surprised. How did I know she was thinking about that? Because every person on the face of the planet wears a Fitbit. But don’t buy one. You will only be sorry. It will make you cry and feel bad about yourself. A Fitbit causes sheer misery. Do you want to turn into a one-woman pity party? Do you want to be sad and depressed all of the time?

This is the reason. A few years ago, the so-called experts sharing tips for women losing weight over 50 set the standard of minimum number of steps per day humans should do. Walking around like a normal person? No longer allowed in society. Those guys insisted that you achieve 5,000 daily steps. Then, all of a sudden, Fitbit came on the scene. Fitbit measures your activity and you wear it on your wrist. Fitbit pushed the envelope to 10,000 steps per day. However, just a few days ago, I saw an advertisement for some other exercise thing that promotes 15,000 steps per day.

There is no stopping this madness. When you look at your Fitbit at the end of the day and it announces your steps have amounted to a measly 130 steps for the day, you will feel miserable. Just don’t buy the damn thing. Save yourself a world of grief. Problem solved.

Besides, if you really want to know how many steps you do a day, you can look at your iPhone. I showed her the heart app. This was news to her. Didn’t even realize she had that app. Of course, the downside is you have to carry your phone everywhere, which I do, so it’s no downside to me. I only look at when I’ve walked a few miles. Which is maybe once a month.

Further, the really depressing news is you have to give up cookies, butter, sugar and bacon. I eat like a mouse most of the time. My total caloric intake is probably around 1,200 calories a day. For nutritional food. The problem that pops up is everything else that passes through your lips. The stuff that is not food. For example, when you want to enjoy a glass or two of wine with dinner. Maybe a Scotch at bedtime. You must choose between your liquid diet and your food diet. Which means obviously a woman has to consider the ramifications of not eating food at all anymore.

Moderation? Not a rational choice.

You also need to exercise more. No way around it. Do yoga, stretching exercises, work those core muscles. Or one day you will squat down to get your mail out of the mail slot at the office, and you won’t be able to get back up. You’ll just be stuck there on the floor. My physical therapist wants me to do this at least 3 days a week, but I can’t do that. Because that means there are 4 days a week that I’m not exercising. If I give myself permission not to exercise every other day, it’s way too easy to give my self a break the next day and the day after that. Before I know it, I’ve extended that moratorium to 7 days a week. No more exercising.

You need a routine. Get into the habit of doing exercises every single day. Set aside the time and just do it. No excuses. You can’t ever stop. Because if you do, you’ll head straight downhill to hell in a hand basket. Or, maybe my best tip for women losing weight over 50 is to change your attitude about what you will accept? Ha, ha. See? Also, not a reality. I focus on “women” losing weight over 50, not men, because my husband went on a diet, and he lost weight eating PIZZA. I hate that.

Rosa mentioned she bought a treadmill. I chuckled: “Be careful it doesn’t turn into a coat rack.” She exploded into laughter. Customers at the nail salon were staring at us. How did I know this about her, she asked. Yes, she admitted to drying laundry on it. When you get to be 65, you know a lot of things. There is no fast-track 2-week diet to lose weight and keep it off. It’s a long process. A lifestyle. You either commit or you drink single-malt Scotch. Damn. Choices.

Well, there is that tasting menu at Saison coming up in a few weeks . . . That’s like Thanksgiving to me, only no icky yams. You can gain 3 pounds at Thanksgiving. Are you aware of that fact?