Rules for Reinventing Your Body After Forty

On October 5th, I was the health and fitness keynoter for More magazine's annual "Reinvention Convention" in New York City. Five hundred women showed up to explore how to reinvent their lives once they crossed that 40 year old milestone. From new careers, financial challenges, to broken relationships and physical shape shifting, women came to the conference to get help understand it all and to regroup. In my packed session, women were anxious and enthusiastic, eagerly jotting down every tip, tool and technique I could offer. I decided to make this easy by creating a simple acronym- AFTER FORTY - to help women remember 10 important tips to help them optimize their bodies after the age of forty.

A: Adapt and adjust to life's constant daily stresses and challenges. Charles Darwin said that it isn't the smartest or strongest who survive, but those who can adapt. Throughout my book Body for Life for Women, I emphasize the fact that women need to practice how to become mentally flexible and rise up to the occasion when life throws you curve balls. After the age of forty, your mind and body begin to change significantly. Women often feel helpless, hopeless and defeated when weight packs on and you forget where you put your keys. Don't go there. Regroup and optimize your mental and physical well-being and you'll navigate these changing waters well.

F: Fight for the right to take care of yourself. No one is going to show up and schedule time in your day for self care. Only you can do that. Be assertive and get used to saying "I'm sorry, but I am busy at that time" when people try to erode the special moments you've set aside to have a healthy meal, to take that walk or to soak in the tub. This is one of the most important appointments you'll make for yourself each day.

T: Try lean protein to increase a sense of fullness and satiety, to rein in appetite, to curb carb cravings, and to maintain muscles. Women tend to under eat this wonderful macronutrient. Lean poultry, skim or low fat dairy, or vegetarian options will all help to quell hunger, rein in runaway appetites and keep your muscles in top form.

E: Exercise regularly, do it with intensity and make sure to cross train. Too many women are doing the same old cardio and weight lifting and are mystified as to why they stopped seeing real positive changes in their bodies. Come on ladies, get a fitness professional to mix it up in both your cardio and lifting for you so you can use more muscles and shake them out of complacency. As well, you need to ramp it up with intervals of intensity to keep your muscles challenged. Most importantly, this will help you release more fat fuel efficiently so that you can shed that extra fat. Try integrating some yoga, Pilates and even martial arts. How about dancing? Get outdoors and challenge yourself with fun and enjoyment. Just get up and move more throughout the day. This is what it takes to keep your over forty body alive and powerful.

R: Redefine normal. You aren't 20 or 30 anymore. Your body is undergoing significant changes, from fading eyesight to widening waistline. Stop looking backwards and obsessing about what doesn't work anymore. Instead, wake up every day and celebrate what does work. Hey, you're still here and you'll make do with whatever anatomical parts you can use to propel you through each day. This is integral to adapting and adjusting.

F: Fat, not weight, needs to be monitored. Buy a body fat scale and aim to get your body fat in the range of 20-28%, with a good average being 25%. If you're postmenopausal and over the age of 60, body fat ranges can increase to 32% due to aging related loss of muscle (especially true after the seventh decade of life).

O: Organize and plan your self care routines. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sit down and make a plan. Whether it's stress management classes, gym memberships or shopping for healthier options, You need a strategy that meets your needs. If you want to drop body fat and increase muscle strength and mass, get together the team that you need to make this happen. WebMD's got your back with endless information about how to get the ball rolling. Check out my weight management board to share your experiences and ask questions with other like minded folks.

R: Rein in evening eating. After the age of forty, you don't need the same number of calories as you did when you were younger and more physically active and metabolically hotter. Most women don't realize that they are over eating throughout the day. But, the evening is a real problem. So many women kick back and consider this their time to reward and relax. Unfortunately, this includes plowing through sweets and grazing until bedtime. If you want to remove that excess belly fat, you need to eat smarter. Eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day through dinner, try to finish dinner (veggies and lean protein) no later than 8-8:30 PM, and try not to have anything to eat for 2 hours prior to retiring. You'll wake up hungry and feeling lighter, and ready to break that fast: breakfast.

T: Take time to just "be". Try to stop "doing" and take time for "being". Find a quiet place to read, close your eyes, listen to music, take a walk, say a prayer, or do some yoga stretches. Your mind needs these mental recesses. You have to practice mental aerobics to stop the deluge of thoughts - the incessant "to do's" that inhabit our feminine brains. Visualize a stop sign. Then, move into a peaceful place. This is a precious gift you give yourself.

Y: You deserve joy, happiness and fulfillment. Go ahead and feel entitled to be all of these things and more. Live, love and laugh every day. Embrace every waking moment with exuberance. Feel powerful. Choose to do this for yourself. Your reward is having the mind and body you deserve, to help you realize your dreams.

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