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Well, I’ve calmed down a little bit since my last post, the one outlining my anxieties surrounding my upcoming triathlon.
Thanks so much for the words of encouragement that several of you posted in response. It does help to know I’ve got so many people rooting for me.
One message that really got me thinking came from Dayle. She said, “You should be so proud of yourself for attempting such a new challenge. You have already won!”
There’s a lot of truth in that.
I mean, yes, I want to do well on Saturday. I’ve always been a competitive person. Not so much with other people as with myself. I’m someone who likes, and even needs, to set goals and work toward them.
When I set out on the journey of completing a triathlon, I couldn’t swim 50 yards without stopping to rest. I couldn’t ride my bike up the hills in my neighborhood. I couldn’t even run a mile. Now I can do all of those things and a lot more. I do some combination of those things, six days a week.
So, Dayle is right. No matter where I finish on Saturday, in some sense I have already won.
Celebrating Each Small Win
I’m far more fit today than I was a year ago. In fact, I might be more fit than I’ve ever been in my life. I’m also twenty pounds lighter!
And there’s a funny thing about this weight loss of mine. Though I have been at this same weight in the past, I’ve never been this size before! That tells me that not only have a lost weight, I have gained muscle.
Even if I come in dead last at the race on Saturday, compared to a year ago, I am definitely winning at healthy aging. I feel better, look better, and have more energy now, in my fifties, than I ever did in my forties.
It’s too soon for me to know if Saturday will mark my first and last triathlon. Maybe I’ll want to keep going with it. Maybe I’ll set a new challenge for myself. One thing I do know is that I want to keep feeling this good!
Getting Healthy Doesn’t Happen By Accident
This transformation to healthy living has definitely required some work and focus on my part. But what I have gained – confidence, energy, stamina, a waistline – has been more than worth the sacrifices I’ve made.
Am I committed to doing more triathlons? Too soon to tell.
Am I committed to maintaining and expanding my healthy lifestyle?
Absolutely. One hundred percent!
So how do we make this happen?
Step One: Make a decision to prioritize healthy living. Do this for you.
Step Two:Educate yourself.
Third step: Take matters into your own hands. Nobody can do this for you but you!
Identify Priorities and Set Goals
Theres no one-size-fits-all for healthy living. Achieving a healthy lifestyle means different things for different people. Some of us have special dietary needs. Or health concerns. Or inherited tendencies. Or varying levels of athleticism.
What matters is that you reach for the idea of healthy living that suits you best. You can’t set this goal without a little self reflection. Do I need to lose weight? Should I start doing Pilates? Grow my own organic food? Am I getting enough magnesium?
Decide what matters to you, write down some goals, and make a commitment to yourself to reach those goals.
Despite all the talk about weight and fitness and food, a lot of this is in your head. You need the right attitude and a lot of will power, especially if a healthy lifestyle isn’t something you’ve prioritized in the past.
This can mean big lifestyle changes. And big sacrifices. Or little changes.
Either way, you are driving those changes, big or small.
You’ve got this!
Educate Yourself (and Stop Googling Things)
Something I’ve learned over the last year is how much I didn’t know about fitness and healthy living. And how much more there is to know.
Sure, most of us know that being active and maintaining a healthy weight are good things. And I’d bet it’s common knowledge that fried chicken and chocolate for every meal isn’t the best idea ever (or is it?!)
You can’t feel empowered to take your health into your hands if you don’t know all the facts.
(Fun Life Lesson: Googling every ailment will not necessarily land you on a credible page. I know this from personal experience. Turns out I didn’t contract bubonic plague while running but instead just had a rowdy mosquito bite.)
Aside from false information, there are just too many things to read on the internet. Too many ideas and trends and claims and experts.
Do I really need to swill cod oil? Drink apple cider vinegar? Soak myself in unicorn blood? Go Keto (what the heck is Keto)? What about chemical free cleaning products? Do I need to aromatherapize my home with essential oils to live my best life? Do I have inflammation? How can I tell? Do I need to spend $2,000 on kelp supplements that I bought on a cruise? (Well, that’s a story for another time.)
All of the things.
Too. Many. Things.
That’s something I intend to work on during the next year, arming myself with as much information as I can.
And not just any tidbit of information or theory pumped up by some random internet guru with a unicorn tear supplement to sell, I need credible sources.
The Ultimate Resource for Healthy Aging
That why I’m excited to dive in to this Healthy Living Bundle! It offers a complete library of resources from top online experts. They’ve done the legwork in finding trustworthy resources so I can jump right in and start learning instead of flitting about on the internet and ultimately landing in a Pinterest Crafting rabbit hole or an athleisure shopping spree.
Instead of getting overwhelmed with all the information out there, the bundle has collected just about everything worth reading here. I’m particularly excited to access the recipe collection for unique dietary needs (there’s more than 1500 of them!), hormone balance resources, their detox guide, natural remedies and alternative health ideas, and how to start growing your own food. They even have a guide to learn more about creating a backyard homestead! So many things! 96 educational products worth more than $2,200! Yet they only cost $29.97! The catch? It’s only available for 5 days. Once a year.
Here’s a little glimpse of the treasure trove of knowledge that that the Healthy Living Bundle offers:
Will you actually use all of 62 eBooks, 12 printable packs & workbooks, 20 eCourses and 2 membership sites? Um, probably not. But will you get more than $29.97 worth of value out of it?
Definitely.
There’s literally something for everyone.
Go forth and claim your knowledge.
Taking Your Health Into Your Own Hands
You probably know that penciling in your annual physical and mammogram are important as well as finding a good doctor that specializes in post-menopause women to help guide your health journey.
You are doing lots of the right things. Go, you!
But there are other positive steps you can do for yourself that don’t require a professional. One thing I’ve been particularly excited about, after seeing the idea on Shark Tank, is at-home tests for all sorts of things, like whether or not that foggy feeling in your brain is from a food sensitivity.
These at-home kits from Everlywell make it really easy, and you don’t even have to see a doctor. They also have a Sleep and Stress Test, a Heavy Metals and Elements Test
, a Metabolism Test, and even a Thyroid Test.
All great ideas to test for women over 50, if you ask me.
I can’t wait to give one or two of these a spin.
Never Too Late
Look, we all have our own peculiar challenges to meet but healthy aging is within the grasp of most of us. You can do this.
I repeat.
You can do this!
Even if you have spent most of your life not prioritizing your health. Or if you have let your weight slip into uncharted territory. Or if you haven’t eaten a vegetable for days. Maybe you can’t walk to the end of the street and back. It’s never too late to embrace healthy aging to become a better you. It’s never too late to reap the benefits of feeling your best, living your best, and ensure that you years beyond 50 are healthier, happier, and totally fierce.
