Can you enjoy the process of shopping, cooking and eating to lose weight and feel great? Who wants to be on a restrictive diet and miss out on all the fun?
People of all ages and lifestyles are finding ways to enjoy great food and a full “foodie” lifestyle without weight gain or unhealthy eating habits. Among the fastest-growing groups to find ways to enjoy culinary diversity and stay healthy are the baby boomers, some of whom have chosen the “fit foodie” approach. Fit foodies have a deep interest in the culinary arts, enjoy eating out, love to cook, explore new ingredients and embrace the world of food as one of life’s great pleasures. At the same time, they like to be active, play sports, exercise and stay aware of health issues. This huge number of active, vital, adventuresome, full-of-life fun-seekers has been dubbed the “Zoomer Boomers” — the active generation.
This group — and people of all ages and backgrounds — have discovered how to have their cake and eat it too while maintaining great low-fat bodies, robust health and high energy. They are the envy of their couch-potato peers who struggle with age- and obesity-related health issues, increased medical costs, numerous doctor visits and hospital stays and even early death. How do you join this exclusive club? It’s never too late and you’re never too old to get back in shape and enjoy all the fun life has to offer.
Here is the Fit Foodie Manifesto, the principles fit foodies follow to enjoy a lifestyle that brings satisfaction, fulfillment and fun. Follow this guide, and you can enjoy living your best life in a body you’re proud of every day.
1. Don’t follow conventional diet advice that most other Americans are listening to. Skip the latest diet book from a celebrity or “expert guru.”
2. The fit foodie (FF) follows the 80/20 rule of eating — 80 percent of the time, he or she is eating a wide variety of lean meats, fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains and fish. He or she limits the amount of processed foods, sweets and flour-based products to maintain a favorable fat-burning environment in the body. He or she eats until about 80 percent full and then saves room for his or her next meal, which usually happens in another two or three hours. The FF practices intermittent eating of small meals throughout the day to maintain steady blood-sugar levels and high energy with minimal chance for fat storage. The other 20 percent of the time, the FF enjoys his or her special treats in moderation — restaurant meals, decadent indulgences and fine wines. This 20 percent also allows for hectic schedules when eating nutritionally is almost impossible — work meetings, traveling, holidays, family dinners and other factors that are out of our control.
3. Recognize trigger foods and create boundaries. We all have foods that give us trouble, and of which we have failed in the past to control portions and quantities. The “can’t-eat-just-one” syndrome comes into play with this food. Abstinence is the best policy sometimes. When making a choice around your trigger food, think historically, not calorically.
4. Recognize emotional and stress-related eating issues. Don’t use food as a way to medicate difficult situations, hurt feelings or emotions.
5. Use your talents and applied strengths from other areas of life to achieve the best eating and exercise discipline. People who think they have terrible discipline need to change the story in their heads and “act as if” they had it. The acting out will soon cancel out the story that has held them back for many years.
Making eating a positive, exciting and manageable part of a full life while staying healthier every day can happen if you take positive charge of the role food plays in your life!
Jim Hart is a registered personal trainer at 12th Street Gym. For more information on Jim and more than 30 other top trainers at 12th Street Gym, visit www.12streetgym.com.
