I don’t really know what to call myself these days. If I were middle-aged, I would have to live to be 112, and I don’t really want to do that. I don’t feel like a senior citizen, although in most realms I definitely qualify (and if it gets me a discount, I will gladly admit to being a senior!). I think I will stick with upper middle age for a few more years.

This stage of my life certainly looks different than when my grandmothers or mother was here. When my mother was 56, I was 22. She seemed old, even though she always stayed active in her own way. She made sure she walked daily, and often tried different modes of exercise: mini tramp, exercise bike, treadmill, aerobics videos. But she didn’t go places and explore; she didn’t hike or cycle. She stayed close to home, often not by choice but because my step-dad refused to do anything. I respected my mother and her choices, but I choose to live. I want to experience new places, try new things, and enjoy my family and friends. I want to run and swim with my grandkids. I want to set a positive example for my students. In order to accomplish all of this, I first need to return to being fit.

I began this attempt at getting back to being fit in January. While I was able to increase my mileage in running, I continued to struggle with my weight. As per my last blog, I joined Weight Watchers on April 5, so I am just past two months in. I am very pleased with my progress. I am down about 15 pounds, my clothes fit, and I feel so much better. I am eating much healthier, and it really hasn’t been that challenging. I went on a girls’ trip to Savannah and Tybee Island with my high school friends this past weekend, and admittedly I did not make healthy choices. Although we put in about 27 miles of walking over four days, we also ate some great meals and indulged in some fruity drinks. I gained a couple pounds, but I had a great time, and got right back on track the day we came home.

Some things that have worked for me are to be consistent and to plan ahead. I eat a lot of eggs, which are zero point foods. For those of you who do not know how WW works, it is all based on a point system. I can eat what I want, as long as I stay within my points. Those points are not based solely on calories, but also on nutrition. Something, such as a granola bar, might be low calorie, but because of the added sugar, it is high in points. I get 23 points per day, which at first seemed impossible, but it is enough; sometimes I don’t use all of my points. I also get “weeklies” which as extra points I can use for a nice dinner, a party, or some wine (if you know me, you know what I choose to use those for!). There are many zero point foods such as boneless, skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, eggs, fruits, and veggies. My favorite, besides chicken, is air-popped popcorn and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray. I LOVE popcorn, so having it as a zero point snack is great. So, I am pretty consistent in my food choices, and when my husband and I go out to dinner, I plan ahead so that I don’t make an unhealthy choice because I am rushed to order. We are going to dinner this evening in Louisville, and I know what I am going to order, and have already logged it in my app. Will there be temptations? For sure. Having a plan when we arrive will enable me to overlook the temptations and choose what is right for me.

I am still trying to improve my running and add distance. After I bailed on the Indy Mini, I decided to focus on 5Ks for the summer. I ran one with my friend, Jennifer, on Memorial Day, and it was so much fun! I ran it in 31:44 (10:10 pace), which isn’t bad for my first race since 2019. It is a distance I know I can run, so I can just work on improving my times. I am running the Louisville Pride 5k this coming weekend, and I am excited because the Pride movement means a lot to my family. It is going to be hilly, so I have a feeling my time will be much slower because I have avoided hills for a long time. I suppose that should be another goal — start running hills again. I am not sure what my next race will be. We are going on vacation, so I am going to focus on that for the next couple of weeks.

Vacation…thankfully my husband is also on Weight Watchers so we can help each other stay accountable. We are going to Washington DC and Atlantic City, so we will have access to some great seafood, and much of that is zero or low points. We will be walking a lot, and I plan to work some short runs in. My goal is just to maintain over those nine days.

Getting or staying fit is a choice we have to make every single day. When I am overweight, I am unhappy. I am frustrated with myself, and often in a bad mood. That ends up affecting those around me, so I have to work on myself. One thing I have learned recently is that I never regret passing up cake or treats, but even though a treat tastes good at the time, I end up regretting it later. I have to think beyond that moment. The same thing goes for exercise. I have never regretted taking time for a workout, but often regret when I don’t exercise. I try to make the choice I am least likely to regret. Do I always get it right? Nope. But that’s okay. Move on and make a better decision next time.

One of the reasons I began running at 42, was that my father died at that age of a heart attack. I was becoming depressed as I turned 42, so with a nudge from my husband, I decided to become proactive and take care of my heart. Last week I got a new tattoo honoring my dad and my journey to running. Make healthy choices and take care of YOU!