Sometime ago I made a post about fitness in your forties. To my surprise, it became one of the most read entries in my blog, and it continues to be a favorite. In this entry I would like to talk about diet in your forties. I by no means am expert on this subject, and what I have below is not professional medical advice. All I can do is share my own experience.

When I was in my twenties, I could eat just about anything I wanted with little or no consequences. Now, in my forties, I either eat right, or I pay the price. Eating right is not easy, but here are a few things that have helped me.

Lifestyle not Diet  If we need to take off a few pounds, the common thought is that we need to go on a diet. However, being on a diet is kind of like going to jail for some. We pay our debt, and then we get out of jail. Our goal is to get off our diet, so we can go back to our old ways. Such a formula never works.

A little over a year ago, my wife and I decided not to go on a diet but to change our lifestyle. We decided not to focus on losing weight as much as eating right. We both recognized that this was a permanent change in the way we lived not just a diet. Taking this approach will probably lead to slower weight loss, but it has been so much easier for us.

It takes time to get used to a new lifestyle, but once you do, the old lifestyle seems out of place. It is hard to believe, but in time our tastes can actually change. My wife and I have been eating a low fat diet for so long that the stuff we used to eat has lost a lot of its appeal. The other day we ate at a restaurant that served especially rich entrees. I told my wife afterwards that the dinner was OK, but I missed her cooking. She didn’t mind hearing that at all.

Get your spouse on board  Changing your life is hard to do on your own. It is especially hard to do if your husband or wife is going the opposite direction. Our mates have a mind of their own, so this is not always possible. Judging or condemning our loved ones for not eating right rarely accomplishes anything. Continue to love them, and maybe the will come around, but even if they don’t, love them still. Loving them rather than condemning them will actually make your own task a bit easier.

Snack healthy  For me eating healthy meals is not that much of a problem. Snacking is my biggest temptation. I must admit I have never been able to stop eating snacks, but I have been able to change to healthy snacking. I have replaced regular chips with the baked kind. They do not taste as good, but with a little picante sauce you hardly know the difference. I also eat oat based granola bars. I tend towards high cholesterol, so oats are good for me anyway. Nuts are also a great snack in moderation. Almonds and pistachios are great for lowering cholesterol. Of course, fruits and vegetables are also helpful for cutting hunger in-between meals.

Supplements  I believe vitamins and other supplements are very helpful especially if you don’t always eat right. If you start reading about all that is available, you might end up taking handfuls of pills each day. Yet, that can be very expensive. I would recommend at least getting a good multivitamin and perhaps some sort of Omega 3 supplement such as fish oil or flax seed. Make sure you get a quality multivitamin. They are not all the same. The American diet is generally deficient in the Omega 3 fatty acids. These help promote everything from healthy heart function to better memory. If you eat a lot of fish, you are probably good on your Omega 3 fatty acids, but if you don’t, fish oil capsules or flax seed is the next best thing. (Fish oil is a natural blood thinner, so be careful if you are taking prescription blood thinners.)   

Well, there are a few of my thoughts on eating healthy. I would love to hear yours.