50 and up, sexy and hot

I  know…. but I needed a catchy title 🙂

At the age of 53 I feel more confident, happy and healthy than I ever have in my life. For me, life began when I started to focus on myself, my wants and needs. By putting myself first I was able to be there for others, I mean really be there – not only physically but emotionally. I found that I had become emotionally bankrupt by only doing things required by me and not making time to do things that rejuvenated and replenish my soul. I felt something was missing in my life but couldn’t quite put my finger on it….

I found a wonderful woman’s forum on-line that helped me to focus on myself, where I flourished.  I grew in that forum and became a support system for other women. This sparked something in me – the love of helping other women find what it is that is holding them back from reaching happiness and helping them find the balance to get there.

One of the things I’ve learned as a women over 50 and in full menopause is this – you can still look and feel good in the skin your in…. I have a deep love and appreciation for where I am in my life today – what a gift.

Let’s talk a little about metabolism and weight loss as women over 50.  Yes, as we age our metabolism does slows down, but not for the reason you may think…. As we age we naturally loose muscle mass. Muscle burns calories at a higher rate than fat, so it would make sense that with a loss of muscle mass our metabolism would slow down right? Resistance training is key to increasing our metabolic rate – it tones the body, clears the mind and increases our energy… Another golden nugget her for us ladies is that weight bearing exercises increase bone density – this is key in fighting osteoporosis….. we want our bones strong so that if we fall we don’t break.

Also, our caloric intake is linked to our metabolic rate – the more you eat, the more energy your body needs to exert to process those calories….  but here is the catch….there needs to be balance – 100 calories of lean protein vs 100 calories in a twinkey isn’t the same.  It does not get absorbed into the body in the same way – so you do need to be conscious of the types of food you are putting in your body.

Lastly, I found to nourish my soul I need to pamper myself…. this goes from wearing a beautiful silk robe, to getting massages, taking hot baths with lavender Epsom salt, to taking long walks with my sweet dog Chula Bella, Kayaking, doing yoga, or tapping into my creative side and just doodling… Stop and think for a minute – what is it that you use to love to do that you’ve stopped because life got to busy? How can you pamper yourself? Do you feel stuck physically? Are you exercising? Are you consuming foods that will nourish your body?

This is just the tip of the iceberg, stay tuned for more ways to be 50 and up – Sexy and Hot!!

* The photos you see here were taken by two amazing women at fantasy photo in Arlington mass.  This is the second time I’ve worked with them, the first time was right before I turned 50…. Those ones I took for me 😉  If you are looking to do something wonderful for yourself I highly suggest doing this – I felt alive, beautiful and fierce…