WEIGHT: HARD TO LOSE BUT EASY TO GAIN

Simple Pleasures #51 

Is it a riddle or a fact of life? 

What is hard to lose, but easy to gain? 

Well, for me it is definitely weight.

When I researched this topic there was a lot of information, but what it basically boiled down to was metabolism.

I found this information from Everyday Health and it seems to correlate with what my doctor told me.

As women age, we tend to gain 1 to 2 pounds a year and there are reasons for that. 

1) Age-Related Muscle Loss - Muscles burn more calories than fat and after age 30 we lose 3 to 8 percent of our lean muscle. As we age, we also tend to become less active, and if we don't cut down on the number of calories we consume we will gain weight. 

2) Normal Hormonal Changes - Menopause causes a significant drop in estrogen, which means more belly fat that makes weight gain more noticeable.

3) Slow Down In Metabolism - When our muscle mass decreases, so does our metabolism and this means we are burning fewer calories.

My doctor told me that at my age I need to eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. 

If I eat less my body goes into starvation mode and slows my metabolism down. 

If I eat more...well we all know what happens then. 

I am trying to watch what I eat and I walk. So far those stubborn pounds are clinging to me as if their lives depend on it. 

My life depends on them going away.

I am fortunate that I do not have diabetes or high blood pressure, but being overweight contributes to those and other health problems as we age and so I will continue to work on it. 

In the meantime, I am embracing the body that I have.

Simple Inspiration

Lovely Reads From Around The Web

50 self care habits

15 ways to love your body

A letter to the woman who hates her body

A beginner's guide to body positivity

Foods to avoid after 50 to look and feel your best

Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake

Last week I shared my favorite summer recipe.

The other food that I love in the summer has always been strawberry shortcake.

I remember my parents combining their talents and creating a perfect strawberry shortcake.

Since having to eat gluten free I have had a difficult time finding a great strawberry shortcake recipe.

This strawberry icebox cake is pretty tasty.

I love that this is an easy recipe that calls for only five ingredients. 

Like my parents cake it uses fresh whipped cream which I think is the secret to a delicious strawberry shortcake. 

If you don't eat gluten free you can substitute regular sugar cookies in the recipe. 

I know it is a little late for local strawberries in many areas, but you can substitute peaches or blueberries for the strawberries. 

Enjoy!

More August Reads

Last week's  book picks.

Here are some great reads for this week.

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