2017 was a transformative year for me. I began my healthy living journey, aka weight loss and exercise. While I didn’t go through a terrible menopause, I did experience internal pizza oven like hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, (because of hot flashes) and most importantly a significant weight gain issue. Bio-Identical hormones eliminated the hot flashes and helped with the sleeping but, I kept waiting for the weight to drop – and it didn’t. Add insult to injury I gained more weight. WTF?  At the end of 2016, I realized something had to change.

January 2, 2017, I began a journal. Not about my feelings or a food diary, just the date and weight. I’m a google expert and along with my own anecdotal history about what works for me, I decided to try intermittent fasting. Before anyone jumps on the “you did what?” bandwagon, I believe there are many different types of sound diet methods that work for losing weight. For me, and the natural way I eat, made intermittent fasting a good choice. I began losing weight and kept track of the weight loss which was very slow but steady. By July of 2017, I was halfway to my goal and feeling good about my accomplishment. I was ready to add the “fit” component, but what to do?  I have a terrible track record regarding exercise – really, really, terrible (it was bad).  Joining a gym and never going, paying for classes and going once or twice, equipment at home, you get the idea.   I had to examine what would or wouldn’t work. I was motivated, and I watch my husband get up at 5am every morning to get to the gym. Ok, so what? That’s him. I’m always motivated in my head but sticking to something is the problem. I had to look at all the reasons why consistency and that joy of working out alluded me.

In the past, I was working full time and raising three kids, and that right there will suck the life right out of you. Too tired to go at 5am OR go after work? No way. Driving to the gym? Always too far and if parking is an issue, forget about it. Working out at home? LOL!!! Private training at home? Maybe next life.  Undoubtedly many people can and do work out consistently under those same conditions, but I was never successful.

Around the end of July, my Facebook feed featured (ad) a small local gym, which I had never heard of. They were introducing a six-week goal-oriented program of getting fit and losing weight. Wow, four min by car, a neighborhood place, and parking looked easy. I actually drive by this gym a million times a week and had never noticed it. I followed the link and joined the next day. About 7 months later, I have been attending classes five to six days a week. I attend a mid-morning class which is not too early or too late, just perfect for me.  Hey, retirement and age do have its privileges. The coaches know my name and how to push me when I need it. I love it.  Well, the truth is I don’t love working out but, I do love, love, how I feel after I have worked out, The sense of accomplishment and knowing I’m getting stronger. That’s the feeling I chase and win every time I go. That was the secret I needed to know.

It’s now March and I’m turning 62 on the 18th. I’m maintaining my goal weight and visibly look stronger. Age brings a lot of changes to our bodies that working out can’t reverse. This is the privilege of getting older. I’m ok with that.  I’m even going celebrate a first this summer, by wearing a two-piece bathing suit. I haven’t done that in oh, maybe thirty years? I don’t think any of my three kids have ever seen me in a two-piece swimsuit. Newsflash, this grandmother is gonna rock it.

#thisismy62

Love,

Corinne