Me and Fido

The last couple of nights I have been walking with Fido after dinner.  We are both getting a bit thick around the middle and need to get more exercise into our daily routine.  People are amazed that I'm concerned about my weight with the amount of running I do, but in reality it probably isn't enough.

I read an article which mentions 5 key things that have helped people successfully keep weight off for more than 5 years.  Now that my friends and I are at that age where the pounds are harder to shed, I realized that I needed to change my lifestyle.  I also read that once woman hit menopause, we actually have to decrease the amount of calories we eat by about 200-400 calories per day.  That's depressing!

Anyhow, the 5 key habits are:

1. Eat your carbs.  To continue to fuel your running you need to eat enough carbs and they need to make up the bulk of your caloric intake.  However, the carbs should include complex carbs with lots of fiber, which helps your body take in less calories.

2. Take notes of what you are eating.  (This is the hardest for me)  This not only helps you be more aware of what and how much you are eating, but also gives you the added benefit of knowing what worked well before a run and what didn't.

3. Eat in the morning, don't skip breakfast and make sure it includes fiber again and some protein.

4. Weigh yourself at least once per week. Also very depressing.

5. Keep moving.  Try to exercise at least 60-90 minutes each day.

The link to the full article is below:
5 rules

I realized the running I am doing with my friends isn't enough anymore at this stage in my life.  I have to be moving more, hence I have enlisted the help of my dog, Fido.  He seems to be enjoying the new adventure and today I even talked him into walking along the bike trail to the gazebo and back.  It was about 2 miles round trip.  The added benefit to taking him for walks is that he is much more tired and less high strung, like it's owner ; )