For healthy longevity don't let your muffin top rule you

Boomers having fun

Judi, a 51-year old baby boomer, writes a blog called aboomerslifeafter50.blogspot.com. In a recent blog that Judi posted on VibrantNation.com, Judi expounds on something Wanda Skyes talked about on her HBO special a few weeks ago – this being Wanda’s “Esther.”

An “Esther” is Wanda’s pet name for her muffin top which is a roll, or a series of rolls, that seemingly just appear around mid-life in the region north of the belly button. These rolls cause women (and maybe men?) angst, frustration, and endless searching for the diet, exercise program, piece of clothing apparel (or all of the above) that will banish the “Esther” (“Ethel” for Judi) to the land of mid-life indignities.

Women on VibrantNation.com responded to Judi’s distress with her “Ethel” with suggestions for how to smash that muffin top into little muffin crumbs.

One woman mentioned Pamela Peeke, MD, author of “Fight Fat after Forty.” Dr. Peeke says, “Midlife weight gain is common. Many Americans gain a pound or so every year as they make their way through young adulthood.”

As for the reasons for mid-life weight gain, Dr. Peeke says, “Hormones account for only two to five pounds of weight gained – the rest is the result of overeating, poor lifestyle choices – such as not exercising enough – and stress.”

Dr. Peeke says there are three keys for weight control: mind, mouth, and muscle.

Use your mind to control your stress. Only eat whole foods and lean protein (when in doubt about a serving size, cut it in half). Weight train to increase muscle (keep track of body fat – for a man 40+, he should have a body fat percentage of between 18 to 25%, for a woman 40+, she should have a body fat percentage between 22 to 27%; body fat is measured by weight and height – ask your doctor).

For those of you who are doing everything mostly right and want to “raise your bottom line,” Spanx undergarments and Not Your Daughter’s Jeans will suck in what’s left of your muffin top.

Remember, people want to be with people who take life lightly and know how to have fun – muffin top and all.