5 Top Tips for Losing Weight over 50

The most common thing I hear from women over 50 who are trying to lose weight is that diets that used to work (at least in the short-term) in their twenties, thirties and forties stop working once they’re into their fifties.

Does this mean that women over 50 can’t lose weight? Absolutely not. What it does mean is that you need to change your approach.

Big Question is: How to Lose Weight Over Night?

Here’s how:

1. Understand what successful weight loss really is.
The fact is, as people get older, it takes longer to lose weight. If you’re 53, you can’t expect to lose weight at the same rate as a 23 year old. That might seem like a bad thing, but it’s really not.
Because losing weight fast is not the key to success. Losing weight and keeping it off is the real aim. Who cares if someone loses 10 pounds in a week, if they gain it all back (plus interest!) a week later?
When we change the focus from speed to sustainability, it levels the playing field. Women over 50 are just as capable of losing weight and keeping it off as women under 50.

2. Be realistic about weight loss (in a good way).
Once you accept that speed of weight loss is not the aim, your next step should be to abandon all deadlines.
It might sound like a good idea to aim to lose weight in the three months before your holiday, but this kind of deadline just creates pressure. And often these deadlines are just plain unrealistic.
If you’re trying to lose weight under the pump of a strict deadline, it stresses you out and makes you feel tempted to do short-term unhealthy things like starve yourself, instead of focussing on a more long-term approach.

3. Fit the weight loss around your life, not your life around the weight loss.
How many times have you started diets that meant you had to shop at totally different stores to find totally new ingredients?
How many times have you been on diets that meant you had to prepare different meals for yourself and different meals for the rest of the family?
And how many times have you been on a diet that made it difficult to go on holiday because the recommendations were so strict?
In each of these three situations, your chances of success are reduced, because you have to change your life to fit the diet, instead of fitting the diet into your life.
Remember, the aim is to make changes that you can stick to for life. That’s how you can lose weight and keep it off. So you have to make sure that any changes you make are ones that you are happy doing, for the long-term.

4. Keep away from drastic changes.
It’s a very commonly believed myth that weight loss is all about “no pain, no gain”. And for women in their twenties, depriving themselves can lead to some quick (but temporary) weight loss.
But deprivation is not the key to weight loss for women over 50. In fact, deprivation makes it less likely you will stick to the changes that you make.
Instead, you need to focus on making small gradual changes. And you would be surprised by how small these changes need to be.
A couple of good examples are stopping second servings or cutting down portion size by 5-10%. They don’t seem like much, but little steps like this added up over time can make a huge difference

5. Know that it won’t be perfect first time.
Some people assume that if they go on a diet, they should stick to it perfectly. Any time, they stray off the diet it’s like failure. And then they feel guilty and miserable.
But this is the wrong way to think about losing weight. Your aim is not to be perfect. And when you think about it as learning a new way of life it’s hard to imagine it can be done without a few (or a lot) of mistakes.
Think of a child learning to walk. Do we expect the child to walk without ever falling over? Of course not. So why are we so hard on ourselves when trying to lose weight?
Things don’t go smoothly when losing weight. For anyone. And that’s ok. Learn from your mistakes and just keep going.

The opposite of dieting
Nothing that I’ve said here should seem controversial to you. And yet, in many ways the advice that most women over 50 receive from diets is the complete opposite of this.
The ultimate lesson to be taken from this is to always focus on the long-term. Take your time, and make lasting, small changes that you know you will be able to stick with.

How to Lose Weight After Your Holiday

How many times have you come back from your summer holiday and promised to take action? But a few weeks later, you’re back to old habits and your weight is inching back up again?

This is a very common scenario so you’re certainly not alone. In fact, considering that two-thirds of the population in our society are overweight or obese, it’s probably fair to say that most people have no idea how to manage their weight.
So if you want to get a different result to most people, you need to do things differently. Here are 4 steps to successful post-holiday weight loss.

1. Think months instead of weeks.
Most people looking to lose weight after their holiday want to lose weight as quickly as possible. Who can blame them? But the fact is quick fixes don’t work.
The first step then is rather than aiming for miracles to unfold in ten days or less, you must think long-term.  Be prepared to invest a bit of time in getting this right.
A lifetime of struggling with your weight will not be transformed overnight. Most people know this, but still feel drawn to promises of quick fixes. Don’t be one of them.

2.  Say No to Deadlines.
A common mistake I see people make when losing weight is putting themselves under a deadline. I know a deadline is meant to force you to take action, but impatience for results is not compatible with long-term weight loss.
Weight loss is often unpredictable. Sometimes the weight falls quickly, other times it slows down or stops altogether. If you’re on a deadline, will you be ok with natural weight loss plateaus, or will you panic and try and starve yourself? (Starve yourself is the wrong answer!)

Small changes are best for long term weight loss

3. Small changes are best.
When it comes to losing weight, drastic changes are a disaster. They are often unpleasant and therefore unsustainable. Make small changes over time and you will be amazed at the results.
Some examples of small changes include:

• Cutting back food portions
• Replacing one snack
• Removing one temptation from your environment
• Going for a 5 minute walk.

Don’t fall into the trap of having to impress others with the changes you make. In the beginning, even if the changes seem tiny, it doesn’t matter. You’re building a habit. You’re creating a track record of success, that you can add to.

4.  Keep going.
You have to keep making small changes every week. If some changes don’t work, either jettison them or refine them.
Make more and more changes, and keep on track, no matter what happens. Even if you have a bad day, bad week or even a bad month, it doesn’t matter. Just keep going.
This is actually the hardest part of losing weight for the long-term. Most people will feel tempted multiple times to quit partway through. But keeping going is absolutely crucial to success.
The Difference
The temptation when you come back from your summer holiday is to try the latest fad diet. After all, that’s what everyone else is going to be doing.
But if you want results that are different from the usual yoyo dieting, then you need to take a different approach. You need to forget about how fast you can lose weight and instead concentrate how you can achieve weight loss that is long-term.

7 Ways To Create Your Own Meditation Room

Imagine having a room in your home that heals your mind, body and soul?  Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a special room inside (or outside) of your home that’s devoted to peace, tranquility and your emotional well-being? A room that allows you to escape the daily stresses of life and connect with a higher power?  A meditation room will give you a place to do exactly this.

We suggest that everyone should create a space in their homes for daily meditation; a space that provides you with the opportunity to recharge your body both physically and mentally, and keep you balanced. The benefits of meditation are still being uncovered, but all discoveries to date show that meditation has a rich healing, transformative power like no other. Some studies have shown that meditation actually has the power to change the way our brains work.

While there is not a specific set of rules that need to be followed when creating a meditation room, there are some things you should take into consideration. Take some inspiration from the following ten ways to create your own mediation room, but most importantly, follow your mind and heart, only putting in elements you love—elements that create a personal feeling of zen-like bliss.

Inside or out, every home needs a room to meditate.

1) Choose a Feel-Good Space

You want to pick a room in your home that makes you feel good. This means a room that, when you walk into it, makes you smile. In addition, you want it to be a quiet room in the house, and definitely a room with a limited amount of traffic.
When choosing the room, pay attention to the lighting as well. For instance, a room that has a lot of natural light will instantly enhance your mood. This means that you might want to choose a room that faces the sun for the time of day you plan to meditate. Or better yet, a room that has a sunset view—now that would be a gorgeous way to begin meditation!
If you cannot find a ‘room’ that possesses these qualities, consider an outdoor space. This may be your patio, your deck, or even your floral garden. You want a place that allows you to relax your mind and your body, without being distracting.

You want your meditation room to be a quiet, peaceful room.

2) Clean & Uncluttered

Speaking of distractions, there is nothing more distracting than a cluttered area, especially when you are trying to relax. You want to make sure there are minimal amounts of ‘extras’ in the room.
This means that you should not try setting up a meditation room in an office. There is too much going on in the space with a desk, papers, filing cabinets – not to mention the stressful thoughts that come with what’s in an office – work, bills, etc.
Consider emptying out the room to contain only a few elements. A few basic recommendations include a small table, a yoga mat, a throw rug, and a pillow for meditation.

Make sure your meditation room is clean and clutter-free.

3) Bring Nature Into Your Meditation Room

Nature is organically relaxing and healing, so it only makes sense that you bring some natural elements into the room where you want to relax and meditate. In fact, most believe that mediation is all about connecting yourself – mind and body – with nature and your surroundings. While it would be ideal to meditate outside in a calming, natural environment, it is not always possible if you live in a busy urban environment.
Consider adding touches of nature to your meditation room— it will instantly become infused with harmony and balance. You can choose any natural elements you prefer. This could be a plant (consider the scent of jasmine), a vase of cut flowers, jars filled with sand and seashells, or even a small water fountain.
In fact, a water fountain is a must for every mediation room.  If you can’t meditate on the beach while the sounds of the changing ocean tides fill your ears, at least a small, indoor waterfall will offer similar soothing sounds (and will drown out the sounds of the bustling city outside your doors).

Consider adding touches of nature to your meditation room— 

it will instantly become infused with harmony and balance.

4) Play Meditative Music

Although not a necessary element, music can be very relaxing for many individuals. This is particularly beneficial for those who live in a busy city area, where the sounds of traffic, trains, and sirens are constantly coming through the walls.

The meditative music, although quietly played in the background, can help drown out all the other distractions within the home, allowing you to gain a tranquil and peaceful state while meditating—similar to the sound of the water fountain.

When it comes time to choose the music, it is recommended that you choose music without lyrics. It does not necessarily have to be classical music, but any sounds you find soothing, such as ocean sounds, birds chirping, or the whistling sounds of the wind. Make sure the tracks are long enough to continue playing through your entire mediation session, and consider putting the sounds on repeat to avoid interruption.

If you are not lucky enough to meditate near the ocean, then consider listening to

the sounds of water through meditative background music. Image

5) Aromatherapy

Another element to consider in your mediation room is aromatherapy. The use of essential oils from plants, such as lavender, chamomile, and peppermint, can really soothe the soul, the mind, and the body.
From burning candles and incense, to heating oils, you can receive the benefits of aromatherapy while meditating. Not only does aromatherapy help you relax, but it also provides other benefits. This form of therapy is gaining momentum and is on its way to becoming a mainstream healing aide that is believed to stimulate brain function.
There has also been evidence to show it boosts the immune system, relieves muscle pain, and reduces or eliminates stress. These are all great reasons why you should include aromatherapy in your meditation room.

From burning candles and incense, to heating oils, you can receive the benefits

of aromatherapy while meditating.

6) Add a Personal Touch

When creating your mediation room, you definitely want to include some of your own personal touches. This can be any element, smell, sound, or object that particularly soothes your body and relaxes your mind.
Think of items, such as bells, chimes, crystals, a statue of Buddha, affirmation stones, beads, and artwork. Any of these are great elements for creating a serene and peaceful environment for you to focus solely on meditating.
Remember, however, that you do not want to overcrowd the space. It is important for a clean and clear environment to keep your mind open. Choose only a few pieces at a time, and swap them out for different ones now and again if you cannot decide.

When creating your mediation room, you definitely want to include some of your own personal touches

—things that calm you and make you happy. Image

7) Fresh Air is Important

Aside from the aromatherapy smells you have in the room, you also want to make sure you have fresh air. Fresh air has many benefits, including boosting your brainpower, improving your overall health, and helping you feel refreshed.
If your space is outdoors, this will not be difficult to obtain. However, if you are indoors, you want to make sure the room is well-ventilated, and you have the opportunity to experience a cool breeze now and again.
If you are in a room that does not have any windows or ceiling fans, consider bringing in a standing fan that also functions as an air purifier. Choose one that has ‘quiet’ technology, so that it does not interfere with your serene sounds.

The benefits of fresh air while meditating are key. Try to create a room outside,

but if not, then make sure your indoor room has great air circulation. Image

6 Essential Facts About Aspirin Therapy for Your Heart

Today more than 50 million people in the United States — or approximately 36 percent of the population — take low-dose aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke. If you’ve self-prescribed this potent medication, I urge you to stop taking aspirin now and get an accurate heart disease risk assessment.
If your doctor has recommended low-dose aspirin, you may still want to reconsider.

A study just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found that more than 1 in 10 patients in their review of over 68,000 individuals from 119 U.S. medical practices were inappropriately receiving aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Primary prevention means reducing the possibility of having a first heart attack or stroke. Inappropriate use was defined by primary CVD prevention guidelines as use of aspirin therapy in patients with a 10-year cardiovascular disease risk of less than 6 percent.

This study is important because mounting evidence shows that aspirin won’t reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke if you’re healthy and not at significant risk. Furthermore, if you’re at low risk, the potential dangers of cerebral (brain) hemorrhage and gastrointestinal (gut) bleeding outweigh any heart benefits the aspirin might provide.

Here are 6 essential things to consider when it comes to taking aspirin for heart health:
1. Aspirin should not be taken regularly without a reliable cardiovascular risk assessment by a knowledgeable doctor. As the study mentioned above made clear, many doctors are inaccurately evaluating their patients’ heart attack risk and inappropriately prescribing aspirin as a preventive. That’s in part because too many of these physicians rely on the outdated Framingham Risk Score. It’s important to realize that each person’s risk of heart attack or stroke depends on multiple factors, both known and unknown, and how they interact with each other. Simply relying on an algorithm or formula to determine risk isn’t enough. Doctors need to look for the disease itself by doing a simple, safe, and relatively inexpensive test.

Today, getting a noninvasive CT scan of your heart to look for coronary calcium is considered by most experts to be the best predictor of a future heart attack — better than all other risk factors combined. The result of this scan is called a calcium score, and it reflects the amount of atherosclerotic plaque that you’ve built up in your coronary arteries over a lifetime. The higher your calcium score, the more plaque in your arteries and the greater your risk of a future heart attack or stroke.

This risk assessment is essential when it comes to deciding whether to place a person on lifelong aspirin therapy. I urge you to ask your doctor about getting this test if you are a man or woman in your thirties with a family history of early heart disease; a man over age 40; or a woman over age 50 who is postmenopausal.
Recently, a study in the journal Heart found that while the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding increases with age, the protective benefits of aspirin therapy also increase and outweigh the risks in women (but not men) over age 65. Despite the results of this study, I would not prescribe aspirin to an older woman unless she had some plaque buildup in her arteries. In addition to a calcium score, I often use a scan of the carotid arteries to look for atherosclerosis in the arteries leading to the brain in older adults.

2. If you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, taking aspirin could save your life.

Reducing the risk of additional heart attacks or strokes is known as secondary prevention. In patients who have had a heart attack or stroke, or who have other evidence of coronary artery disease, such as angina, a coronary bypass operation, or coronary angioplasty, the known benefits of aspirin for secondary prevention outweigh the bleeding risk.

3. If you have diabetes, you don’t necessarily need to take preventive aspirin.

The American Diabetes Association recommends aspirin therapy for primary prevention only in patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes who have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (and no previous history of vascular disease) and who are not at an increased risk for bleeding. This includes men over 50 and most women over 60. In my patients with diabetes, I always recommend getting a calcium score to more accurately determine cardiovascular disease risk. Just because you have diabetes doesn’t mean you have plaque buildup. If you have diabetes, discuss aspirin therapy with your physician.

4. If your CVD risk is high enough for you to be on a statin, you should also be taking aspirin.

The reason: The drugs act differently. Aspirin does not lower cholesterol nor does it prevent the development of plaque the way a statin does. Rather, it’s an anti-platelet agent that limits the ability of platelets to clot, preventing them from becoming large enough to block blood vessels and cause a heart attack or stroke. Because aspirin reduces your blood’s ability to clot, your doctor may advise you to stop taking aspirin at least five days before any surgery, test, or dental procedure that may cause bleeding. Do not suddenly stop taking aspirin without talking to your doctor.

5. Aspirin is a powerful drug.

Even taking baby aspirin at a dose of 81 milligrams daily can increase your risk for cerebral (brain) hemorrhage and gastrointestinal bleeding in the esophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum, or anus by two to four times. That’s why you should never take aspirin without an accurate risk assessment. Furthermore, buffered and enteric-coated aspirin do not eliminate your risk of developing an ulcer. Aspirin can also interact with other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), or Motrin; blood-thinning medications such as warfarin (Coumadin); and antiplatelet medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix) or ticlopidine (Ticlid).

Red-flag symptoms of a bleed can include, but are not limited to, vomiting red blood, which can indicate upper GI bleeding; vomiting dark brown, granular material that resembles coffee grounds, which results from upper GI bleeding that has slowed or stopped; and black tarry or bloody stools. If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

6. Aspirin is not a magic bullet.

Healthy lifestyle measures can help prevent a heart attack or stroke better than aspirin, especially if you begin them early enough in life. Make an effort to eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy weight.
And by all means stop smoking, if you do.
The bottom line: Never self-prescribe aspirin and make sure you get an accurate assessment of your heart disease risk. Only then will you — and your doctor — really know if the benefits of aspirin truly outweigh its risks.

This Article was originally posted
By Arthur Agatston, MD
Cardiologist and Medical Director of Wellness and Prevention for Baptist Health South Florida 

Awful Underground Pimples? I Found the Perfect Cure

I told you I'd be writing about my skin struggles, and here I am, delivering the goods. While it's slightly (all right fine it's really) embarrassing to be a 28-year-old professional with the same acne woes of a middle schooler, I know you feel my pain—so let's do this, shall we?

Pimples. I get 'em. All different kinds, too, because one skin ailment just wouldn't be enough! And what I've learned over the many, many years trying to attack and prevent and essentially scare them away is that they all respond to different methods of treatment. My medicine cabinet is a veritable chemical lab of ointments and lotions and creams the likes of which would make Walter White giddy with glee.

I should pause here to say I'm not really a Get Thee To A Dermatologist girl. Don't get me wrong, I love the miracles a doctor can work (and before you get all riled up I do get my annual mole check—keep your cool, mom). And some issues just require a professional's help. So I guess what I really mean is I'm not the type to dash off to the derm at the slightest topographical disturbance...because I'd be there once a week.

Instead I'm much more of a Let's See What We Can Find On Our Oddyssean Journey To The Drug Store kind of girl, on a lifelong quest for over-the-counter cures. For the most part I've had good success (Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Lotion is the fastest fix I've ever found for the more typical spots, including prescription stuff), but the Holy Grail has always eluded me.

You know what I'm talking about. Something that will treat the scariest monster of skin care. The dreaded beast that shows up whenever it pleases and lingers for weeks. The deep, painful, underground spot that is: cystic acne.

In a completely unscientific survey of people I know, it seems everyone has encountered one of these at some point. (Even the people with annoyingly blemish-free skin.) For women, cystic acne is often hormonal, focused on the lower half of the face, and just generally awful.

My usual method of coping with one of these underground spots is as follows:

• an immediate emotional crisis upon feeling the initial soreness of a forming spot
• excessive use of concealer to trick myself into forgetting it's there
• about a week of "being strong" and "not bothering it" while I slather it with anything and everything in my arsenal, way more frequently than advised
• a dark period in which I may or may not break down and pick at it
• regret
• more concealer
• and then a week or two of awkward, gradual, hard-to-cover healing

I've gone through this cycle more times than I can count, as have many friends, and many fellow subway riders in whom I recognize the sad resignation of "hey I just have to carry this thing around on my face for a while."

No more. I am here to show you the light.

I actually resisted writing this story (because let's be honest: This is more personal info than you or I ever intended for you to know about me), but the product I've been using is so good that I decided I had to suck it up and share. I hope to go down in history as a brave and selfless hero.

Renee Rouleau's Anti-Cyst Treatment has changed everything. I started using it last week, when yet another dreaded spot began to form deep beneath my skin, and I swear to you it went away in two days. TWO DAYS. That's less time than it takes me to finally wash off the remnants of Saturday night's eyeliner. And we're talking about a spot that usually unpacks a bag and gets comfy before going anywhere.

Renee Rouleau

Interestingly, the formula is much more watery than anything I've used before, and features lactic acid as opposed to acne's more common warriors salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. It dries completely clear, feels like nothing, and, when used twice a day, delivers exactly what it promises.

It is a bit on the pricey side, at $41.50 a bottle, but anyone who's suffered the tyranny of a cyst will get it when I say "worth it" doesn't even come close. The only other downside I can think to report is that my skin has been a little flakey from being dried out, but honestly, I care 0.23% considering how much better life is on the other side.

Try it and report back. May the blissfully cyst-free force be with you.