Belly Fat after "a certain age"

About a week ago, I joined a site called SparkPeople (strange name but awesome resources and support). I started a blog there, and I've decided to share some of it here:

This is something I never had to worry about much when I was younger. If I kept my weight within a healthy range, my figure looked grrrreat! But here at "a certain age", I find that fat likes to collect around my mid-section, whether I'm up or down 10-20 pounds (the same 10-20 pounds I've played around with for a lifetime). And it's more than just wanting to look good in my clothes (which I do want with all my heart). Waist to hip ratio is an indicator of how likely we are to stay healthy and has been related to catastrophic diseases like cancer and heart disease. This ratio can signal problems, even if your BMI is in the healthy range. (OMG!) After menopause, women are much more likely to gain fat around their mid-sections. There are lots of "waist-to-hip" ratio calculators online. Just Google them to find one you like to work with and bookmark it.

My ratio right now is .87, which they say makes me an "avocado" and is healthier than an "apple" but not as healthy as a "pear". I'm over 50, and I don't smoke; I may have a glass of wine or a light beer once or twice a week, and my jeans are a size 4, 6, or 8, depending on the brand and where I am with the 10-20 pounds. I lead a sedentary life, working a good deal at my computer at home.

Soooo, I decided to share my progress in beating the battle of the midriff bulge. I've been researching online, but of course that's complicated by all the ads that want to sell me magic pills and magical 3 minute workouts that will solve the problem. I've been around the block a time or two, and I've learned that there's not a quick and dirty way to lose any type of weight. I've looked into how the Glycemic Index and Estrogen Dominance affect belly fat, along with some other studies I'll be sharing. I'm getting back into water aerobics and cardio floor classes at the fitness center near my home. I'm also walking on my treadmill and using my Ab Cruncher for 100 daily crunches, even though studies show that ab crunching is not the way to get rid of tummy fat. I figure it can't hurt to firm things up a bit, anyway. I've also ordered a book and some nutrients that I will share here once I've had a chance to check them out. I'm enjoying the SparkPeople site immensely. I've got almost every nutrient listed in my nutrition page so I can check them daily against my food intake. I eat very, very healthy, but I'm a carbo-holic, and I fall off the wagon sometimes. Wish me luck in my latest quest!

migraine

Migraine: "A neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily perceptions, headaches, and nausea. The typical migraine headache is unilateral and pulsating, lasting from 4 to 72 hours; symptoms include nausea, vomiting, photophobia (increased sensitivity to bright light), and hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sound...."

This is part of Wikipedia's definition of migraine..........72 hours? I wish that had been my longest one. Back in the day, when I was going to specialists right and left, trying everything I could research to find the cure for my blinding, marathon headaches, the longest one lasted 3 weeks, that's day and night, taking meds, no relief. During that chapter of my life, I came to know why some people take their own lives out of desperation. My migraine journal shows I had one 70% of the time; that's the close the blinds, keep all the noises down, ice pack on my head in bed, and crawling to the toilet to barf variety. We couldn't make plans because I'd probably be unable to go, and I wouldn't let Jim tell the neighbors I was in bed with a migraine when they asked where I was because I didn't want to be known as that poor woman who always has a migraine.

And I didn't make a very good guinea pig for my doctor at the Arkansas Headache Clinic who was more interested in gathering statistics for her medical journal articles than she was in curing patients. I still have tubs full of meds that didn't work, just to remind me in case I ever am tempted to try them again. Most of them put me into a zombified state, so I didn't stick with them, telling her that on the rare day when I didn't have a migraine, I would like to spend it in my right mind. But it's my cynical view of medicine that in most instances it's more in the medical profession's interest to keep us alive and ailing than it is to cure any disease.

Ok, so today's topic isn't uplifting, and I should add that along the way, I've gained partial control of my migraines, beginning when I discovered (with the help of a book called The Maker's Diet by Dr. Jordan Rubin) that my addiction and my trigger were one and the same: sugar. Well, actually all junk food because I also can't do white flour, MSG, added chemicals that I can't pronounce, etc. Basically, if it tastes wickedly delicious, I should spit it out. But at one time, I was so addicted to Coca Colas that I had a little fridge beside my bed so I could have my first one of the day before I got out of bed. These days, I rely on Perrier for my fizz fix. In our society it's soooo much easier, less expensive, and basically more fun, to eat like a junkfood junkie.

So, how did I get the migraine that knocked me for a loop last night and has me woozy from the Maxalt today? Like a child who keeps thinking she'll get away with it this time, I relapsed at the cookout yesterday and ate forbidden food.......not copious quantities, just 2 or 3 slices of grilled boudin sausage, a brownie, stuff like that, as I grazed with everyone else over the tables of holiday food. And yes, I'm feeling sorry for myself today........ I envy people who don't have to worry about living it up occasionally, but I'll get over it. Hopefully I'll be back Monday, working out at the fitness center, and I'll make better food choices.........maybe forever.