Healthy Habits 2: More Ways I Lost Weight After 40

healthy habits 2: how I lost weight after 40

This is my Healthy Habits 2-part series – read part 1 here.

Like many people, I struggled to lose weight after I turned forty. I would lose three pounds, then gain five, lose two, then gain one. I knew if I was going to break the cycle, I had to make changes – and not just any changes. Whatever I decided to do needed to be both systemic enough to make a difference as well as simple enough to be sustainable. In part 1 here, I share how I changed what (and more recently when) I ate. In part 2 below, I share my other healthy habits.

Healthy Habits 2:

Healthy Habit: Staying Hydrated

My doctor has been telling me for years that I need to drink more water. I am often not very thirsty, so this is usually a challenge for me – especially in the colder winter months. I strive to drink two liters of sparkling water using this. When I find that it’s too cold for me to consider that, I switch to hot water with a touch of honey and lemon, which I can drink at a more reasonable pace in colder weather. I also mix in a few unsweetened, flavored sparkling drink options, like LaCroix, to help keep me going.

Healthy Habit: Drinks for Special Occasions

This was one of the biggest changes I made, and now that I have, I don’t miss it one bit. I cut out the midweek glass of wine with dinner, the “just because” cocktail, and the weekend mimosa with no occasion. I have not skipped out on happy hour with the girls, a Valentine’s Day toast, or other celebrations.

This has helped me enjoy and savor the beverage I am having, and it has certainly cut some empty calories out as well! I do have some recipes that require a cup of wine or so – I used to open the entire bottle and then I would just “have” to drink the rest! Now, I try to keep some high-quality wine cans on hand – I use what I need in the recipe and then I do allow myself the remaining (usually few) sips.

Healthy Habit: Fun Fitness

I am fortunate to have several high-energy, creative cardio dance teachers to choose from each week. My goal each week is three or four hour-long classes. Because I enjoy the classes so much, this feels less like work and is typically a lot of fun. When I actually take a lunch break at school, I try to spend half of it, about 15 minutes, doing a full lap around the perimeter of the campus, which conveniently is almost exactly a mile. I grab a nearby colleague and we’re off – a few minutes to catch up with each other, (and often troubleshoot a challenging case), and to get the heart rate up as well.

Healthy Habit: Wear “Skinny” Clothes

This last one may seem a little counter-intuitive, but so far, it’s worked. Now, I’m not talking about skinny jeans and tube tops. Rather than lean on the looser fitting items in my closet, I’ve been selecting more with slimmer fits. Now it’s winter, so these outfits are often layered – (usually with leggings!) – but the base piece may now be a pencil skirt rather than a flared one, or a sheath rather than a swing dress. This has helped me keep momentum in my new habits, and it has motivated to skip the drink/cookie/extra serving/donut that may be tempting me in a given moment.