Joanna Hall - The GI Walking Diet - Lose 10lbs and Look 10 Years Younger in 6 Weeks

Weight loss can be a significant motivator for us to change our habits, get a grip and make a difference. As we get older, however, it can seem more difficult to lose weight. We may also become more accepting of our expanding waistlines. Many people mistakenly believe that the only way to improve their health is to lose large amounts of weight and spend lots of time exercising, which just seems like too much effort. For many, a rotund, cuddly figure can become an acceptable part of later life.

But stop right there! You can make a significant difference to your health without too much hard work. You don’t have to lose large amounts of weight to experience real health benefits. In fact, a weight loss of just 5–10 per cent provides major health benefits. So, if you weigh 16 stone (100kg), a drop of between 8lb (3kg) to 1 stone 2lb (7kg) can make a major difference. Accepting this fact makes the whole process much more realistic and achievable.

So the time has come to take action. No more excuses. Stop kidding yourself – or your middle-age spread and muscle stiffness are here to stay. Start taking small steps to create big changes to your health, your weight, your fitness, your energy and your self-esteem. If you’re ready, I’ll show you how.

Fitness for a young person is an option – for an older person it’s imperative

“I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything till noon.

Then it’s time for my nap.” Bob Hope

So you woke up this morning, got out of bed and looked in the mirror – what did you think of the person staring back at you? You may be a parent, a grandparent, a lover, a wife, a husband, a son, a daughter. But as you reflect on yourself and your current stage in life, how do you actually feel about yourself and how do you see your body?

Do you think of yourself as:

Young

Young at heart

Youthful

Fit

Active

Agile

Sexy

Darn good for my age

Not bad considering …

Middle-aged

A bit baggy and saggy

Age is creeping up on me fast!

My body needs an overhaul

Old

Wanting a new body

Elderly

My memory is going fast

Decrepit

In my research for this book, I interviewed over a thousand men and women aged over 50. I asked them about their eating and activity habits, for their views on their bodies and their attitudes to this phase of their lives. Their thoughts, views, needs and wants – coupled with the exciting new advances being made in research – have directly shaped this book.

So what did my research tell me?

83 per cent thought that their body needed an overhaul

39 per cent considered themselves young at heart

77 per cent described themselves as a bit baggy and saggy

51 per cent considered themselves old

Over 85 per cent of respondents wanted to address weight loss and middle-age spread and improve their health

Sadly, less than 1 per cent considered themselves sexy

You may feel daunted by the physical changes you are experiencing as you grow older. However, the exciting thing about this phase is that you now have the ability – more than at any other time in your life – to make a significant impact on your health. You also have more to gain from your efforts than at any other time.

Active ageing is as much about attitude as it is about action. Your children may have flown the nest; you may have retired; you may have more time on your hands – and this is the time for you. It’s an age of choice without limitations, a time of joy with few constraints. While some of us may still have some demands on our time, this does not detract from the fact that this stage in your life represents the best window of opportunity for your physical body.

And you know what? The only things that may be stopping you from taking action are your attitude and deep-rooted habits. Attitudes and habits can be difficult to change – after all, you may have been nurturing them for decades.

I’ve designed all the plans in this book so you can grab and make the most of this window of opportunity. They not only deliver results but also help you nurture new, healthier habits and attitudes without feeling you have to give up the life you enjoy. By making small changes on a regular, consistent basis, you can lose weight, feel fitter, enjoy more energy and even sleep better. These small steps together mean big changes for you and your body.

So don’t you dare think you’ve left it too late. It’s never too late. The time has come to open the window of opportunity, stop being complacent about this phase of your life, take a deep breath and go for it.

When you first look at the plan you may feel a little daunted about what you have to do. The plan has been designed to be simple and easy to follow. You’ll see that you get to choose whether to start the walking plan at an ‘entry’ or ‘advanced’ level, depending on your current fitness level (see Chapter 4).

I’d be the first to acknowledge, however, that life can be busy and throw us different challenges. Family commitments, work and health issues can all make it seem difficult to find time to exercise. While I wouldn’t encourage you to use these busy times as excuses, I’d far rather you did something than wait for the ‘perfect’ time to start. In my experience, the perfect time rarely comes, and since this stage of your life is your greatest window of opportunity, this may be the perfect time to approach your plan in a phased way. For example, you may choose to follow the flexibility plan for the first six weeks, then the strength programme for weeks six to twelve, and finally the walking plan for weeks twelve to eighteen. A phased approach such as this will get you on the road to success. You’ll feel healthier and more in control, although your weight loss may be a little slower than if you were following the complete plan.

Nobody wants their body to age, but the great news is that you can slow down the rate of ageing. In fact, ageing can a positive experience, not the negative one many of us feel and dread.