The older I get the harder it is to keep the weight off. I just keep getting fatter!
The fact of the matter is that as we age we generally become more sedentary, our metabolism slows, and our eating and drinking habits deteriorate.
We also tend to treat everyone else better than ourselves.
At work we tend to everyone else’s needs – but neglect our own. It is like the painter who does a fantastic job of painting everyone else’s house, – only to come home to his own home, which is neglected – because he simply feels he does not have the time to attend to it.
When you come home you are too tired to do anything so you head for the fridge and the TV to relax. Given multinational food corporations obsession with sugar, you probably indulge in high caloric foods and drinks, with plenty of sugar laced throughout.
As we get older, hormones also start to kick in and run amuck. If you’re a woman, you’re probably dealing with what is known as perimenopause, or a decrease in estrogen. Hormonal changes also make you hungrier.
The production of Cortisol, a stress hormone, increases. You may find you are not sleeping well and this is reducing your level of energy when you get up the next day.
You will also lose some lean muscle mass. You are probably not as physically active as you used to be and may be starting to feel some aches and pains. Less calories burned so fat cells increase and grow.
There will no doubt be significant psychological forces at play. As we age, we might also think of ourselves as less attractive, or we may find that there is no need to impress our partner any more or we may feel that if we start working on our appearance more, our partner will think there is a third party in the picture.
We may also feel that we just don’t have the energy we used to have when we were in our teenage years and early 20s.
It seems that as we age, Anxiety and Depression raise their ugly heads amongst an alarming number of people. This may stem from work, friends, family or partner. Our mental health has a direct impact on physical health and well-being.
So, there are plenty of things working against you.
The problem of course is – what are the consequences of doing nothing. All you have to do is look at people in their 50s, 60s and 70s and beyond. The quality of your life is going to be determined by the decisions you make about your health now.
It is simply too hard to do it alone as you have too many forces working against you.
This is why The Weight Program takes a team approach, and focuses not just on diet and activity – but on the psychological and emotional states of each person – and through Strategic Intervention Counselling – works with you to combat and overcome these forces – so that you can become healthier and happier for years to come.
