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weight loss tips to keep the weight off

Weight Loss Tips To Keep The Weight Off

Trying to lose weight or have you recently lost weight? Great job! Next question. How do you plan to keep that weight off? Below are weight loss tips to help keep you on track.

So many of us bust our butts, literally, to lose weight but as soon as we hit that designated number on the scale, we lose our focus and go back to old habits.

What happens when you go back to old habits? You gain back the weight you worked so hard to lose! Where is the fun in that? There has to be ways to keep the weight off. Don’t you agree?

For me, I think I have tried every flipping diet ever invented.  I diligently follow the program, doctor’s orders or instructions on the package and yes I am successful in losing the weight.  Then just as soon as I stopped the strict dieting, the weight would come back PLUS!  

There is no nice way to say it. The weight gain after working so hard to lose the weight really stinks.  

You could probably classify me as a professional yo-yo dieter but I didn’t gain five or 10 pounds. No I had to do it big!  25+ pounds every time I would stop the restrictive diet. 4 tips to keep weight off denisesanger.com

Don’t feel alone because the majority of us deal with the same issues.  The question we need to ask is what can we do to permanently keep the weight off?

The good news is there are tips that will help you keep it in check when combined with eating clean and exercising.  You know I am a HUGE fan of eating clean as that is what finally helped me stop the yo-yo dieting.

Am I where I want to be? Very close.  In the meantime, I feel great, and I am ticking goals off my bucket list and enjoying every moment.

Below are a few tips to help you keep the weight off:

  1. First getting healthy was MY goal; no one else’s goal.  My husband has never said one word to me about my weight. Smart man and probably the reason we’re still married 38 years later. In all seriousness, if you try to lose weight or reach any goal for someone other than yourself, you probably won’t reach it.  It has to be a goal that’s extremely important to you first.  Once you accept how important this goal is to you, you will realize losing weight and getting healthy not only benefits you – it benefits your family too.
  2. Next suck it up and step on the scale – just once to get started. I know. I know. Likewise, I am not a fan of the scale either, but I do understand that it is just one piece of the health and wellness puzzle. Unfortunately, many of us avoid that scale like it has cooties.  The downside is when you step on it, it may just be the eye-opener you need to start making a few changes.  I honestly thought I weighed at least 30 pounds less than I did when I stepped on the scale 5 years ago. Talk about a shock! What happened that day though is I put eating clean and exercise as a priority on my to-do list and I have never looked back.
  3. Stop wearing pants with elastic waist bands. Personally I think elastic waists should be avoided by most adults if at all possible. Look how far you can stretch those waistbands! But as a fitness instructor, half or more I am in workout gear and yoga pants.  Wearing clothes that require you to button or zip up to walk out the door will keep your weight in check because as soon as you can’t quite stretch that waist band to button, you immediately know that you have gone off track with your nutrition and exercise. And making your clothes fit by using a rubber band only hurts you because it’s important to keep our midsection in check.
  4. Make an appointment with your doctor.  Exactly what I did. If you have not had a physical in over a year, it’s time to make an appointment and face the music.  Nobody wants to have health problems. We all have families and other priorities that we must take care of, but you need to do this for yourself.  The truth hurts, and you can rest assured that your doctor won’t sugar coat any medical issue you may be facing.  If you need to lose weight, your doctor will tell you.  If you are not getting enough exercise, your doctor will tell you.

Most important for anyone that wants to move forward to a healthier you? Face facts.  Losing weight is just one part of the puzzle.  Winning the weight loss and fitness game means KEEPING that weight off.  You CAN do it!

Get more weight loss tips here: BEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT FOR WOMEN OVER 50

Best Ab Workouts For Women

Best Ab Workouts For Women

We all know that you cannot spot reduce one part of your body BUT there definitely are things you can do.

Remember that abs are made in the kitchen so it’s even more important that you eat clean.  Do you struggle with eating clean? Not sure what to eat or how much to eat?

If you need help with your nutrition, I recommend Paleo or Meditteranean  (click here for info on Paleo) to curb cravings and keep you on track.  Also helps with sugar cravings if that affects you. Eating clean will help you get a strong core when combined with yoga. That’s what I’m doing and it’s made a HUGE difference in my belly.

It’s very important that you remember to “engage” your core when doing ab exercises. To do this visualize pulling your belly button toward your back.

Another way that may help you is to think how you feel when you lie down on the bed to zip up really tight jeans when you pull in your belly – that’s also engaging your core.

Planks. One exercise to do every day is the plank. You can see how to start in my video below.

The most important thing you need to do to work on those abs? Start. You can do it. Get started today.

This is the best online program I’ve found for yoga that you can start at any level that will really help you get a strong core and abs: YogaBurn  Perfect for ANY level.

What happens when you stop drinking soda? You lose weight.

What happens when you stop drinking soda? You lose weight.

Losing weight any time can be difficult. Add being over 50 and through menopause or a hysterectomy, and it becomes even trickier. But there may be one thing you can change immediately.  Think soda.

Let me ask you one question – are you a soda drinker? You might want to start there because simply removing sodas from your day is a small change that can make a big difference.

Soda, or pop as we call it in Ohio, can add inches to your waistline without you noticing if you drink them on a daily basis.  One serving of Coca Cola is 140 calories. Even scarier is there are 39 grams of sugar in that one serving. Putting it in perspective, an adult male should only have 37.5 grams of sugar PER DAY.  That one can of Coke puts an adult over their daily recommended limit.  Imagine how much sugar is in those super sized drinks!

Keep in mind that not all drinks whether they are labeled healthy or not are good replacements.  You might think a sports drink is a healthy replacement to soda when in fact it has the same or HIGHER calories and sugar. Drinking those “sports” drinks can undo all the hours at the gym.  (Read this next: Why is it so hard for women over 50 to lose weight?)

Juice is another high calorie drink that can cause the same problems soda does and actually may have even MORE sugar than soda. Yes fruit juice is made from fruit but it does not provide the same benefits to the body that eating a piece of fruit will.  Also be aware of the additives in fruit juice include fructose and other sugar replacements.

If weight  loss is one of your goals, take a moment and calculate the number of calories you are consuming when drinking sodas in a year. For example, if you drink a large soda like a Big Gulp daily, that is 50 ounces of soda which equals 600 calories a day or 219,000 calories per year (via Very Well Fit).  219,000 calories extra per year!

Now let’s look at the health benefits when you stop drinking that daily soda. The greatest benefit when you stop drinking soda? Weight loss but there are many others including:

  • Sleeping better.
  • Reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Lowered blood pressure.
  • Decreased nervousness.
  • Stronger teeth and healthy gums.

Don’t replace those sugary sodas with diet drinks thinking that will be healthier. Yes you may be reducing the amount of sugar BUT the body does not recognize sugar replacements or sweeteners any different than sugar. Whether you are eating sugar sweetened foods or beverages or non-sugar sweetened foods or beverages, your appetite increases.  In addition, experts recommend that we do not use artificial sweeteners if possible as they contain chemicals and other ingredients our bodies are not used to processing.

So how do you eliminate soda from our diet?  If you consume large amounts of soda every day, it may be easier for you to INITIALLY switch to diet sodas BUT only temporarily.  Your goal should be to eliminate ALL sodas – regular or diet – as quickly as possible and replace with water.  Not only will you feel better, but your wallet will be happier too.

Have a wonderful week!

To your health,

Denise

p.s. I’ve been following a keto program for a few weeks now (end of August 2021) AND I’m down almost 8 pounds.  Pretty painless too because I feel full all the time.  It was the jumpstart I needed and just may be what you’re looking for also.  These program is customized for YOU.  I think that’s why it’s actually working this time.  You can get more info here: Custom Keto 

What The Heck Is Clean Eating Anyway?

Is one of your goals to eat healthier? Have you been told to eat clean but not quite sure what that means? You’re not alone.  Many people are not quite sure what eating clean means so this week, I’m going to quickly explain it the philosophy behind it.

Rule of thumb for eating clean is to eat REAL food as close to it’s original form as possible.  As an example choose to eat an orange versus orange juice.  To take it a step further, chicken, sweet potato and vegetables versus a packaged chicken pot pie or chicken dinner purchased from a fast food restaurant.

Next if possible, avoid processed foods completely because you don’t know what is keeping the food on the shelf or in the freezer “fresh”.  You can probably assume it’s being chemically modified one way or another. Take a look at the ingredients label to see how many “ingredients” you are not able to pronounce.  If you can’t say them. Don’t eat them.  It’s okay to eat frozen food as in one ingredient food such as frozen broccoli where you see one ingredient – broccoli.

Finally, think K.I.S.S.  Keep it simple silly and don’t try to change everything at the same time. The first thing I eliminated from my diet were sodas followed by white sugar.  Below is a quick list of items to avoid as you make your way through your clean eating journey.

Foods to slowly eliminate or use sparingly:

  • White sugar.
  • White flour.
  • Processed foods.
  • Artificial ingredients.

The best part?  Not only will your food taste better when you prepare them yourself, you will know exactly what you are eating.  You CAN do this!

To your health,

Denise

p.s. Not going to the gym? Join me for my online fitness classes and exercise from the comfort of your home while being motivated at the same time. Designed for women over 50 by a women over 50. More info here: Online Fitness Classes.)

5 Easy Things To Do To Lose Weight This Month

5 Simple Things To Do To Lose Weight This Month

Now it’s almost 2021!  If weight loss is on your list, jump start your goals and lose weight this month. This article gives you tips to do that 😉

It’s almost 2019!  Boy did 2018 fly by if you ask me. It’s been an up and down year for me so I am really not too sad about moving into 2019 confident, happy and healthy.

Do you make resolutions? I actually do but I have learned at the young age of 57, to make stepping stone resolutions instead of big chunk, open ended resolutions. What does that mean? When you make a resolution to lose weight without any parameters, it’s too large for you to really see the progress you’re making.  When you make stepping stone goals, you reach your larger goal in bite size pieces.

To help you this year, below are 5 simple things to do to lose weight this month.  These 5 steps are exactly the same ones I’ve been following the past 5 weeks and I am down 12 pounds as of writing this post.

Remember K.I.S.S.  Keep It Simply Silly.  And most important? CELEBRATE your progress.  If you only lose 1/2 pound every week for the next year, you will be down 26 pounds by this time next year.  Does that put it in focus for you?

Ready? Let’s do this!

  1. Eat a fruit or vegetable FIRST at every meal.  For breakfast, I put a fruit in my meal replacement shake.  At lunch, I usually eat a salad before my soup or sandwich.  At dinner, again the first thing I eat is a salad or possibly a vegetable appetizer like roasted brussel sprouts.  Resolution 1 – eat a fruit or vegetable FIRST at ever meal.
  2. Eat 3 meals per day.  Okay this may be a tough one for many to wrap their brains around as we have been programmed lately to eat every 2 hours or so.  Yes that works for many, HOWEVER, it does not work for me or my lifestyle.  I have gone back to basics eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the scale is showing results. Resolution 2 – eat 3 meals per day. Need a jumpstart? Click here for the:  5 Day Meal Plan
  3. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces in water.  If you weight 180 pounds, you MUST drink 90 ounces of water every day. There is NO EXCEPTION to this resolution. Resolution 3 – drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day.
  4. Exercise 3 times per week.  I recommend 2 – 3 high intensity interval training programs and 1 gentle flow yoga session. Resolution 4 – exercise 3 times per week.  Not ready to go the gym? Join me online!  All my classes are live AND recorded. Designed for women over 50 by a women over 50. More info here: Online Fitness Classes.
  5. Weigh yourself.  You will not know how far you’ve come if you don’t know where you started. Resolution 5 – weigh yourself daily. If you are not comfortable with daily, weigh yourself weekly minimum.

That’s it.  Tell yourself right now, you are making these 5 health resolutions and even more importantly? YOU ARE KEEPING THEM FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS.  You CAN do this and you WILL do this.  Be sure to let me know in 30 days how you feel.  My bet is you will feel amazing.

To your health,

Denise

Stop calling this woman. Your health depends on it.

Tis the season.  The season of non-stop commercials showing everything you absolutely must buy this year if you want a happy family on Christmas Day.  Not sure about you but for me the older I get, the less I need.  Over the past few years, I’ve been working hard to keep purchases to a minimum. Only buying what I need when I need it. Bottom line is I don’t need anything and I really hate to shop.

My lifelong best friend in Cleveland knows how much I hate shopping so when we get together that is one thing she knows not to put on our list of things to do. Watching the non-stop parade of commercials that began before Thanksgiving can seem almost insane to someone like me that literally hates to shop.  Marketers are VERY good at getting you to think you need something you have never thought about before. After all, how many pet rocks were sold way back when. Or more recently the fidget spinner thing.  I really couldn’t wrap my brain around that one but kids seemed to love it.

There is one commercial that seems to keep appearing whether it is on TV, social media or via email. I also think it’s one of those gifts that most of us do NOT need.  What is it?  Ask Alexa. She can do anything or so it seems that way from the commercials.   (NOTE: You can find information on Alexa using our Amazon affiliate link here:  Echo Spot with Alexa)

Want the front porch light on? Ask Alexa. Want to find out what movies are playing near you? Ask Alexa.  Need to know what the weather is going to be tomorrow? Ask Alexa.  Want to change the TV station? Ask Alexa.  Don’t feel like setting an alarm clock? Ask Alexa. Want pizza for dinner? Alexa will order it from Dominos for you. Don’t feel like reading the kids a bedtime story? Alexa will.  Need your living room vacuumed? Alexa will get Roomba right on that for you.  Windows on your car frozen? No worries! Alexa will start your car for you.  House seem a little warm? Alexa will turn down the thermostat for you.  And the list goes on and I am sure will expand to do even more things in the future.

When did it become so hard to turn on a light? Or change a TV channel.  When I was a kid, my dad had four remote controls – they were myself, my two sisters and one brother.  We had the difficult task of getting up and going over to the TV to change the station using a dial.  Child abuse I tell you!

I understand we live in a time crunched world but every single time you call Alexa to perform a menial task for you means that is one more time you didn’t physically move.  Not one finger.  Remember the less we move, the less we move.

Yes Alexa can be an important life tool for those that need the assistance but the rest of us? I hope you’re tired of hearing the name Alexa because it’s better to get up off your butt and do it yourself. Save Alexa for the tasks that need done when you are not home. Have a wonderful week.

To your health,

Denise






You are more than numbers on a scale.

you are more than numbers on a scale how to stay fit over 50

Probably once a week maybe more, I talk to someone who is upset by the numbers they see when they step on the scale. And I SO get it because I always have the same gut reaction. Generally I want to pitch the scale out back and let the horses trample it. You guessed it. I have a love – HATE relationship with my scale. Stupid digital numbers anyway.

You work so hard to stay on track the majority of the time with your nutrition and exercise, YET the scale does not seem to reflect that hard work. This is when I tell my folks to remember they are SO much more than those numbers on a scale.  (I recommend Yoga as the BEST form of exercise for folks over 50. This is the program I follow when I’m not teaching:  Best at home exercise: Yoga Burn



Breaking it down, yes the scale does give you a PART of the picture but you are so much more than that one little number.  For the past 12 months or so, every visit I had to the doctor was reflecting my blood pressure higher than it should be.  I could not figure out what was going on.  My weight although not where I like it had not changed.  Nothing really changed. Or had it?

It had. Unknowingly, I was not doing as much aerobic exercise as I had in the past. An increase in cardio exercise during the week brought my blood pressure back in the range it should be – and where I like it.  Did my weight change? It did not. But the 20 points off my blood pressure are even more important to me than 5 pounds off the scale as there is heart disease in my family.  I don’t take that on personally but I am aware of it and know my blood pressure is a part of my overall health picture so needs to be kept in check.

My mother has completely eliminated her diabetic medication. Another friend has eliminated her blood pressure medication.  And another friend was able to stay OFF medication.  What did we all have in common?  We all exercise and stay on track for the most part. Maybe not all the time, but we are on track the MAJORITY of the time.

We need to remember to look at the BIG picture and not be so hard on ourselves.  Health and wellness is a journey and journeys like hills will have ups and downs.  Taking it a step further, CELEBRATE our successes instead of being so darn focused on what we perceive as failure.

So the next time you step on the scale and you do not see what you like, think about what you HAVE improved on.  Maybe you can walk longer today than you did a month ago.  Maybe you are taking a harder fitness class now than you did a month ago.  Maybe you have changed your nutrition so that you are eating more fruits and vegetables than you did last year.  Or you have replaced soda in your diet and now drink more water.  ALL SUCCESSES.

One step forward today is better than no steps at all.  Have a wonderful week.

To your health,

Denise

 

After the hysterectomy – exercise yoga

About four years ago, I had a complete hysterectomy.  As a result of not finding information I was searching for, I created a video series called after the hysterectomy. (You can find it on my YouTube channel here:  Denise Sanger YouTube)

Every week, I receive several emails from those videos and am in the process of updating for year four plus writing a book.  In the meantime, I’ve decided to continue the series here also on my website and today the topic is after the hysterectomy – exercise specifically yoga.

There are several that I recommend for women after a hysterectomy or after menopause including HIIT and strength training. But if I were only allowed to recommend one, it would be yoga. Yoga is amazing not only for the body but for the mind.

About a year after my hysterectomy, I started having issues with mood swings.  Terrible mood swings that I will eventually find out were caused by my body having no levels of estrogen and testosterone but that will be a different topic to follow.

I would simply look at my husband and  want to skin him alive. He just bugged me. I was tired of putting his dishes in the dishwasher. I was tired of his leaving his crap all over the house. I was tired of his ability to not SEE the garbage bag left right at the flipping front door. Anyone relate to this with me?

But here’s the thing, nothing had changed in the 35 years I’d been married to him. He’s always been like this and THAT is another story for a different day as well.  So why was it seriously driving me crazy now?

About that same time, I began doing yoga every morning due to a hip injury I had from training for the Marine Corps Marathon.  My focus was on loosening up my hip-flexors and improving overall flexibility. What I thought would help me physically the most ended up helping me mentally beyond anything I would have thought.

Yoga is a mind/body connection workout and movements are coordinated with breathing.  When you have to slow down and focus on breathing in then breathing out, it calms the mind.  For me, it kept my aggravation and mood swings in check.

Many folks head to the doctor when dealing with mood swings, anxiety or overall frustration with things out of our control.  For me because I try to take a more holistic approach to my health, finding that yoga actually benefited me with these issues was a big relief. To my husband also 😛

Not only do I feel better mentally and emotionally, my body is leaner and more toned. My legs look the same as they did when I was in my 20’s.

And don’t think yoga is for woosies.  It requires focus, strength and balance.  In my classes I have participants transitioning slowly and holding a pose longer which helps in flexibility. This combination with breathing has a calming effect on us mentally and emotionally.

If you find that you are dealing with mood swings since menopause or after a hysterectomy, see if you can find a Gentle Flow Yoga class and give it a try. It may take longer than a few classes to feel the benefits but as one amazing woman in my class told me, this class is “better than sex.” I don’t know about that but yoga is pretty darn good 😉

To your health,

Denise

Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup

Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup Low Carb Paleo

If you know ANYTHING about me, you will know that I do not like to cook.  Nope. Not going to happen. I burn water and I’m not kidding about that 😛 But I sure do like to eat.  Except I will cook my Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup which you can find the recipe below. 

There are two appliances that I cannot live without AND I can make a few pretty darn good meals in them. One is my CrockPot and the other is the InstantPot my daughter recently gave me. After a learning curve, I cannot believe how easy it is to use the Instant Pot.  And talk about fast.

I’ve been under the weather the past week and there is nothing better than chicken soup when you’re not feeling well right?  I literally tossed the ingredients listed below into my Crockpot and walked away.  6 hours later, I checked on my soup and it was FANTASTIC! And guess what? Nothing burned.  You can use this same recipe in your Instant Pot for days you’re running short on time. Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken thighs
  • Diced medium carrot – 1 or 2
  • Diced celery – 2 stalks
  • Diced small onion
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Add other veggies you like or have in-house such as zucchini, broccoli, squash, etc.

Ready for the directions? Put everything in the CrockPot and cook on high for 4 -5 hours or low for 7 – 8 hours.

Season to taste. Serve up a bowl and enjoy!

Best Cardio Workouts No Matter What Your Age

Do we really need cardio workouts in our exercise rotation?

Things have changed often over the years as far as what people think are best or what they need as far as exercise.  Questions are often do we need cardio exercise, should women weight train, should seniors do yoga and on and on.  The short answer? Y-E-S.




Different exercises benefit us in different ways and all the exercises listed above are beneficial and need to be included in everyone’s workout rotation.  Yes I know runners don’t like to think about doing yoga any more than folks doing a dance workout class think about weight training.  But it all works together for a healthy body.

Cardio workouts are any exercise that raises our heart AND breathing rates. Think of it this way – your heart and lungs work together to keep you alive.  Where folks often go off track is thinking of cardio workouts in the form of a steady state workout such as jogging or using the elliptical machine.  But there are many equally beneficial exercises for a good cardio workout such as HIIT workouts (high intensity interval training).

Knowing we can switch out and change our cardio workouts while still enjoying the benefit this exercise provides to our heart and lungs may make it a little easier to git-er done as Larry the Cable Guy says.  A few examples of cardio workouts include:

  • Walking
  • Running
  • Biking
  • Swimming
  • Dancing
  • Tabata
  • Jump Rope
  • Kickboxing
  • Rowing
  • Raking leaves

Doctors recommend four to five cardio workouts each week.  Looking at the list above, how many options can you think of for including a cardio workout this week?  Quite a few!

The best exercise for you is the one you are most likely to do.  If you enjoy walking, walk.  Like fitness classes, then enjoy what your gym offers during the week.  Need to spend more time with the family? How about heading outside and playing a good game of tag?  Love to be outdoors? How about kayaking the river?

After you have chosen the cardio workout you prefer, how often do you need to do it? As mentioned above, strive to include four to five cardio workouts throughout the week.  Your workouts do not need to be two hours long to be beneficial. HIIT workouts are a great time saver as they can be completed in 20 to 30 minutes and include both cardio and strength training.  That’s what I call a two-fer!

The moral of the story is that cardio workouts helps your heart and lungs function better during exercise AND at rest.  That right there is a win-win for your body. Have a great week!

To your health,

Denise

p.s. don’t forget to join my fitness community on Facebook: How To Get Fit At Any Age