"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." 
~ Og Mandino

I'm going to share my years of wisdom with you. (Yeah right...) I saw this older woman I hadn't seen in ten years, and she exclaimed, "DL, you still have the figure of a girl!" Flattered as I was all I said was, "I work at it." She bit back with, "So do I." Ironically, she was shaped much like a potato. This potato-shaped figure is often seen in our day and age. In fact, more than half of the ladies at the beach were sporting the potato-bod this summer. This shape might seem inevitable. Not to be mean, but while relaxing at Robert Moses Beach on Long Island NY, I would look around and the ratio was this, "Potato, potato, normal figure, potato, potato, normal figure..." The ratio I counted was two potatoes for every person of average, healthy size. Oh, and this wasn't just older woman--it was women in their twenties and thirties as well!

Men also have this same problem but from what I can see it seems to take them longer to get there, and the ratio was more like one potato for every normal-sized man over forty. Ah, to be blessed with testosterone! Of course this may vary somewhat from beach to beach, but I've also observed these same ratios in malls across America. It seems to worsen as I head down South or visit WalMart stores and or Cracker Barrel restaurants.

After consuming garbage for a lifetime the body begins to look like a sack of garbage. You know--all lumpy and misshapen, and you wonder, "What the heck is in there?" Nothing good. At any rate, no one has the guts to peel off those trash bags. On the on the other hand I did see some rather skimpy bathing suits on the South Shore. Seriously folks?
I'm gonna give you some simple tips for shaping up and either avoiding becoming a potato or peeling away some of those layers! (Sorry for the obvious pun.)

Rules for Peeling the Potato:

Limit processed foods—(the foods far from nature I mentioned earlier in the section called "It's Fuel, Fool!" Even so-called diet foods may have long lists of ingredients. Just because it says "diet" or "low fat" doesn't make it good for you!  Make sure you are eating foods without labels on them! Lean meats, fish, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains. You get the idea! Avoid packaged foods as much as possible! Remember--crinkly paper is bad!!! An extra perk to natural foods... the more you eat foods close to nature the less you'll crave the nasty, over-processed unhealthy stuff. Goodbye munchies! Hello banana with peanut butter! (That's one of my favorites...)

Back away from white sugar and starches. When you eat foods such as white bread it turns directly to SUGAR! Did you know that? Some people really are more sensitive to this, and they become potatoes more quickly than others. Besides the sharp increase in blood sugar it causes, you shouldn't be eating bagged white bread or bleached flour because it has unnecessary additives and preservatives, etc. Remember whole grains are always better for you! They also help you feel fuller longer!

Eat fat, get fat. Do I need to explain this one? Too much fat will make you fat. Yes, avocados are a good fat, as is olive oil--however check out the calories on these items and limit your portions. And while peanuts, peanut butter, and all nuts are an excellent source of nutrients, they're all high in fat, which means that if you consume an extra 3500 calories eating these healthy foods it will still add a pound to your body. (Although maybe the pound will be nicer and not just settle in your midsection!) Eat the high fat foods in moderation.

Check the calories. Since I mentioned that 3500 calories consumed will add a pound it makes sense that 3500 calories not eaten should make you lose a pound. I must warn you it is much easier to put on a pound than it is to take it off.  Nowadays you can look up the calories of certain foods online or purchase a calorie counting book. Ask Siri or Alexa... Many packages have the calories on the back. (HOWEVER, if you are looking for the calories on a package you probably shouldn't be eating it in the first place!)

Get moving! While staying at my parents over Christmas there was a blizzard, and eight of us were cooped up in a house full of holiday goodies. There was no place to exercise and going out in two feet of snow with frigid high winds made taking a walk prohibitive. So I began to volunteer for every chore. Sweeping, doing the dishes, carting laundry up and down the stairs, vacuuming--they all burn calories! It also gave me something to do besides eat. My point is GET MOVING! Walk to the mailbox instead of asking your kid to do it. Take back the garbage pails, clean out the closets. Now I'm not saying to get obsessive here, but what I am saying is that even normal everyday chores burn calories. I do suggest that you take a half-hour walk every day (weather permitting of course!) as this boosts your metabolism as well as your mood. If you're able join a gym. Planet Fitness is really very inexpensive. Check out www.planetfitness.com Go online and learn some new exercises. Get a couple of hand weights or lift cans of dog food! Just don't be idle.

While training older women at the gym I encountered some with serious problems. Many could not even fit on the exercise equipment. Some were so large, in fact, that they couldn't lift their legs over the stationary bicycle. You need to start somewhere, so start now, and don't let that happen to you. If you are already at that point let me encourage you. These ladies would do what they could, and over time the ones who didn't give up grew smaller and more agile. I advised them to walk for five minutes on the treadmill to start, since they hadn't been doing anything! No matter where you are on this journey you CAN change. You can lose your fat and save the world. (Note: please consult your doctor before starting any extreme exercise regimen.)

Homework: Go to www.shape.com and begin researching about nutrition and exercise. There are plenty of other good sites on line as well. Go to YouTube and search exercises. They have so many exercises tailored for your specific age and body type. It's all free! Now you can help the hungry and get in shape, and it's not going to cost you anything!

Obesity causes premature deaths as does malnutrition. Giving away your fat is the smartest thing you could ever do!