Ok.... so I'm still doing this bodybuilder program and I really love it.  I had a 3 week disruption over the holidays because I was traveling and couldn't get to a gym..... I have reached a level of frustration.  I am losing weight.  So diet and exercise do work.  But at 52 it has been slow.  I was down to 166 last Friday.... and then the weekend hit.  We had a party to go to and it was my fiance's birthday -- King crab leg buffet!  So I blew that.  I think at this age it is so critical to stick with it every day.  I'm back at 172.  I'm getting married in less than 6 months and really want to get a significant amount of weight off.  So I did it. 

My fiance and I went to a weight loss program facility.  We joined.  Today.  So they promise to boost this weight loss.  I believe them.  First week is a very, very high protein diet.  We are going to be taking appetite suppressants, stimulants and supplements.  We have not stopped exercising.  We go to the gym 3-5 times a week and work out for 30-90 minutes.  The name of the program is MiraVita.  So lets see how successful we will be with this! I'll let you know!

So here I am.... 52 years old.  180 pounds, about 42% body fat and out of shape.  I have had enough! It's time to fix this.


My biggest inspiration has been Ms. Ernestine Shepherd. You can find her story at:   http://ernestineshepherd.net/?p=4  She is simply amazing and her journey leaves no excuses for a 52 year old woman not to be fit!  

YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE THIS, BUT SHE IS 80 YEARS OLD!! YOU HEARD ME RIGHT.....EIGHTY!! 

So -- it's time to knuckle down and get this party started. 

So here's where I've decided to seriously begin.  www.bodybuilding.com  I stumbled on this website and it has so many awesome programs to guide you through your journey.  My goal is not to be a body builder.  My goal is to become a fit female.  You know how so many programs promise to get there in 9 - 12 weeks?  Not this one.  This one gave me what they consider to be a realistic target date of July 31, 2020!!  I'm not going to lie.... initially I felt let down, disappointed and discouraged.  But then the reality of my true fitness level slapped me in the face.  If it took 20 years to get to this level, why not take almost 3 years to reverse it.  Not a bad exchange actually.  And this revelation also made me "dig in" to this commitment.  Now I know that I am going to have to really commit myself.  No 'quick fix' here.   

The program I have chosen to start with is the James Grage "Rewired" program...(***disclaimer.... I am just a regular girl getting started -- no one is paying me to promote them)  I really liked this one because it helps rewire my brain toward fitness. The workout programs are 5 days a week in a gym of your choice and 2 rest days.  Luckily, I belong to a gym and have access to the equipment necessary to complete this program.  I'm sure there are other programs that do not.  I am a big fan of the Beachbody.com workout videos.  I love the P90X series and plan to supplement my workouts with this when I can't make it to the gym.  I am not a foo-foo work out girl. I hate braiding back and forth to Captain and Tennile music day after day looking for results that never come.  (If you're my age you will know who Captain and Tennile are....lol)  These programs are not foo-foo quality.

The nutrition program that is recommended is the Ketogenic Diet.  Love it or hate it - it has worked well for me in the past. 




So the pic to the left of my bum was a wake up call..... and the pic on the right is about where I am now. 

This is me at about 18..... I was pretty thin until I was around 32 years old, when I packed on the pounds.  They moved in and never left! 

One very important aspect of this new journey is my self-perception.  See how skinny I was?  Well, my brain has never accepted 60 lb heavier me.  I've said for years that I'm a skinny girl trapped in a fat body.  (please don't bash me for calling myself fat..... it's ok.... this is more about being fit than being skinny.)  Please let me explain.  When I look in the mirror -- my brain searches for thinner me.  And my brain finds her.  somehow.  So this has created a state of denial.  That I'm not that overweight...... Well, 60 lbs and having to take blood pressure medicine is a different story.  So what happened?  I went to a gym class and was working out in the class with 25 other women of all ages, shapes and sizes..... I looked at women who looked like what I thought I looked like..... I got a side-by-side comparison..... and then I saw it.  I saw the 60 pounds.  This was an eye opener.  And although I had "decided" that this was the time that I was going to get fit.... I REALLY decided. 

So I'm serious.  This is the start of a 2+ year journey to fitness.  I'm actually into my 4th week already, but on day 3 of the bodybuilder program.  The program has an app on my phone to track my workouts with illustrations of how to do each exercise etc and lets you track you weights and reps.  It's awesome! 

So enough is enough.  Let's do this -- and if I can -- you can too!  Please comment with your experiences and share with me so we can support eachother.  I want to be fit.  I want to be healthy.  I have 4 children and 5 grandchildren that I want to be around for.......And I'm going to get there!