If you read my short bio “Who is Phyllis?” you know that from personal tragedy came an unyielding promise to myself that I would always follow a healthy lifestyle. Having a mom who died at 53, I understood the importance of fitness and good nutrition especially for women over the age of fifty. I have spent most of my adult life sticking to that promise, sometimes sidelined by a busy work schedule or an overload of mommy duties. But those distractions quickly passed and I continued on my path. Unfortunately, sometimes those bumps in the road were a little more major than having to work until ten every evening.
Last year I decided to start a website aimed at middle-aged women to help them learn the proper way to lose weight and get fit. I was writing, working hard, and eating and exercising aggressively so that I would look the part when being photographed (not so easy when you’re 63!) I started to have some pain in my knee and groin that I attributed to my workout schedule and my back, as I had spinal surgery 14 years prior, the result of a bad fall on black ice. What started out as a small annoyance turned into the need for a total hip replacement. I was devastated.
I truly believed that at the age of 63, there was no way back from the hip replacement surgery. My dreams of being fit and starting my site were down the drain. Or so I thought. The day I had surgery I told myself that I would not lose sight of my goals. I promised myself that I would rehab and work as hard as I did after my spine surgery and that I would return to my life of fitness and to the dream of launching my site. I have done both! Here are some memories from last December. Take a look at me now . . . would you have ever imagined?
follow along with me...
- I want you to think of one goal that you really want and write it down. Put it away somewhere safe like in your drawer — a place where only you go.
- Make a list of 10 steps that will help you attain your goal. Put that list in a place where you see it all the time, like on the fridge. (Number 1 on my list was having a manicure; number 10 was going to the gym.)
- Now do them, one by one, until all the items are crossed off.
- Enjoy your success!
Thanks for sharing information for those of us who are a bit older. And giving us hope! I turned 59 last November and vowed to be leaner, stronger & fitter by the time I turned 60. Even though I am a Group X instructor in addition to a full time job, I still had not been able to shake those 20 pounds I had gained when I began menopause at age 52. I started my own 30 minute program (still teaching 5-9 classes/week) and really dialed in my nutrition. I lost 7 pounds in the December-how great to go into 2016 weighing LESS than the usual 5 pounds I normally gain through the holidays! I continued working out 6 days per week and lost all 20 pounds by March. Yes! I have progressed through the programs I am doing, have kept the weight off and have found I love lifting weights. I am so much stronger than before and have so much more energy. In the past, I was a true Cardio Junkie- I actually love cardio. But I have found much greater success through weight lifting. And clean eating…..duh! When I started really paying attention to everything I was putting into my mouth it became clear why I had gained those 20 pounds. To everyone out there: don’t give up, don’t settle for ” the new, older you”, take charge of your health and be the person you are capable of being!
Thank you for posting your inspirational story. So many women our age just give up on themselves not realizing that improvement can absolutely be made. It’s all about finding what works for you as you obviously have. I have been a weight lifter for over 40 years and believe it is the true fountain of youth. Coupled with some cardio and clean eating women over 50 can look and feel great.
Thank you for posting your inspirational story. So many women our age just give up on themselves not realizing that improvement can absolutely be made. It’s all about finding what works for you as you obviously have. I have been a weight lifter for over 40 years and believe it is the true fountain of youth. Coupled with some cardio and clean eating women over 50 can look and feel great.