Three Steps to Reinventing Myself at 72

The Journey is half the fun…

In the fall of 2018, my husband and I decided to have an outdoor photo session. We hadn’t had any professional photos taken of us since our wedding in April of 1969. We decided since our 50th wedding anniversary was only six months away, it would be a good time. We also thought our four adult children would enjoy them as Christmas gifts.

The day of the session the weather was beautiful and the autumn color was as well. A few days later our photographer presented us with some awesome proofs. My husband and I carefully perused the proofs and chose the ones we wanted. I ordered them at once and was excited to see the final results. A week or two later our photos arrived in the mail. They were beautiful and showed the love between my husband and me. Then it hit me. I was beginning to look and feel like a true senior citizen. Don’t get me wrong. I have embraced my 70,s with open arms. I am enjoying the freedom we have to do what we want when we want as well as all the perks that come with my age. However, I had let myself go. The meals I prepared were not too healthy and I had become a couch potato and snack food junky.

I am only 5’3″ tall and at that time weighed 168 pounds. I wore a very snug size 12/14 jeans. I had two cute pair of knee high boots I couldn’t wear because my calves had gotten too large. I had a closet in a back bedroom full of beautiful clothes that no longer fit. I dreaded the coming of winter as I knew my fat upper arms would not fit into either of the very nice winter coats I had. I was not happy with myself, my health wasn’t bad but could be better and I decided there and then I needed to do something.

I love inspirational quotes. In fact, I have an entire board on my Pinterest site devoted to just that. So, I checked my board and there it was. It was a quote you would find on one of the Success.com posters. The author was Eric Thomas and the quote said, “If you are not where you want to be, do not quit, instead reinvent yourself and change your habits.” I printed the quote, taped it to my bathroom mirror and the next day began the journey to the new me.

Step one was to find a weight loss program that would work for me. I had tried all the popular ones with some success but always fell back into my old habits and put the weight back on. Then a new program popped up on my Facebook feed one day. I decided to give it a try. It turned out it was the kick start I needed to change my lifestyle and learn new healthy habits.

Step two was incorporating everything this program had to offer into my daily life. I began eating fresh fruits and vegetables every day. I switched to whole grain foods as well as lean meats and seafood. I never missed breakfast and oatmeal became a staple in our house. I changed up our favorite recipes to make them healthier and more calorie friendly. I now drink 80+ ounces of plain water every day and cut out sugary juices and soft drinks. I have become a big fan of caffeine free herbal teas. The new me was making progress.

Step three was the hardest. I began to really move my body. It had gotten to the point that walking up a flight of stairs was difficult and I lacked stamina. I began slowly with twenty minutes every day on my stationary bike and a goal of 5000 steps per day. Then I added twenty minutes of aerobics each morning. By May I had increased my stationary bike ride to forty minutes each evening. In June I decided to give Yoga a try and learned I loved it. Now my daily workout routine consists of twenty to thirty minutes of aerobics each morning followed by twenty to thirty minutes of Yoga. I have increased my daily steps to 8000. I walk everywhere I can. When we travel, which we do often, I still do my Yoga and strive for 10,000 steps per day.

Fast forward to April 19, 2019, our 50th wedding anniversary. I was well on my way. I had lost 30 of the 38 pounds I wanted to lose and was finally able to fit into some of my beautiful dresses. By May 19th, I fit into my size 6 jeans that had been sitting in that closet for five years. My stamina was back. I was once again happy in my own body. By July 20th, the day of our son’s wedding, I had made my goal. I was so proud of my accomplishment.

**July-dancing with our son at his wedding**

My journey has had its ups and downs but I have learned how to eat, the best healthy food choices to make, gained an entire tool box of coping skills for recovering from bad days, the importance of keeping active at my age and to never give up on myself. Wellness has become my new lifestyle.

I have been successfully on my maintenance program for eight months. Join me on my journey as I continue to reinvent who I am. Maybe we can help each other along the way.