You know how when you were younger it was like you could eat anything and everything without worrying about your waistline? Well, I’ve heard there are people like that anyway …

Then came babies and everything changed. And now that the kids are grown up, it seems more challenging than ever to stay trim.

But this is the perfect time.

Since my own children have the left the nest, I’ve had much more time to devote to my own health and fitness. In doing so, I’ve found some simple ways to take care of my body and the combination of these three things has made it much easier to maintain a healthy weight.

Here they are:

Move your body

For the last six months, I’ve been doing pilates to help strengthen my body and correct an existing problem. The results have been wonderful! Not only has the regular exercise helped me maintain my weight, but I’ve had less of the aches and pains of aging.

Moving your body several times a week is a great way to boost your metabolism and prevent the soreness that accompanies too much sitting. Being physically active can also help you avoid scarier things like falls, broken bones and loss of muscular function.

Not sure what to do? Here are some ideas:

• Pilates
• Yoga
• Barre
• Walking
• Water aerobics
• Swimming
• Weight lifting (really!)
• And the list goes on!

Eat well

“You can’t out train a bad diet” is a common saying in fitness. That’s because no matter how much you exercise, if you fill your body with too much or poor quality food (or a combination of the two), your body will store fat rather than losing it.

At this stage of life, it’s especially important to eat healthy foods in moderation – I know I’m not the only one who’s felt like they put on a few pounds overnight after some poor food choices!

Now this doesn’t have to be difficult and the occasional splurge is still perfectly ok (key word being occasional). And eating well doesn’t even have to be hard. Here are simple ways to do it:

• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
• Have an 8 oz. glass of freshly made juice with breakfast
• Eat balanced meals throughout the day to avoid blood sugar crashes and subsequent junk food binges
• Eat slowly to allow your body time to feel full
• Go “French” with small servings of rich foods
• If you really need to get back and need a plan to follow, my friend (and personal trainer) recommends this weight management calculator and tracking what you eat on your smartphone.

Supplement wisely

Even with a “perfect” diet, it’s hard to get all of the essential vitamins, minerals and Omega 3s your body needs to function optimally. And as joints and muscles get achier, there are important supplements to add to keep them happy and healthy.

There are a lot of supplements available today. It can be really hard to figure out what to use and which products are actually effective. I use doTERRA’s supplements because they are tested for quality and potency. Plus I could tell a difference almost immediately when I started taking them a few years ago.

Here’s what I recommend:

Lifelong Vitality Pack: I recommend this supplement trio to everyone I meet. Why? Because you can feel the difference almost immediately.

I had a friend who was feeling run down and tired a lot and I asked if she was still taking her Lifelong Vitality. She said no, it had been a couple months since she had taken it consistently and I recommended she do it again. A couple weeks later she messaged me to say thanks and let me know she had much more energy and felt so much better overall. Her body had been missing the vitamins, minerals and omega 3s this trio provides.

Deep Blue Complex: This is the difference between feeling great the day after I do pilates and feeling like I’ve been run over by a truck. This polyphenol complex is a MUST for anyone doing physical activity, especially those who deal with stiff and achy joints.

What has your experience with weight management been like since your children left the nest?

Lori