Why French Fries are OK after 50.

Looks like eating more fruits and vegetables is the not-so-surprising secret to weigh control for older women.

Look at this sassy crowd in Aspen. Nice flowers and big glasses of  wine.
And notice the yellow caution tape near the burger and fries.

 Ladies, it's just not fair.

It’s a common complaint as waistlines widen with advancing birthdays especially for post-menopausal women, ‘I’m eating the same but the numbers on the scale just keep creeping higher.’

What’s not the same, unfortunately, is the body’s metabolic rate, which naturally slows down with age. Add to that a lifestyle that’s often less active and you’ve got the math to prove that calories-in versus calories-out can tip the scales in the wrong direction.

 Sure, you can step up the exercise regime and vow never to order dessert again. But, according to a new study of nearly 500 overweight women in their 50’s and 60’s it’s what they were adding to their meals that ultimately helped them lose weight and keep it off.

Bethany Barone Gibbs, PhD, and colleagues at The University of Pittsburgh studied the eating habits of women who lost weight over the short-term (six months) and the long-term (four years).

Bethany Barone Gibbs, PhD University of Pittsburgh Department of Health and Physical Activity
She is adorable! Listen to her discuss this study in a podcast on website of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

The highly motivated dieters in the six-month group ate fewer desserts and fried foods, drank fewer sugar-sweetened beverages and ate more seafood.

Steamed shrimp with a squeeze of lemon: girl's best friend.

Here's Why You'll Never Say No to Broccoli Again. 

After four years the women were still saying ‘no’ to pie and soda fairly often but the habit that emerged as the most powerful predictor for long-term weight loss was eating more fruits and vegetables followed by eating less meat and cheese.

We said eating LESS meat and cheese, Liz!
OH, well you look fabulous. I'm sure there's an apple and carrots sticks in your Hermes bag. 

Good news for especially Southerners- they weren’t necessarily skipping fried foods.

 “People are so motivated when they start a weight loss program,” explains Barone Gibbs. “You can say, ‘I’m never going to eat another piece of pie,’ and you see the pounds coming off. Eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake. But that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, because it’s not as hard to do as giving up French fries forever.” 

OK, we said still eating fried foods, not as the main event on the plate. This is enough fries to share with three women.
Meal Makeover: more fish, more fresh mango salsa and fewer fries. Don't use the tartar sauce. Ask for more lemons.

During the four year study the number of times dieters ate out in restaurants declined, but Barone Gibbs chalks that up to the downturn in the economy not a sign that eating out less is linked to weight loss. Get it? The"I'm not eating out as much" trend wasn't part of a diet plan, it was a fiscal plan.

Easy Add for Losing

The "How Women over 50 stay slim" weight control study published in the September 2012 issue of The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that adding just two servings of fruits and vegetables to a daily diet was linked to a three-pound weight loss four years later. This may not sound like much, but keep in mind that most folks gain weight every year. It turns out the small changes we can sustain over the long haul make the biggest difference in life long weight control.

So a perfect meal for me would be a big green salad, grilled fish with lemon and no yup, French fries.

Tips on Dining Out with the Forever Svelte Set

Stick with lean fish, seafood and animal proteins, simply prepared; always include mushrooms if possible-- for their substantial meaty texture, enormous health benefits, and umami characteristics than enhance flavor of whatever they're eaten with. 

And champagne of course...the bubbles fill you up!!!!

Gina Christman, Publisher of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle Magazine


I like restaurants that offer half portions. I also like to order a broth based soup and share an entree. Or order salad and appetizer for my entree. Nothing revolutionary!

Chris Rosenbloom, registered dietitian and professor of nutrition emeritus, Georgia State University

Girlfriend, been cycling at Flywheel since March so weight is not an issue. Drag by butt there every other day so I can drink like a lush & eat anything I want. LOL Finally a plan that works for moi...

 Aida Flamm, fabulous fashion savvy world traveling furniture importer

Always have a green salad to start. Grilled food, no sauces, veggies instead of carbs, appetizer instead of entree andshared or two bite shot glass dessert. 

Kathleen Zelman, registered dietitian and Director of Nutrition for WebMD.

 You go girls! 

Does this tree make me look skinny?