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myMiddle Ageism - Aging Gracefully

5/16/2014

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Never say, Never… My 46th birthday is next week and I just washed the grays out of my hair.  I am not afraid of aging; however, I do want to try to look the best I can as a middle aged woman.  (Did I just say that?! YES – middle aged! Gasp…) I want to head toward 50 in a youthful way. I want to be sexy without exuding sex.  This is a tall order, right?  I think not – with with a little bit of “help.”
Aging has caused me to revisit a few of my “nevers”… You know… the things I vowed to never do when I was a young taunt 20 something.  It is easy to judge and say NEVER when you don’t have cause or a need for change or even if you have a perfectionist vision of your ownness.  Personally, the affects of aging changed my view.
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When my hair was long, flowing down to the middle of my back and at times a tangled mess and hard to comb, I couldn’t fathom why someone would want to add more of the stuff by using hair extensions or wearing a wig.  Today, with thinning hair (from side affects from chemo), I get it and really enjoy using clip-in extensions from time to time.  They make me feel like a superstar in a flash. 

Much of my life, I could go bra-less and no one could tell because my girls did look that good. Why would I even consider a boob job or a lift?  That’s just crazy talk. Weight loss, breastfeeding and aging made my perky headlights sag, but my new implants fill the space that fat and milk used to take up.  I love them and feel like they are mine.  Well, they are – I paid for them.

Knock on wood, I was blessed with good skin and complexion. Who needs more than soap and water? Why even consider the craziness of magic creams or putting foreign juices underneath to look 20 again?  This is beyond CRAZY, right?  Well, I got 7 botox lil pricks that erased the only wrinkles I had on my face (my forehead). Today, I look 37 years old not 20 and couldn’t be happier. 

What is my point?  Do what makes YOU happy. I’m not trying to reverse aging.  I feel honored to be “in it”.  I want to be the best version of me I can be – healthy, fit and not look bad for edging toward 50. 

I have never had a poor body image even when I was overweight I still thought I looked sexy.  I am not a seeker of approval trying to fix something someone else has pointed out.  I am not looking for self perfection or a distorted view of whom I used to be in the mirror. I take care of myself and I want to look like I take care of myself as I ride into middle age.  Simple. 

  Own YOU and do what makes you feel good and look good -- just don’t go crazy.

Boobs, Dye, Botox, Extensions rock!

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Stepping Outside myComfortZone

12/17/2013

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Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone to get to the next level with anything in life.  Comfort = the same.  Comfort = no growth. Comfort = standing still. As we approach the new year, start to set your sights on something NEW and start to develop a plan to achieve it.

Let’s talk about crazy… Imagine me, a 45-year old, deciding to do a fitness competition and debut a seasoned body in front of a crowd of about 600 people after a 20+ year hiatus from wearing a bikini.  And, this is not just a “bikini”… it is small by nature to highlight your “assets” and also requires 5” acrylic heels as the mode of transportation to stage.  How is that for guts? Since this was pretty radical by my own measure, my goal was never to win but to LOOK like I belonged on stage.
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When I think back on it, it was pretty darn crazy AND scary!  I had never been on stage before.  I hadn’t worn a bikini in 20+ years. I had no experience to draw from.  When I say I was “green”, I was GREEN; however, I dug deep and decided to take on the challenge and I am so happy I did. 

In the end, it was a life lesson that I could do anything I set my mind to.  It was a lesson in self-control and commitment.  It was a lesson in self-awareness.  It was working to overcome fears.  It was accepting flaws. I wanted to LOOK like a competitor and I did. I ranked in the Top 10.  My trophy was my new body and the satisfaction that I had met my goal of looking the part. 

Guess what?  [Gasp] I’m scared to death, but I’m going to do it all over again in 2014.  My goal is always to be the best ME I can be and I’m certain I will learn more lessons along the way, but I’m striving for some hardware [trophy] this time around!

Growth is outside your comfort zone. 



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Exercise Variety is the Spice of myFit Life

10/30/2013

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Loathe exercising?  Keep starting and stopping?  Maybe you haven't found the right fit for you or maybe you are someone who NEEDS variety to keep you interested.  Exercise diversity is the spice of fitLife for me. 

Today, I started to fill my cup with some of the kettlebell "kool aid".  I got my assessment and "form" instruction as I prepare for my first session at Brian Wright - Personal Training -- so looking forward to swinging these cast iron cannonballs. 

Yesterday, I took on a ViPR class at Xtreme Fitness which exposed me to loaded movement training that integrates the entire body for strength, cardio and agility training using a hollowed weighted rubber tube. Today, I am sore so I must have challenged my body in a new way which is awesome.

While both ViPR and Kettlebells have a full-body training aspect, they are vastly different in execution which I personally like.  I'm ALWAYS on the prowl for something new... now I've got two new interests, two new challenges to master and can already see new fitness growth on the horizon. 

The fundamentals of what I do exercise wise changes very little, but my methods do - I lift weights to keep my body strong, I workout with intensity to burn calories and, when possible, I personally prefer full-body exercises to get more bang for my time investment.  Pilates and Boxing were also added to my 2013 exercise toolbox. I'm happy to have Kettlebells and ViPR as part the mix!  Overcome exercise boredom -- try something NEW! 

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