Starting Point.

I’m Gayla.  I’m almost 49 and right now my life is so awesome.  I have 3 incredible kids, I have a great co-parenting relationship with my ex, I have wonderful friends, I have a job that is perfect for me and more amazing than I ever dreamed.  I am the happiest I have been since I was in my 20’s!  There’s just one major difference… in my 20’s I was fit.  And now… not so much.  

I WANT TO BE STRONG AND HEALTHY.  

I don’t need to be a size 6, I just want to have muscle tone in my legs, less belly fat, and thighs that fit into my existing clothes.  

So far I’ve had no major health concerns, but the common wisdom would say, “it’s only a matter of time.”  Age happens.  And it’s not pretty.  Literally.  My aging body is not the pretty body of my youth.  But oddly enough, I love my body now more than I did then.  I took it for granted.  Now, I appreciate it.  I want to take care of it.  

Here’s my major problem:  I struggle with discipline.  I have a personality that needs everything to be fun or I just won’t do it.  To paraphrase Fraulein Maria, “…I am far too lazy.  It’s one of my worst faults.”  

This summer I took my kids to Hawaii.  As we were hiking up Diamond Head I was sweating and panting and thinking really terrible things in my head like, “why are we doing this?  this is so dumb.  why are volcanoes so steep?  why is it so freaking hot???   how far ahead of me are my kids, anyway?  oooooooo, person passing me- you think you are so cool, don’t you?  yeah well… if I wasn’t so out of breath I would think of a witty end to this sentence…”  Miserable.  Yes, there were young people passing me on the hike, but there were also people in their 70’s passing me.  And although it irked me, it also inspired me.

I believe one of the gifts of aging is you can simultaneously accept who you are and decide who you want to be.   And right then and there I decided I didn’t want to be someone who struggled to climb a volcano with her kids.  I wanted to be someone who took care of her muscles and her joints and her cells and therefore could do ALL the things she wanted to do for as long as she wanted to do them.  

THAT’S WHO I WANT TO BE.  …But it is NOT who I am.  Not right now.  Am I capable of change???  Well, I’m about to find out.  

When I finally got to the top of that volcano and looked out at the incredible view, I did something that I have never done before.  I made a promise to myself that I would get fit.  I even said it out loud to my kids.  I told them that I wanted to be in the best shape of my life by the time I turn 50.  

So here I am.  At the beginning of a journey.  I’m scared I will fail.  I like junk food.  I love sugar.  I hate exercise.  I am not good at making myself do things I don't enjoy.  

But… I enjoy LIFE and I want a long and full one.  And I won’t get that on the path I am on.  So I must change.  

I will turn 49 next month, so that gives me 13 months to become the best version of myself.  I need to change my eating habits, find an exercise program that I will stick to, be consistent, forgive myself when I’m not, and keep at it.  

I absolutely know I cannot do this by myself.  So- I’ve hired a coach!!!  I will be talking a lot about LK… a delightful, inspiring friend who has agreed to help me on this journey.  


So…. here I go.  Wish me luck.  

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