How to Look and Feel Younger Even if You’re 40, 50 or Older! By Vanessa and Dennis Westlove Disclaimer: This report is the property of Vanessa and David Westlove and may not given away, or otherwise distributed without consent from the authors. “Youth is wasted on the young.” So the saying goes, and often, it’s true. In your teens, twenties and even early thirties, you feel invincible. Your metabolism is high; pounds are shed easily and you can eat what your heart desires. Working out isn’t necessary to look and feel acceptable. Then things change. Hormones shift. Metabolic rates slow. Lean muscle decreases and is replaced by fat, and energy levels decrease. Suddenly, you get out of bed, stare at yourself in the mirror and realize that you are not the man or woman you were 10 or 20 years ago. That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news: We’re going to share with you ten easy to follow tips that will get you – whether you’re a man or a woman, just hitting forty or well beyond, looking and feeling better than you ever thought possible, maybe even better than when you were at your “peak” but did nothing to sustain it. Read this report and take action. Use the tips and resources provided and soon you’ll see a leaner, stronger and better-looking you staring (and smiling!) back from the mirror. You’ll rejoice in your appearance and so will anyone close to you! Let’s go!
What not to do: Before we even get started on anything else, let’s go over what you shouldn’t do. The following will impede your progress: Overthinking things. Though being out of shape in your middle and later years seems overwhelming, scrutinizing every detail in this guide and other resources will only serve to interfere with your progress. Hating your body. Don’t do it! You may not be happy with your body right now, but hang in there – soon you will be. The mind is a powerful tool and filling it with negative emotions serves only to slow your down your progress. Doubting you can get into shape at an older age. By the end of this guide you’ll have a solid foundation of advice better than what most 20 year-olds who take their fitness for granted do. You can do it! Not committing. As with anything, the less effort you put in, the less result you get out. Please, stick with us. Before you know it, you will see positive changes. By the way, we won’t specifically address every stage of your fitness plan, but we highly recommend the Old School New Body system, which details a complete workout routine that can be done in as little as 90 minutes per week. The course is available to download and besides being easy to read and understand, it addresses all the core issues necessary to becoming a lean, mean and way-younger-looking fat burning machine. You can read all about it by clicking here. The “Do’s” of Getting Back into Shape This is the fun part. We love sharing these easy tips with people and seeing how happy they become when their bodies become stronger, their muscles firmer and their vitality greater. Self-confidence skyrockets and new adventures become possible.
Don’t just read the headings and skip the content! Follow every step through. We’ll be starting with “working on yourself” and moving on to practical and actionable ideas to get your physical body into gear. Tip #1: Love yourself. Chances are good that if you are approaching, at or past your “middle years” and out of shape, you’ve felt some degree of self-loathing or disappointment. We know – you want to change for the better and we’re so happy you made it this section of our guide. The first step – the step that will allow you to change is to accept yourself as who and how you are. Look into the mirror. Do not see what you don’t like about your body. See, instead, the wonderful potential. See the incredible person that made it this far in life and isn’t about to give up on themselves. See and feel the determination to improve your health. Envision how you will look and feel after getting into shape. Visualization and positive affirmation have been proven to be powerful tools that can directly affect your health. Remember one of the “don’ts”? That’s right – don’t hate yourself! Love yourself. Every day, look into the mirror and repeat the above steps. Even if it feels hard at first, do it. It sets the groundwork for positive change. We’re cheering you on! Tip # 2: Make a list of how you’ll feel and what you’ll do when you’re healthier. This is a continuation of the first tip. It helps you program your mind with motivational material and remind yourself of where you are headed if you ever feel hopeless. Here are some examples (feel free to modify them and/or use them as inspiration): When I’m healthier:
I will have more energy to do everything I want and need to.
I will look good naked! I will feel great in clothing I never thought I would be able to wear again. I will take up a new sport, or one I used to love doing. I will be so appealing to my spouse/partner/other single people. My confidence will shine through in my personal and professional life. I may save money by choosing healthier foods and needing fewer trips to the doctor. My stress levels will be lower, leading to better sleep, a calmer demeanor and less dependence on other “inputs” to numb my displeasure. I may have a longer lifespan, allowing me to do more of what I need to and to spend time on hobbies, family and friends. I will be physically stronger and able to accomplish more.
See? It’s as easy as that. Just take out a pen or pencil and start writing. Studies show that the act of physically writing positive statements has a stronger impact than typing them, so get out that paper and let yourself know exactly why you are embarking on a journey toward better health. Tip # 3: Get some sleep. Though improved sleep is usually a consequence of improved fitness, it’s important to make an effort in bed (don’t take that to mean anything else!) even before you begin working out. Research has shown time and time again that hitting the hay early enough (at least a couple of hours before midnight is ideal) and sleeping for 7-8 hours is very important. Sufficient sleep keeps your metabolism and mood in check. It allows for more even energy levels and gives the body a chance to rejuvenate.
Keep your bedroom dark. At night, the brain releases melatonin, a hormone that helps induce sleep. Light may interfere with or delay the production and release of this natural sleep aid. Even small amounts of light can get in the way of your brain’s natural, nightly “shutting down”. Use window blinds
or curtains. Turn electronics off to avoid standby-mode LED lights. Choose clocks without illuminated numbers. Reserve the bedroom for sleeping, reading and intimacy. Unless you are very short on space, keeping your computer or bringing work home in your sleeping space can create a negative association in your mind between your sleeping area and other activities. Wind down before bed. Slowly. Though it’s tempting to finish up last-minute activities on the computer, or, increasingly, utlilize a smartphone or tablet in bed, your sleep quality will be improved if you partake of gentler, quieter activities before sleeping, such as reading or meditation. Don’t eat large meals right before bed. Though opinions vary, we find that big portions, especially of heavy, rich food, close to lights-out time, leave us tossing and turning and feeling like we did something other than sleep come morning – and indeed, we did – our bodies were busy digesting, instead of resting! If all else fails, supplement. A number of natural substances, which are gaining popularity and acceptance every day, may be beneficial in calming the mind and body, allowing for a more restful sleep, including magnesium (a mineral that induces relaxation), hops, Valerian, Motherwort and Passionflower (gently sedating herbs) and Melatonin (a supplemental form of the natural sleep-hormone released by the brain). Melatonin is not recommended for long-term use, and as always, talk to your doctor before engaging in any supplement regime, especially if you are you taking any prescription or over-thecounter medications.
Tip # 4: Stress less. Did you know that chronic stress has been linked to weight gain? Under stress, the body releases cortisol, a hormone critical to the stress response, but, which, when chronically elevated, can wreak hormonal havoc, leading to a slowed metabolism, increased body fat and muscle weakness? Stress and anxiety also distract you from the everyday matters at hand and interfere with quality sleep. How can you relax?
Keep a journal. Perhaps you’ve never done it, or, at least, not since about the sixth grade – but writing about your problems allows you to see them clearly and as part of the big picture. Perhaps you will realize that some of them are not so big after all – and if they are, putting them down on paper may give you a clearer picture of how to prioritize and solve them. Journaling is also a great way to let go of feelings – consider it venting to the paper. You can be as honest as you want, maybe even more so than if you were venting to another person. Meditate. For some, the word “meditation” conjures images of robed monks chanting. There are many disciplines of meditation, but it needn’t be complicated. For the beginner, merely sitting still in a quiet space for 15 minutes, twice a day, breathing slowly and observing thoughts and feelings without dwelling on them, can be highly effective. Studies show that regular meditation can improve awareness, sleep quality, pain perception and reduce stress. Hands on: Eat well and exercise! Getting into shape is as much about feeling good as it is looking good. Now that you know how to set yourself up for success, let’s move onto the hands-on approach to a healthier you! Tip # 5: Eat real food. Did you know that one of the healthiest ways to shop is to keep to the periphery – the outer edges – of the grocery store? That’s because the majority of real food is found along the outer edges and the first aisle or two. “Real food” means food that’s perishable; food your grand, or greatgrandparents would recognize. Meat; fish; fruits; vegetables; nuts; seeds; whole grains; healthy, unprocessed fats (olive, coconut and avocado oil are nutritional powerhouses, and fat is, despite what you may have been told, vital to human health). Eating real will give you nutrients in a whole form which your body can actually utilize in order to burn fat, build muscle and improve
energy levels. Conversely, highly processed, packaged and artificially flavored and colored “foods” will add little to your life but weight to your waistline. Tip # 7: Don’t “spot train”. It’s tempting to focus on the least favorite parts of your body, but spot-training – the practice of mostly exercising “trouble areas” – be they your arms, bottom, tummy or thighs – will not help you achieve a balanced result. For optimum good looks, function and vitality, exercise the whole body. Spot training has been shown to be ineffective – don’t waste your energy toning one or two body parts – get fit from head to toe and thank yourself the next time you look in the mirror. Tip # 8: It’s not only about weight loss and clothing size. Though most individuals wishing to “get fit” are carrying a few or more extra pounds they’d like to shed – for looks and health – don’t let the bathroom scale dictate or discourage you. While getting in shape almost always involves some degree of weight loss, it’s just as important to keep track of your body composition – that is, how and where fat is distributed and how much larger or firmer your muscles are becoming – and if their growth is displacing fat. Muscle is denser than fat. As you progress, you may look leaner but weigh more than your target goal. Do not be discouraged by this. It’s not just how you look that matters – it’s what you’re made of and where it is that has the most significant impact on your overall health. Tip # 9: Fuel and refuel. Just like a car won’t run without gas in the tank (or, increasingly, juice in the battery!), attempting to work out without the nutrients your body needs will get you nowhere fast. Any food eaten prior to exercise should be easily digestible and contain a high quality carbohydrate and/or fat which can be burned as fuel. A moderate amount of rapidly digestible protein or branchchain amino acids will move quickly to your muscles, feeding them and allowing them to grow.
After working out, be sure to hydrate. More high quality protein is also a good idea. Remember, muscle tissue grows by being stressed and developing micro-tears which, with sufficient building blocks, rebuild into greater lean mass. Tip # 10: Eat for heat. Burning body fat is a more efficient process when you have a good metabolic rate. Certain foods – quality dietary fats, green and black tea and hot peppers – are thermogenic – they help boost metabolism and turn your body into a fat-burning furnace. Incorporate them into your daily diet.
Wrapping it Up There you have it! 10 fantastic tips to get slimmer, stronger and healthier, no matter what your age. Just follow along, day by day and you will love what you see and how you feel. We encourage you to stick with this; it really is worth following through. The passage of time is inevitable, but becoming and staying out of shape isn’t. Fitness is possible for almost anyone. As mentioned earlier, we highly recommend the Old School New Body system, developed for the older (but young at heart!) man or woman who wants to regain the looks and vitality they once had. It’s comprehensive, easy to follow and will help you nail down all the specifics and overcome any obstacles you might otherwise struggle with. We have found no better resource. You owe it to yourself to try it out. For more information, click here to visit the official website. To your health! Vanessa and Dennis Westlove