Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Fifty, Fit and Fab

It's my birthday today but no, I'm not fifty. But next year I will be. Most of the time I'm ok with that. But. I'm not so happy with how I look. The past 5 years have been tough on me physically; first I had cancer and the treatment for that pretty much trashed my thyroid and metabolism so I'm no longer the slim tiny person I used to be. When I behave like an adult I know I should be grateful I'm even here to bitch about my weight and appearance. But we all know I rarely behave like an adult and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon.

What will change is how I feel about my efforts to fix the problem. I've eaten quite well all along, and I've been exercising. Hell, last year I trained for and walked the 39.3 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (2 days not 1 - we're not that crazy). But after doing some in-depth reading, I've come to the conclusion that maybe I'm not getting the right kind of exercise in the right amounts. That is going to change. Instead of just walking, I'm doing interval training. I'll do more than the treadmill at the gym. I'll lift weights again and really push it - I used to do it like crazy years ago and loved it; I'm not sure why I ever stopped.

I have no excuses. California weather is such that you can comfortably be outdoors most of the time (especially if you're from VT and don't consider 50F to be 'freezing'). I belong to a very nice gym that has so much equipment you never wait in line for it. There's a little gym at work that I can (and do) use for free. My office is very close to an entrance to the Los Gatos Creek Trail. And I live a half-block away from the Santa Teresa Foothills, on which there are hiking trails. Could it be any easier? Probably not. So here's my promise to myself: with the exception of days that I'm sick (and I mean a fever, not just a sniffle) I am going to do something to move or stretch my body every single day. I'll walk. I'll do intervals. I'll use every cardio machine in the gym (not all at once though). I'll use the weight machines and do free-weights. On days that are tougher to fit it in, I'll do pushups, crunches and lunges, lift small weights and stretch at home. I'll do something. Every day.

So what do I expect this will bring me? Well I hope it'll bring some semblance of my waistline back. I'd like some muscle definition. And while I can hike for 10 miles now, I'd like my recovery time to be faster when I do something to the point of exertion. Dropping a clothing size or two would make me happy too. All of those would be great. But what I also want to be able to say one year from now is that no matter how I look, I am doing everything within my power to be as fit and fab as I can. At fifty.

I actually started this a week ago, as soon as I came up with the idea. So far I've kept it up and I feel pretty good about that.

Ok, enough of this maturity crap.

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Considering my last post, I'm amazed it's even that high a level.

21 comments:

Mari said...

Happy birthday to you!!!!!


I ever you need a walking buddy on the weekend, let me know.
I'm still training.

Alison said...

Happy Birthday to you!

Sounds like a marvelous plan.

JohnK said...

happy birthday from this lurker.

Big Alice said...

Happy Birthday!!!

GO GO GO GO! I think your plan is fabulous and I wish you the best and lots of energy.

Bogie said...

Happy Birthday Rachel!!

Lisa said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Mrs.Q said...

Happy Birthday!

Cookie said...

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

You are not old. Do not make me come over there!

I think what you're doing is wonderful. I keep thinking I need to do that because I can see 40 from here and it's not pretty.

Teenuh said...

Happy birthday Goober Chickenboob. May you have many, many more. I hope you're having as wondferful a birthday as I managed to have last week!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! :)

yarnivorous said...

Happy birthday!
Fit and fab at fifty - what a great plan :-) You'll feel wonderful.
Apparently I am boobie gorillabutt.

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday!

And may I suggest kickboxing and yoga. Both great for your figure and great stressbusters. (in their own way!)

Kathy in San Jose said...

Happy Yarn Day to you! We know that you will only become more fabulous as time goes by...

Gwen said...

Happy Happy birthday! I missed you at knitting meet-up last week. It's just not the same without you!

MsAmpuTeeHee said...

I'm late...but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I love your resolution to move more. I'm going a version of the same thing here, a bit about moving more and also about adding more healthy food choices.

You go girl!

~Donna~ said...

OOoh...Happy Belated birthday! Hope you had a wonderful day.

Glad someone round here is actually taking control of something. Keep up the good work. If you work harder, do I get a good bod too? You know...cos I know you?

Hahahahahhaha...I wish....

Lori said...

Happy (very, very belated) Birthday!!!!

jessie said...

I have to say, I've been exercising more than usual over the past six months, and I'm getting nice muscle tone. But I'm not losing weight (muscle weighs more than fat but my clothes are still tight!).

Can age be a factor? I turned 40 this year. That would suck.

Good luck with the training.

Anonymous said...

Rachel - again, happy birthday, and You GO Girl! I like your "every day" pledge. I need to think about that. When I'm running a lot, I tend to give myself too much slack on the days I don't run - it's all about eating chocolate and sitting on my behind. That's really not going to do much for me, ya know?

Cari said...

Crap. I'm late! Sorry!

Happy happy belated birthday!

the scarlet piglet said...

50 is coming down on me like a train too, in October. While I haven't had your difficulties, I did have to have emergency disc surgery four years ago that trashed the running program I was on and I'm not happy with what that did to my formerly awesome runner's physique. Up at least a size and horribly flabby. I like your plan, and even though I live in a much less salubrious climate and don't have gym access I'm going on it too, in some form. I'll think of you as I'm pushing through. Keep on keepin' on!