The Microwave is our Friend

Have you ever wished it were possible to lose weight without trying--much? It actually is. This may surprise you, but if you work from home, or at any office, the chances are good that you are well acquainted with your microwave. Heating up coffee, making quick snacks, lunch in a box, or even boiling water are frequently done via microwave for the simplicity and cleanliness aspects.

So how does this possibly not-so-interesting fact tie in with losing weight? Simple. While your coffee is being internally radiated, don't sit down, don't just stand there, either. Jog. Yep, jog. Jog in place, or jog around the room. It may seem funny at first. In reality, it will probably look funny, especially if you're in a big office and even more so if you have the open floor plan of a Microsoft or Apple office arrangement. But don't let that stop you! You can be the trend setter.

So you've jogged in place for a grand total of 60 seconds. Wow. Big deal, you say. What's that supposed to do? Well, how many times do you heat up your coffee? Make popcorn? Or pizza? Most people average around 10 times per day, according to my informal survey. If you use the microwave, your friend, for an average of 1 minute, that is to say a mere 60 seconds per use, that's 10 minutes of jogging in place each day.

I'm not a youngster and not quite elderly, but I am at the stage where losing weight doesn't come as naturally to me as it does to my 23-year-old. And I can tell you, I was amazed at how easily the weight came off, and I'm talking about behind-me weight. It was such an great feeling. It was the first time I felt I had been amply rewarded for my creativity. The idea started out as a joke to entertain my shih tzus. But then I thought, why not do it every time? Less than a week later, I was down 2 pounds. If you combine this idea with the one in my previous blog post about shutting down the eating part of your day after dinner, you might have the same great success that we're having in our neck of the woods.

Losing Weight After 50--it's Not Just for Breakfast Anymore!

Possibly second only in popularity to the perma-drone of political yapping comes the topic of WEIGHT LOSS. It's such a challenge and seems to give rise to struggle particularly for certain body types, gender-specific ages, and even professions and geographic locations. You've heard it all; get moving, cut out carbs, carbs are good, go protein, drown yourself in water, sleep longer, sleep less, drink coffee, don't drink coffee--and not that all of these various pieces of advice don't have merit within their certain sectors, because they do. 
But winning advice for the over-50 crowd, particularly of post- or Peri-menopausal ladies, has always been hard to come by. I can't tell you how many middle-aged ladies I know who have tried the mail order food diets, special shakes, weigh-in companies, counting companies, step-counting efforts who say that it's never possible to maintain any of the weight they lose--if they lose at all. 

Believe or not, I actually have the answer.  

It costs nothing, saves you money actually. It does not require exercise or ANY kind other than willpower, which grows with practice--and quite rapidly. It also involves no counting or special foods. A long time ago, a smart woman told me that a person loses weight because his or her metabolism is fast, or at least fast enough to burn up what is taken in. She mentioned how easy it was for younger people to drop pounds. But she didn't quite get how it all happened--or maybe she didn't and I didn't listen well enough back then. But more recently I heard how you make that metabolism--no matter what your age--get into the fast lane. It's very simple. Eat dinner, and then stop for the night. 

If you eat at 6 and finish by 7, don't have another thing, except water, for 12 to 14 hours, so 7 to 9:00 am the following morning. Ladies and Gentlemen, it works! If you're weight conscious, you already know not to overdo it with breads and sweets, fried foods or just too much food. And continue to watch--don't count, just watch. And spend a couple of days NOT eating after dinner. It's hard at first because most of us do. But try it, and the scale will be somebody you want to see in the morning!