FOOD IS YOUR FRIEND… JUST DON’T GET TOO CLOSE
Ageing creeps up slowly. You’ll be watching a film and suddenly thinking, ‘He’s dead’ or ‘What’s her name again?’ But if you are in the 60-plus age group you’re in good company because it’s the fastest-growing demographic of our time. Never before has the phase of later life had the potential to be so long and fruitful.
I think we’re all a little deluded about our age depending on our mood and whether or not we’ve had a good night’s sleep. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, ‘You know what? You don’t look bad.’ Other times, particularly after a late night that included some sugary dessert, the same mirror shows a raddled, puffy old hag with lines and wrinkles that definitely weren’t there the day before. The key is trying to make the most of what you do still have, whenever you can.
Being old now has its advantages, such as free bus travel and cheaper cinema tickets. You get to a stage where other people’s opinions just don’t matter as much. You understand what’s important in life and what isn’t. You make your choices and take responsibility for them and if other people don’t like them, well tough. If you aren’t in good health then it’s difficult to think young. But if you are healthy then we need to find ways to extend those healthy years and be as free from pain and illness for as long as possible.
Between the ages of 40 and 55, the average woman gains up to 15lb, and it continues to creep up during the ensuing years. This is partly to do with the menopause and the decrease in metabolism that comes with ageing – but I think it can also begin earlier with the weight gain of pregnancy.
If you do need to lose some weight, though, please be sensible. The worst time to start a diet is 1 January when there are still some mince pies left. Ignore any plan where you have to count things such as calories or GI numbers – too much hassle; you won’t follow any diet that tells you precisely what to eat at each meal. Also ignore the ‘eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full’ advice. Are you telling me that in a restaurant, after a starter and a main, you don’t order a dessert because you’re not hungry? In a nutshell, I recommend ignoring any diet that requires you to change the way you normally eat – you simply will not stick to it. Food is not ‘good’ or ‘bad’, though some foods are healthier than others.
You didn’t get fat overnight so it will take time to lose it again. Too many people try to lose weight quickly. What’s the rush? Are you planning on hooking up with a hot chef to present a television programme? Are you auditioning to be a dancer in a nightclub?
My advice is to change habits gently…
Don’t eat obviously fattening foods on a daily basis.
Identify your trigger foods – those sweet or fatty temptations.
Eat regularly. Don’t let more than four hours go by without eating.
Always have plenty of the ‘right’ foods in the house.
Take a snack with you if you are going to be away from home for several hours.
Don’t seek out your favourite food in shops or at parties. Cravings start with your eyes.
Have a motivational phrase ready for when you’re tempted by your trigger foods, such as, ‘I am more important than food’.
Don’t pick at snack foods – ever. Think of your fingers as ‘weapons of mass consumption’.
Talk to yourself positively all the time when faced with trigger foods. Remind yourself why you’re doing this. Remember how you
HHHHHHHHH‘TOO MANY PEOPLE TRY TO LOSE WEIGHT QUICKLY. WHAT’S THE RUSH?’