For more Christmases to come

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This year my eldest son declared a Healthy Christmas at his home.  He threatened I wouldn't be let in the door if I came with my traditional buckets of baked goods. He planned the days we spent together with hikes, bike riding, and trips to the gym. He gave a special toast on Christmas Day in appreciation of the Christmases past that I and his mother-in-law had given him and his wife.  He asked both set of parents to make committments to healthier lifestyles so that we can have many more Christmases to share with our children and our future grandchildren.

I recalled the knot in my stomach when I witnessed him pledge to give his life if necessary to defend our country from enemies foreign and domestic at his commissioning into the Air Force.  My hands shook two years later as I pinned silver wings on his chest and he and his bride flew off to Okinawa to fly the F-15.  I cried as I watched him take off land his new ride, the F-22 Raptor. I cringe at the unrest in the Middle East knowing he is the tip of the arrow and their are no true winners of any war. In comparison, making that committment to him was easy.

His father and I are both turning the double nickel this year and I still shake my head when I am asked if I am a Senior Citizen.  We came home,  joined a gym , I have purged the fridge and cabinets, and know it is not an overnight project, but a lifestyle change.  Our son and daughter-in-law found this website and made us their gymbuddies.  This is a New Year's resoution with a deep meaning and one I plan to achieve.  I want to see my grandchildren open their presents in the future on Christmas morning. 

I figure as long as I am persistent and steady, even if I have to go at a turtle's pace I plan to cross the goal lines I 've set for myself.  I recall my grandmother once saying as her bones creaked and moaned that it was hard getting old, but a whole lot better than the alternative of dying young. 

I may need some support from this group of over 50's because the younger ones just don't understand yet the stresses of balancing work and family, challenges of being a taxi cab service for all the activities our children were involved in, body and hormonal changes, ailments that we baby boomers are now experiencing.  I don't think any of us ever thought about ourselves as over 50 and living in the 21st century in our glory days of the 60's and 70's. Our generation is trying to fight aging more than any of our ancestors every did and hopefully our descendants will learn to make eating healthy and exercising a habit, like brushing your teeth.

 I am happy that my three sons have made physical fitness and health a high priority in their lives already and one I want them to committ to as an important part of their lifestyle.  I am going to see this as a second chance because if I had it to do all over again, I know I should have taken better care of ME!  

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	Losing weight after 50 is hard! Sometimes I feel so discouraged with trying to lose weight these days. Seems like after the big 5-0 it's virtually impossible. I have lost 8.5 pounds so far, but don't think any of it came off my tummy! If anyone struggles with belly fat and has any solutions, please share!! Posted by nailgirl on Mar. 16, 2008 at 04:32PM
	Poochie Belly Nailgirl, Congrats on losing 8.5 pounds!  I don't have any solution for belly fat, I've just come to the realization that my poochie (lower) belly is here to stay. Well, I was no help!      Posted by GimpyGranny on Mar. 17, 2008 at 11:10AM
	Thanks Gimpy! My pooch used to be in my lower belly but it seems to have migrated to my upper tummy! Don't know what that's all about. I guess age, what else?! Posted by nailgirl on Mar. 18, 2008 at 07:53PM
	Aged Belly Nailgirl, last summer I talked with my daughter about a popular blouse (in my younger days we called them princess waist) and that if I wouldn't silly, like a pregnant older lady, I'd get one. She is a CNA in a nursing home, so is familiar with the elderly (more so than I am, I ignor or try to, the signs).  She told me, "It's okay, you probably have a belly now anyway".  Okie dokie. When we went to visit her and her family a few days later, I went prepared.  I squeezed into a freshly washed (tighter) pair of jeans, tucked my blouse in, cinched up the belt, and when we entered their house I took a deep breath. She hasn't said a word about old people's bellies since, but for Plan B, if you or anyone comes up with a belly flattener exercise, let me know!   Posted by GimpyGranny on Mar. 23, 2008 at 08:30PM
	Keeping healthy over 50 really does seem to take more time, planning and effort. And it really is harder - in the last couple of years, I have just been losing and re-gaining the same 2 or 3 pounds.   But I'm feeling really positive at the moment. I've been discovering that I do much better if I give myself credit for the healthy things I already do, instead of beating myself up every day about being overweight. I walk 3 miles 4 times a week, I always eat a healthy breakfast, my cholesterol, blood pressure and resting heart rate are low, I weigh 30 pounds less than I did 3 years ago - these are all good things, and I am discovering that focusing on them makes me want more good things, and then I plan and take action to get them. I am sure that at some point I will drift back to my negative thinking but I will try my best not to, and I think this site and the people here will be a big help. Posted by zebra on Jun. 26, 2008 at 02:33AM
	Belly Fat Hey, don't get discouraged! It's still possible to reduce your waist size and flatten your tummy, even if you may never get back the totally flat belly and/or tiny waist you had when you were young. (Assuming you were in good shape then!) The bad news is that you won't get as much improvement by simply losing weight or even exercising as you will by reducing your bodyfat %.  The fastest and best way to do that is progressive resistance training.  Adding muscle revs up your metabolism, which also burns fat faster, so the results can be dramatic.  I actually got back into good enough shape to buy a bikini when I was in my early 50's.  I wish I'd kept up with my training, but I'm back at it, and planning on wearing that bikini again next season.  Posted by FitFifty on Oct. 19, 2008 at 12:59PM
	bellyfat Hey nailgirl, I heard if you eat a lot of fiber you will lose bellyfat faster. I have tried it and I did.   from jilly13 Posted by jilly13 on Oct. 21, 2008 at 01:19AM
	you go girl I am now 56 and My 23 yr. old daughter and I have joined Planet Fitness.  It just opened in town and I love it.  My daughter goes to the gym with me as often as she can and that makes it nice also.  I am really trying to be more fit but know that this will tke a while.  There are days when I just don't feel motivated to go to the gym but after my workout, I feel so great. Good luck!! You can do it!! Posted by busdriver702 on Nov. 23, 2008 at 07:00PM
	my 2 cents worth I have lost weight in the past and gained it back. I want to lose about 30, and I have advice for what it is worth   1. Losing weight is one of the few things (if not the only) that you have total control over.  No one can make you eat the wrong things or too much of another. Its all up to you and you alone. 2. Its one of the few things you can without doing anything. Excercise apart, losing weight is eatting better and eatng less. So it is basically NOT DOING something that will allow you to reach our goals. 3. As they say here, a simple 500 less calories a day, will allow you to lose a pound a week. If you get discouraged, just think what you will think 30 weeks from now if you DONT do that. You caould have lost the weight, but didnt bother. So eat less, and dont fret the loss, it will come. Its al just basic math   Good luck   Lewis Posted by ollewis on Feb. 09, 2009 at 07:16PM