Male Middle Age Spread

Hey you in the mirror! You’re surely not me….. are you?  Yikes – I used to look good in Speedos!  Just recently too, wasn’t it.  I thought there were those of us that had flat stomachs (which would stay that way) and then there were the posers that worked out and did weights. Have my pecs just slipped, maybe?

It starts in our late 30’s early 40’s.  Slowly at first, then you realise what was only a small increase in girth is now getting a tad soft and flabby and its continuing to grow!

So lets back the bus up here.  Why is this happening to me?  Is it my past (or present) excesses catching up as my sports activities dwindle away? Partly, maybe. Can’t I process more than one wine or beer per night the same as I always have?  Partly maybe. Is my metabolism actually slowing down? yes that too.  Maybe I am eating /indulging more?  Is it diagnostic of impending lifestyle diseases?  Whoa! That’s going too far surely.

What to do?  Firstly – recognising and accepting the need for change.  Secondly, and the easiest option is often the commitment to more (or some) exercise.  I’ll walk a couple of times a week.  Good start but no dice in the shrinking of this middle age spread, I hear you say.  O.k. so what’s next?  No, not the food thing.

Women have been dieting on and off for decades, centuries even.  What good has it done them over the years (apart from living longer)?  By now you are recognising me as the eternal sceptic and hearing that epithet “you’re in constant denial!”

O.k, o.k, I am open-minded.  I’m listening, but it had better not be too hard.  I can change.  I WILL change.

Enter my freshly signed up Nutritional coach and Dietitian (I’ll bet she is all science and theory). No, I’m listening ……… well zip my lips, that shouldn’t be too hard!

All I have to do is follow this list to start, o.k I’m in!

1. Do not skip breakfast
2. Reduce portion sizes
3. Eat smaller more frequent meals
4. Drink half as much alcohol
5. Drink more water
6. Swap white bread for wholegrain bread
7. Think about fat content in takeaway choices
8. Increase ‘energy out’ to ‘energy in’ ratio
9. Diarise everything that crosses my lips! – everything?
10. Don’t stress about it.

I can do that.  No big deal really.  Hey maybe I can dig those Speedos out again.  O.k, o.k not the Speedos but watch this space!

RBE (An Apollo Nutrition Therapy Clinic client with a reducing middle age spread).