Welcome! Thanks for joining me in celebration of this past year leading up to my 50th birthday! I’m 50 years old today! Happy birthday to me!
My goal at the beginning of 2019 was to be the fittest I’ve ever been in my life by the age of 50. I had to lose weight and build muscle before the deadline of my 50th birthday of January 28th, 2020. Physical exercise is not only good for the body, but also helps the brain. Even so, I decided to get therapy with Cynthia for my mental fitness. Therapy has helped me search for my authentic self, learn about self esteem and how to cope with anxiety. For my spiritual fitness, I ask G-d’s help through daily prayer and tehillim. But here is where I’d like to focus on my physical fitness journey this past year.
At the end of January 2019, Ted and I signed up for memberships at Lifestyles Health and Wellness Center in Hampton, New Brunswick. I began weight training and doing cardio on the elliptical 5-6 days a week plus taking Thursday Body Sculpt classes with Debbie. I also started taking Monday and Wednesday classes to learn the 24 postures in Qi-Kong with Thérèse.
I shed most of my unwanted weight and thought it was time to have a strength program designed for me by Sherry in July. My strength was improving and August brought me a new set of goals, deciding that pull ups / chin ups and push ups would be my new challenge. Could I do a pull up by my birthday? My understanding of fitness had now become a necessity to grow stronger. My emphasis was/is on strength training and not bodybuilding. I plan and write out which exercises I will do daily for the next morning. This kept me focused and organised about choosing which exercises were needed to achieve my specific goals. I’ve discovered that I love to dead lift and enjoy the sumo deadlift best! On September 30th, Bruce took some time with us at the gym to teach Ted and I proper dead lift form and showed us various tips and stretches that go along with the deadlift.
I had some obstacles along the way, such as my left shoulder. I went to Hampton Physiotherapy to sort out the issues and went for massage therapy with Aaron. An important part of muscle growth is recovery which requires a good night sleep. At 50, recovery is vital and essential. It has been difficult to sleep with a sore problematic shoulder. Massage and stretching sure do help! There were days when I thought I was crazy and that I would never reach my ambitious goals.
On November 4th 2019, I did my first ‘partial rep’ unassisted pull up! It wasn’t feeling so ‘crazy’ anymore! I was starting to see more progress! I was able to do chin ups as well. My bench press was 82.5 lbs and I was deadlifting 145 lbs. I was doing 25 push ups in 2 minutes and running 2 miles in 19:36 and weighing in at 119 lbs. I’d dropped 20 pounds since January!
Today on my 50th birthday, I happy to say that my current bench press 1mr is 90 lbs, I’m deadlifting 165 lbs and doing 40 push ups in 2 minutes, running 2 miles in 18:20 while weighing in at 118 lbs. And …. I can complete one full pull up from a hanging position!
4 body compositions were taken through out 2019 (to see results for February, April, July and November go to the end of the post) to monitor my progress. My last body composition was taken yesterday, on January 27th, 2020, the day before my 50th birthday (results are also added at the end of the post). I still need to increase my caloric intake by eating more proteins and carbs to grow more muscle mass.
I continue to strengthen myself by improving my pull ups, push ups, bench press and running on the treadmill so that I can run my laps around an outside track in decent time. I continue going to body sculpt and Qi-Kong classes. Ted is teaching me to punch (box). I’m looking forward to shifting my training towards more calisthenics while continuing with the weight training.
My biggest and most important motivation has been wanting to keep up with my growing grandchildren, my son and daughter in law. I must be a fit and strong bubbie ! I’d like to grow older in the healthiest way possible so that I can experience and share the joy of watching their family grow for as long as I possibly can. Ted and I have decided to move closer to our grandchildren by the spring/summer of 2020. A big move ahead!
Other things I’ve done leading up to my 50th birthday was to grow out my natural hair colour and wear contact lenses. I had two fillings replaced and a new one added. I’ve also been trying some face cream to help fade age spots! Haha!
Here are some ‘famous’ people who’ve inspired and motivated me this past year: Stefi Cohen , Juji & Tom (Fitness is fun!) , Jeff at AthleanX and finally, the late and great Jack LaLanne.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“We are taught to think of our bodies as decorative, an object to be looked at; iron teaches us to think of our bodies as functional, our own active selves, not passive objects for another’s regard. Whole industries exist to profit by removing from us our confidence and selling it back as external objects. Iron gives us confidence from within through progressive training and measurable achievements.” -Stefi Cohen, Powerlifter.
“Your struggles develop your strengths.” -Brian Shaw, Strongman
I’d like to thank the morning gang at the gym who encouraged me: Kim Y., Fran and Jim, Gloria and Joe, Hiram, Debbie, Lori and Aaron, Vanessa, Sherry, Sandi, Jen and Dan. I am so blessed and grateful to have met such great people at Lifestyles !
I researched and learned more in regards to nutrition for my perimenopausal years. Everyone knows that you can’t out train a bad diet…. and by ‘diet’, I mean proper daily nutrition for life. I like to refer to it as my eating protocol. It has taken me approximately 10 years through trial, effort, abdominal swelling and pain, to sort out which foods are best for me. I figured out what I can and cannot tolerate through the process of elimination. No more dairy meant no more inflammation and passing out in pain. My doctor confirmed this through blood tests when I was 41.
Here’s a list (of most) of the foods/beverages/ingredients/supplements that I eat/take/ingest: sweet potato, brussel sprouts, broccoli, carrots, spinach, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, leeks, bell peppers, mung bean spouts, quinoa, nutritional yeast, sauerkraut, rice milk, pea protein, apples, mangos, cherries, blueberries, papayas, pomegranates, avocados, limes, lemons, quail and chicken eggs, bison, beef, chicken, salmon, sardines, green tea with ginger and lemon (plus other herbal and green teas), local honey, H2O, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cacao powder, Himalayan and sea salt, white rice, brown rice cakes, roasted sunflower seed spread (sunbutter with no sugar added), my own home made rice pudding, organic chicken, vegetable and beef broth, olive oil, sesame oil, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, lysine, coQ-10, nascent iodine, creatine, bovine and marine collagen. Whenever possible, I buy organic products with a hechsher.
A week away from my birthday, I wanted write my last thoughts of the past year. I’m grateful that I’m taking this interesting journey. I’m not sure if I will be updating my progress here. It might be a good idea. Perhaps an update when I’m 60? I’m still thinking about it. Please feel free to share your thoughts and post a comment ! Thanks for stopping in and celebrating life with me!
