A lot of information was introduced in the prior chapter on diet, or will be complemented by subsequent chapters, but this seemed like a great time to specifically address the most common health concern for many women—weight loss.

Obesity is often seen as the root of all evil when it comes to your health. However, it's important to stress from the onset that weight control is more important than weight loss. What good is it to lose weight only to gain it all back, or even worse, gain more? Maintaining your goal weight means you won’t need to worry about the obesity-related diseases mentioned earlier. Everything else should fall into place. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? Trimming off excess weight in midlife can help prevent a myriad of illnesses later on. But, there’s another important aspect to all this.

Maintaining a proper weight is undoubtedly a worthy goal, but achieving optimal body composition is even more important for long-term health. Let me explain with an example. If you were to lie in bed all week, you might be surprised to find out that you would lose weight. But before you get any bright ideas, you would only lose muscle and bone mass—not a good thing. Furthermore, you would gain unhealthy fat mass—again, not good. These changes result in sarcopenic obesity, which is commonly found in immobilized, sickly patients. Obviously, this population shouldn’t be your role model.

Maintaining a proper weight is undoubtedly a worthy goal, but achieving optimal body composition is even more important for long-term health. Let me explain with an example. If you were to lie in bed all week, you might be surprised to find out that you would lose weight. But before you get any bright ideas, you would only lose muscle and bone mass—not a good thing. Furthermore, you would gain unhealthy fat mass—again, not good. These changes result in sarcopenic obesity, which is commonly found in immobilized, sickly patients. Obviously, this population shouldn’t be your role model.

It’s not merely about losing weight, but also about improving your body composition to prevent inflammation, frailty, and eventual immobilization in later years. A proper weight loss program should energize you.

Firstly, how would you even know if you’re overweight? The simple answer is, “Come on, you know.” Looking back, you should be able to recollect what your basic body type was when you were, say, in your twenties. Were you the athletic, cheerleader type ... the skinny tomboy type ... or the “big boned” and husky sort? If you've forgotten, simply take a look at some old pictures of you and your friends back in high school or college and compare them to how you look now. What has changed? Then, sit back, have a hot tea, and contemplate some about what your overall lifestyle consisted of back then. What physical activities did you enjoy? Compare this list to what you’re doing, as well as not doing, nowadays. Are you on the right track? If you stay on this present course for another ten years, where do you see your physical and emotional health going? Where would you like them to be?

How Do You Know if You’re Overweight?