Diet and Exercise

I'm sorry I haven't had a post in so long. I have been a little under the weather.

If anyone knows me they will say that I am not one for dieting. I love fat. I will eat as much of it as I can: Butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, etc. However, I have, as of late, began focusing on what people ate 50 years ago. This included casseroles made with tuna, condensed soup, an noodles; jello salads; cake's made with shortening; and, of course, Velveeta.

Women were housewives (most of them against their own volition), and the perfect housewife had many things to do: shopping, cleaning, taking care of the children, and cooking. Cooking was important, but it became streamlined with simple, quick, pre-packaged recipes.

Women wanted to be thoroughly modern, so they would use jello in everything: I mean everything. It was the wonder food.

Source

Jello was quick and easy, though strange things came of it. I once found one that consisted of mixing mayonnaise, velveeta, and gelatin, but I can't find it anymore.

The big thing about the diet of 50 years ago was that people ate less. They found ways to incorporate vegetables into everything (tuna casserole generally has peas), and they ate smaller portions. That's really it. Smaller portions. They walked more, though probably not as much as we imagine. So, they were slimmer. I am not one to ever say that anyone is too fat, but when people say that women were shaped differently 50 years ago, the answer is they were, and that is because they cinched their waists, and ate less.

Now, for exercise. I don't really exercise. I walk a lot, I do the twist every time an appropriate song starts to play, but I have a couple exercises that really help wind down. They are simple.

1. Lay on your back and peddle your legs (like when you were a kid and did it with a sibling or friend) for however long you like. I sometimes count to a certain number, or listen to a song and do it for the duration.

2. Lay on your right side and kick your left leg up and down. Roll over to your left side and do the same with your right leg. Again, I typically listen to a song and do kicks for each leg for half of the song.

That's it. That's all I do. I am not very much in shape, I am not particularly skinny, so these are not "lose weight exercises". These are my way of unwinding (when I listen to an upbeat Ella song, I feel so much better) and completing the day. I do this about 3-4 times a week.

All I have to say is that, in order to maintain a vintage figure, which is about curves and not size, eat smaller portions (while your waist is cinched), go for long walks, learn the 50's dance moves, and, if you like, add on my little exercises.