I do not consider myself “old” at 50, but the fact is at this age I have read that I do need more exercise to keep the flab off.  New research says just how much exercise a woman will need to keep flab off as they age – and it is a lot more than I wanted to hear!

For women who do not want to diet, an hour of moderate exercise or activity a day is needed.  Between 25 and 55 years of age most of us gain 1.5 pounds each year.  Considering there are 24 hours in a day, I decided 1 hour was doable.

For some of us who have extra weight right now even more exercise is needed to avoid gaining weight without eating less.  It’s something we all have to work at – it’s not easy – if it were we would all be skinny.  Any amount of exercise is good for your health so don’t throw in the towel if you are not able to do an hour a day.

Note: Men require less exercise to maintain body weight so if the men in your life are telling you they are working harder than you, they probably aren’t.

Losing weight is very complex and you need to find out exactly what works for you and then stay with it.  It’s all about energy balance.  To gain a significant amount of weight over many years, it takes a very small imbalance.

The best idea is not to battle weight gain by exercise alone.  Cutting calories along with exercise is a good idea.  Remember that exercise also protects against chronic disease and keeps the heart healthy even if it isn’t enough to help you lose the weight you want.

Here’s a sad fact: Eating a candy bar can take about 2 minutes, most are about 200 calories, but to burn that candy bar off takes about an hour of walking.

Also, do not starve yourself.  Watch what you eat and avoid frequent indulgences.  Chips, alcohol, candy, etc., can add up very quickly without even realizing it.

I found all of this information very interesting and helpful for me.  I know we have read and heard these things all of our lives but at the time you decide that you really want to succeed at weight loss, this information will come in very handy.  I was really motivated after reading about this today.  I read one article that talked about 7 tips for successful weight loss.

Good luck and let me know if you have any other suggestions or anything to add to this information.