Five Tips for Losing Weight and Keeping it Off

Weight = 177.6 lbs, slight step backward

Coinage = $.59, regression effect with yesterday’s $3.92.

Best Find = a curb quarter, quarters are hard to find on the street.

Topic: Five tips for keeping weight off, especially if you are 50 or older

You’ve lost weight, now how do you keep it off?  Borrowing from the National Weight Control Registry, people once diagnosed as seriously overweight or morbidly overweight, but who have lost 69 lbs or more and kept their weight off for ten years have all followed a similar four-point path to avoid the yo-yo factor (losing weight then putting it back on.) 

One:      Eat breakfast every day. (For forty-five years and older folks, a high protein breakfast is important for metabolism.)

Two:      Weigh on a reliable consistent scale at least once a week. (I recommend ever day weighing for higher accountability.

Three:   Exercise by walking or similar aerobic program one hour each day.  (At about age 55, the walking program should be at least four times weekly and a resistive exercise program three times weekly)

Four:     Follow a low calorie/low fat diet.  (Track your food intake with a journal and count calories.  Limit eating out and when you do share portions and bring food home.)

If you want to lose weight, follow the same plan.  If you are 45 or older, add a fifth component, follow a three-time weekly resistive exercise  and stretching program.  After 45 years, muscle metabolism slows dramatically and continues over the balance of your life.  Muscles turn to fat and worse, the calories formally burned by a healthy metabolism are left to accumulate as general fat, often belly fat.  However, a resistive exercise program can dramatically facilitate a healthy metabolism rate.

Keeping muscles strong requires systematic protein consumption.  As for protein, 45 and older need 46 grams (women) and 56 (men) grams respectively each day.  For example, good sources for a man include 1) glass of milk, 8 grams; 2) 3 oz of meat, 21 grams; 3) cup of dry beans, 16 grams; and 4) 8 oz of yogurt, 11 grams.

Review the MoneyWalker’s recent blog about how to start and maintain a resistive exercise program.

MoneyWalker

Hi, My Name is Edward Eason

Weight = 176.8 lbs., won't celebrate yet, but the 175s are in sight.

Coinage = $3.74, quarters were in all the money hot spots

Best find = "trail along" coins, two dimes, a nickel, and three pennies over a thirty foot stretch of curb as if someone had a hole in their pocket.

The MoneyWalker Meets Edward Eason

During my seventy decades, today was the first time I've introduced myself to a person with the last name Eason.  Gridlocks aside, and that he was obviously a member of the MidCity nobility, the MoneyWalker (aka Bob Eason) was excited.  The meeting started the same way, "Do you have a couple of quarters you can spare?"  Not really a question but an entree into his next response after he noticed the bait had been taken, "Or anything that you can spare."  I stopped digging after $1.10, my usual limit.  He took my questions nicely. He had a military background;he had lived all around; he was a percussionist; he was 43 but looked younger; he was articulate giving signs of a good education; he had a government permanent disability pension; and he was homeless.  We talked some about my walks and how much money people leave on the ground. Then I bid farewell and wished him the best.  "You too, you're a cool dude." he said. 

Not immediate relatives, but neither of our ancestors came through Ellis Island.

MoneyWalker

Donald Pushed Back

Weight = 177.4 lbs.; holding on in spite of Ms. S making chocolate chip cookies.

Coinage found = $1.92; two different quarter curb finds.

No GPS data, phone was dead

Topic: Donald Pushes Back

Recently the Moneywalker has been embracing the “nobles of MidCity” New Orleans.  Rather than turn these street residents away, if they ask for “bus money,” and if I have change from the walk, it is offered.  I always introduce myself and ask for their name.  Eye contact and a brief conversation are encouraged.  Smugly, I felt their humanity, and mine, were being enhanced. 

Turns out, exchanging aspects of humanity is a tricky transaction.  For example, on the walk, a gentleman was getting out of a streetcar and heading directly toward me.  Central casting would not have used him—way over the top even for Hollywood; old tennis shoes with no laces, beltless pants held up with his hand, matted hair, and unshaven.

Certain that he would ask for a handout, I preemptedly offered him four quarters. 

MoneyWalker: “Sir, could you use this change?”

Noble: without a preamble of thanks but with a certain swagger stated, “This money is just in time.”

MoneyWalker: “My name is Bob, what is yours?”

Noble: with a street nuance mumbled “Donald.”

MoneyWalker: not understanding, “Pardon, I missed that.”

Noble: with some impatience spelled, “D-o-n-a-l-d.”

MoneyWalker: sensing the humanity transaction was nearing an end, “Well, nice meeting you Donald.”

And thus the episode closed.  If the MoneyWalker’s ego  needed a little appreciation, it was not Donald’s problem.  Somehow the word patronizing surfaced, regardless of one’s status in life, no one wants to be patronized.

MoneyWalker

Joys of A Familiar Walk

Weight = 177.4 lbs. and holding

Coinage = $2.67, best find, two quarters at a car wash.

Distance traveled = 4.01 miles (distance and other data calculated by Nike Cell Phone Ap)

Calories Burned = 399, Note: data now shows a great rule of thumb, one mile equals 100 calories regardless of speed or walking, running, jogging modality.

Average speed of walk = 18.36 minutes a mile

Blog Feature: Joys of A Familiar Walk, (What the MoneyWalker will now call a Drabble Walk named after novelist Margaret Drabble.)

Says Drabble, “There was something more than the daily pleasures of streets well trodden, faces well known, small moments of architectural madness and felicity amidst acres of monotony.  There was some inexplicable grace…” from Part One, The Needles Eye

Like the orange man says, a good walk is great for mending the blues.

MoneyWalker

Center For Diseases Update on Resistive Exercise

Weight = 177.4 lbs, a good weigh-in.
Money Found = $2.12, three good finds including two quarters in a newspaper machine and 2 curb dimes.
Ground Score = a half-full container of charcold lighting fluid and a decorative wall hook.
GPS data = Miles, 3.58; time, 1:09.54; Calories 358

Comment:  An update from Center For Diseases Control stated that in the last five years American adults have begun to exercise more with about half meeting CDC's recommended cardiopulmonary aerobic bouts.  Some bad news, only about 20 percent are meeting the resistive exercise stretching recommendations. 

MoneyWalker

A Resistive Exercise and Stretching System for "Young" Seniors With Incentive System

Bench for bar bells

Stationary bike

Dumbbells and free weights storage

Mat for stretching with graded rubber stretch bands

Token incentive system



Developing a Ten Station Inexpensive Barbell and Dumbbell Resistive Exercise Training Program

With Stretching Including an External Incentive System for “Young” Senior Adults

1.       Select six permanent exercises, one for each major muscle group, two resistive exercises  (RE) from  10 rotating RE exercises, and two  mat stretches such as  hamstrings  and neck/hips.  (Buy a book or use internet.  Be cautious of RE systems for “old people.”  The authors sometimes patronize older adults.  Gerontologists label those 65 to 75 as “young old.”  Young old are not usually building “six pack abs” but attempting to maintain strong muscles for elevating the metabolism and for balance and posture.  Thus a ten station RE program lasting less than an hour is ideal for this goal.

2.       The major muscle groups include the back, upper arms, shoulders,  chest, thighs, and abdomen.  Use books or internet to select one RE for each muscle group.  Sometimes a given RE will exercise more than one muscle group.

3.       Use a set/repetition/intensity/duration formula.  For example, two sets, of eight repetitions, at 65  lbs, 3 days a week using barbells to do “bench press.” 

4.       Resistance is increased by adding more repetitions, more weight, or optionally,  additional sets.  One set is performing a RE 8 times.  Intensity is the amount of weight in pounds lifted once.  The eighth lift should exhaust the muscle so that a ninth lift would be very difficult.  Wait one minute and complete the second set of the RE.  Duration refers to three  RE workouts  a week with at least one day of rest between RE bouts. 

5.       Reps formula by muscle groups

a.       “How many reps formula” for most  muscles groups (chest, back, shoulders, upper arms) begins with 8 repetitions, then 10, stops at 12, then resistance is increased by adding more weight  in five pound increments.

b.      Abdominal  muscles, repetitions gradation are 25-50, 51-75, 76-100 reps (sit-ups is an example)

c.       Stretches can start with 4 repetitions (see instructions from book or internet)

6.       For each weight selected, determine starting “intensity” using approximately30% to 40% of total body weight. For example, 180 lbs times .35% = 63 lbs. Because the standard 6’ bar weighs  approximately 15 lbs., round up to 65 lbs. so as to keep balance when adding  two ten lbs weights for a 65 lbs total lift.  The lifter should be able to lift this 8 times, rest one minute, and complete a second set.

7.       Perform stations according to renderings and instructions of selected exercises placed on a weight room bulletin board.

8.       Build a home gym with a bench, barbells, dumbbells, floor mat,  rubber stretching strap, bulletin board, & flexibility rubber strap ; or join a gym.  Used equipment bought through newspaper ads or garage sales is a good way to start.

9.       Develop a reward system based on “participation” and  “performance.”  But allow participation to be the main source of the incentive system with performance providing nominal bonus points.

10.   A sample scientifically validated extrinsic-based incentive system follows:

a.       For a resistive exercise workout, perform six permanent, two rotating, and two stretches for a total of ten exercises.  Each station performed twice (two sets) according to formula receives one point; thus, a fully completed 10 station work-out earns ten points.

b.      One bonus point may be obtained by increasing the exercise by two reps.

c.       One bonus point may be obtained when adding weights to one of six permanent exercises. ( See one above)

d.      Plateaus include 100 points, 250 points, 500 points, and 1000 points

e.      Rewards:  (points are accumulative, that is the first one hundred points gains a modest reward but the 100 points continue to accumulate toward the 250 point plateau where a more significant reward is gained; then 500; then 1000 and start over.  Create your own specific rewards  from modest to major.)

                                                               i.      100 points: i. movie ii. Trip to Barnes and Nobel  iii. A new book, iv. other

                                                             ii.      250 points: i. 3 star restaurant ,  ii. A traveling Broadway show, iii. other

                                                            iii.      500 points: i. power tool from Sears/HD/Lowes, ii. Out-of-town trip, iii,  other

                                                           iv.      1000 points: i. major destination trip, ii. New weight system for the gym, iii. other.