It’s time to slim for summer: Weight loss tips from 1964
Woman’s Day – May 1964
Right about now, it’s time for a twofold attack on your over-the-winter weight gain, to get into the best of shape for summer. This means exercises to take off inches, and diet to drop off pounds.
This program was planned for the readers of Woman’s Day by the famous beauty expert Elizabeth Arden. The exercises put special emphasis on your three major trouble spots: thighs, midriff, upper back and arms.
Do them regularly and conscientiously for 20 minutes daily, not straining stiffly, but simply doing as much as you can until you become more limber. A tango on your hi-fi will help keep you in rhythm.
Warmup exercises — Time: 1-1/2 minutes
This is for general toning and conditioning before the specific spot exercises which follow.
Lie on your back, arms and legs outstretched in a straight line, with elbows and knees slightly flexed. Keeping the rest of the body flat on the floor, raise right arm and left leg to touch each other. Bring them down, then raise left arm and right leg to touch and bring them down again.
Do this 10 times with each opposite arm and leg.
For waist and midriff — Time: 1 minute
Stand with feet about 18″ apart, arms raised overhead (behind earline) hands clasped, palms upward.
Make a complete circle with your arms, bending down to left foot, across to right, then up and around to overhead again, straightening back as you come up. In circling, reach as high as possible toward the ceiling, and as close as you can toward the floor.
Do this 5 times to one side, then 5 to the other.
The abdomen — Time: 2 minutes
Lie on the floor, legs and arms extended. Legs should be straight and fairly wide apart. Then sit up, and touch one hand to the opposite toe, outstretching your other arm behind you.
Next, swing arms together in front of your body and drop back slowly to your original position.
As your arms swing overhead to the floor again, pull your stomach muscles in and lift your rib cage up. Do this alternately 5 times on each side.
This will drop off pounds along with the inches you lose through exercise: from one to five pounds a week depending on your metabolism. But as with any other diet, check first with your physician before you embark on it.
A guide to the Elizabeth Arden reducing diet
You can interchange the different breakfasts, lunches and dinners with each other. Or you can change the order of each day’s meals if you like, to suit your own personal eating habits and your daily schedule.
LIQUIDS
Drink at least four glasses of water a day, at any time except during meals. Drink coffee or tea plain or with some of the day’s milk. Coffee or tea (with sugar substitutes) may be taken during the day. Non-calorie carbonated beverages are approved in moderation (one per day).
MEAT
The average portion of fish, lean meats (boneless beef, poultry and liver) is about 4 ounces. (1/2 small broiled chicken or 1/4 of a large one is permitted.)
The average portion of fattier meats like hamburger, lamb, ham or fresh pork is about 3 ounces.
Remove all excess fat before you cook meat.
EGGS
Should be either poached, scrambled. stirred, boiled or 2-egg omelet substituted occasionally for meat. Use a low. cholesterol cooking oil.
MISCELLANEOUS
Use herbs and spices freely as they make food more palatable and don’t increase caloric intake.
Use a non-stick skillet whenever possible. In cooking vegetables. steam them in only a small amount of water.
Use a low-calorie dressing. There’s a large variety available commercially.
For between-meal snacks, you can eat raw celery, cucumber, radishes and carrots freely.
Total taboos: fried foods, alcohol, flour in cooking, second helpings, gravies, sauces, cream. Use sugar and salt substitutes. Use butter or margarine only when specified.
Exercises included:
- Arm and leg raising
- Torso circles
- Toe touch
- Arm push
- Scissors kick
- Midriff lift
- Side stretch
- Arm circles
- Pushups
One Response
This is great!