My most popular talk is Weight Loss after 40.
Everyone always wants to know the answer to the inevitable question; will I continue to gain weight as I age?
The answer is a complicated one.
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Instinctively I want to say no, because I am over 50 and in denial.
However, the true answer is “No, if…”
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The “if” is the turning point, and more complicated than it sounds.
No, if you eat healthy, unprocessed foods; if you watch portion sizes; if you continue to exercise on a consistent basis in a challenging way; if you deal with the stressors of life without stuffing them down, and if you can acknowledge that change is inevitable…
For a long time, change was not an option for me.
I clung to my former hard-bodied self with a death grip; but changes still occurred.
As my life became fuller, there was less time, more choices, and more opportunities to go astray. And suddenly looking twenty at fifty was not only impossible, but not necessary any more.
Don’t get me wrong; I still hit the gym six days a week, get a certain sense of satisfaction when I beat out my 40-year-old friends, and eat clean as a way of life.
Yet as the years pass I realize there is a loosening, not just in my skin, but my very nature. I’m softer now, in muscle tone and temperament. Age is pulling me inward to reflect on my thoughts instead of my thighs. I want to feel physically strong and purposeful, while also being graceful, pliable, and open to life and a changing world.
The greatest paradox is; the harder I try to stop the inevitable, the older I feel.
There is still the internal struggle of wanting what was, while trying to graciously welcome what is. Today the middle ground is doing what feels right, not what is required by my old youthful standards.
The truth is that weight can be measured in many forms; as a number on a scale, a burden, or an impossible ideal.
Strangely enough, I’ve come to realize that I am finally okay looking great for “my age”.
So I’m passing the crown of youth to my teen-age daughter, where it rightfully belongs. And suddenly, I feel lighter…
Annette Alfieri Nutrition helps women and men gain control of their eating & their lives through motivation, mindset, awareness & nutrition. Annette is a clinical nutritionist as well as a weight loss coach. She offers workshops, classes and individualized packages. http://www.annettealfieri.com/
