“You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet.” ~~ said someone smart. I hate that this is true. Especially after 40.
Remember your 20s, and as long as you went to the gym a few time a week, you could eat all the burgers, pizza, and pasta you wanted? And the drinking! Whatever. Whenever. It rolled off and the scale never moved. Then, you turn 40 and your whole way of life has to change or you’re buying larger pants!
Need help with that change? Look no further than Frisco’s own Jenny Dean of Jenny Dean Fitness who has just written her first book “Strongest at 40 – Clean Eating Lifestyle Plan.”
Without giving away the whole book, because Jenny has a ton of clean-eating tips PLUS exactly what she eats, this Frisco beauty’s first rule of thumb is to eat every 3 hours.
Yep, 7am breakfast, 10am snack, 1pm lunch, 4pm snack, and 7pm dinner (10pm snack if you really need one)… even if it’s something small like a piece of fruit. Hungry or not, stick to this plan and your body will reset itself and as a result kick start your fat-burning abilities.
Jenny gives insights into her 4 Pillars of overall health and nutrition, foods she never touches, her Top 10 Foods she eats every day, and her alcohol consumption (yes, she does drink!). She also outlines what she eats before and after a workout.
And, speaking of workout… WEIGHTS are your FRIENDS! Most of Jenny’s time working out is spent building muscle. Muscle is the major metabolic organ and is THE key to maintaining a lean, toned body. 
Even though I’ve brushed over Jenny’s “DOs” (get her book!), here’s a definitive list of her “DON’Ts”…
- DON’T focus more on cardio than weight training
- DON’T avoid carbs
- DON’T not eat enough calories to build muscle
- DON’T not take rest and recovery days each week
- DON’T indulge in the “three Cs”… (buy her book to find out what those are)
- DON’T focus on high reps and low weight… It’s not a better way to tone
- DON’T eat clean all week only to blow it all weekend
- DON’T invest in magic “superfood” shakes and supplements and not quality, organic food
The hard truth is that when you turn 40, you WILL lose muscle as you age. But, how much you lose, and when you start losing it, is completely under your control. The best plan is to not lose muscle by building as much as you can and then every day to maintain it.
So, be a fat-burning machine after 40 by eating a wide variety of wholesome, natural foods combining lean protein with complex carbs from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Kick out the crap, invite in the good, drink plenty of water, and you’re on your way to excellent health and a better body than you ever imagined.
