New Plans, But, Still Over 50 Feeling 40

Well, I am officially age 65!  And just like my other birthdays, I do not feel older….still over 50 feeling 40!  I get more mail…every single company pushing Medicare or senior products now send letters and emails.  I think I get more discounts…though I have never taken a senior discount…I need to make note of the brands and days they offer the sale prices.  It just makes sense to do that.

Other than that, I have to remind myself that this is my age!  I really did not expect to feel this way or look this way at age 65, because my own mother looked much older.  She was not active or social, so she had difficulty moving around and she was generally unhappy.  I remember her often as an example of what I do not want to do over sixty.

So, in an effort to keep my life interesting….I am going to start a new program tomorrow at my gym.   It is a small group working with two trainers and a nutritionist to increase strength, flexibility, and healthy eating.  I will work out three times a week with the trainers, other days do cardio, and learn clean eating and keep a journal of all I eat.  We weigh in and take measurements monthly.  I know one of the trainers and she is tough and will expect a lot, but I also know this will be good for me and it is time to do something new.  I just completed a healthy eating month (except I fell off the wagon in the name of my birthday), so I am ready to keep it going.  I hope to share some recipes and tips with you as I learn something new.

The best healthcare plan I can do is to be proactive to care for myself.  The strength training I have done for the last five years has benefitted me in so many ways and kept me from Osteoporosis medications.  I actually watched my bone density scans improve.  I really think this is my biggest challenge at 65…to officially say goodbye to sugar and to increase my activity.  Eat Less, Move More!  Pretty basic, right?

The only thing new in my outfit today is this necklace from Chico’s.  I took it right off a mannequin when I was in the store recently.  I went in for the big sale…and left with four amazing pieces for a total under $80.  One is a beautiful blue winter coat I found there for $28!!  It is a steal.  You will see all of these beginning with the next post.  This week I also have a new brand to introduce to you.

So, for those of you near or over sixty, what do you believe your biggest challenges are going forward??  Please share…..

I would love for you to look at the slide show below, and please join me as we………………………………………..

KEEP SMILING!!

Chico’s has a jewelry sale right now, buy one and get a second one half off!

Linking up with HAPPINESS LINK PARTY…AND VISIBLE MONDAY….

48 Comments

  1. You are an inspiration to me Pam, happy birthday! I will be 60 in December. There are steps to get back to my true self that started in March of this year. I quit a job and left a very awful boss behind, cleaned out six carloads of “stuff” to donate, threw away four garbage cans of paper “stuff”, painted three rooms (while listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan at concert level and loving every minute!), cleaned out my gardens after two years of not touching them, taking time to read my scriptures every day, joined Weight Watchers two weeks ago (down almost 8 lbs.)and are making an effort to appreciate all the small beautiful miracles around me. I too don’t want to be the typical 60 year old I knew growing up. Age is not important. It is truly your attitude as they say! I’m not afraid to enter my sixties like a year ago. It’s wonderful to have a place to go to be inspired by you and the gals who comment on your posts. Thanks Pam!

  2. WOW! Thank you, Sue…you are MY inspiration! I love all that you said here…it is empowering when we decide that we matter and we are going to live life to its fullest with joy and purpose. I need to pump up the music and hit my gardens as well. Thank you for sharing all that you are doing and for being here!!

  3. Happy Birthday Pam!! It’s so wonderful to see other women be inspirations as they collect birthdays! Sometimes our mothers are the reminders of what not to do, or some (like my mom) is another of my inspirations!!
    I feel like I’ve learned that keeping our bodies healthy makes us much happier, which definitely keeps us younger inside!!
    XOXO
    Jodie

  4. Thank you for sharing and reminding me of the need for strength training! I am so excited to hear about your progress. Your sense of style is fun, helpful and inspiring to me. May I recommend a source of wonderful healthy recipes? Laura Lee Goldberg author of The Balanced Cookbook is her name. I have been working toward clean eating for several years now and finally have normal blood pressure numbers without the medication I used to take. Her recipes have been such an incredible help – user friendly and consistently delicious.

  5. As they say, “I feel you!” I’m 62 and for health reasons have had to cut WAY back on sugar and up my activity level. I do cheat here and there, …and then I feel it, …so lessons learned. I walk 2 1/2 to 4 miles – 6 days a week, almost first thing in the morning. I’m one of those who has to get the exercise in first or it doesn’t happen. Good luck with the life changes you are making, it will be worth it!

  6. Thanks for always being such an inspiration. And for the lessons learned. Strength training is so very important and something I have been so slack about.

  7. Sue just gave me more to think about. Happy Birthday Pam, you continue to inspire me.I am facing some changes this year, but approach them with excitement and a little bit of fear. The fear is a learned behavior, and that is my biggest challenge. I need to keep taking steps to learn how to operate in spite of the fear. I want to move past it, and make the necessary changes to finally conquer it. Biggest challenge. I, too, would like to give up sugar. I hear that is life-changing! Healthy eating, clean eating does interest me and I do try and do fairly well. There are always going to be times when I will indulge in a treat, because life is too short to avoid them entirely. Please do share your recipes and ideas! As for the senior discounts, I do use them, especially when traveling. I also got a senior activity pass at my former high school and attend Friday football with my sister and high school friends – for free! Like you mentioned, my inactive and not very social mom serves as a reminder to me to keep active, keep meeting with friends, and get out and live life. She is still living, but could be doing so much better had she not gotten to age 60 and thought it was time to “take it easy.” She keeps asking me when I’m going to stop doing so much and take it easy. I tell her not as long as I’m drawing breath! I realize things can happen, but I’m on a mission to keep going as long as I can. By the way, your hair looks great! And what a fantastic shopping trip you had at Chico’s!!!

  8. Oh, I think you’ve tossed a gauntlet, Pamela. I need to think about this.

    Congratulations!

    And take the discounts!

  9. After you process, let me know what you are thinking! I hope everyone will remember that I did not enter a gym for me until I was 60! I have been going regularly for 5 years…NEVER TOO LATE!

  10. I really believe our two biggest enemies in this life are fear and insecurity! Take things one day at a time….today I will conquer fear. Then get up the next day and do it again! You are on the right track, Karen. Thanks for sharing…. (and isn’t it funny how our moms thought this time of life was for slowing down?)

  11. I can’t say that I love working with weights and that I look forward to it…but the results are awesome. It is amazing how much younger you feel after a regular weight workout each week. But I have to make myself go and not lesson to the excuses in my head. It helps to have a group who will encourage and inspire you as well. You can do it, Linda!

  12. I am just like you Diana…if I don’t do this in the mornings, it will not happen. So I go to the gym at 5AM!! Thanks for sharing….

  13. Thanks, Pam! I will look into the cookbook…love recommendation! Keep up the good work!

  14. For healthy eating, I strongly recommend two books, Eat to Live and How Not to Die. They are both written by physicians and give lots of research and data. I’ve been plus size all my adult life, but the weight is rolling off, without calorie counting, and the difference in how I feel is game changing. Everybody has to do what they think is right for them, but these books provide what they call a nutritionally dense diet and just super information, especially if you are a charts geek like I am.

  15. Thanks so much, Linda! Congratulations on your life change…hope it continues to go so well. I will check out the books.

  16. I believe it’s important to maintain strength and flexibility, i.e. functional fitness and to eat healthy as much as possible. I can definitely tell the difference when I don’t! You look great by the way!

  17. Thank you, Shelley…I really hope to improve on my flexibility. Stay tuned!

  18. Happy Birthday!

    Your hair is looking great, I think it’s worth the time and effort!

  19. Happy Birthday, Pam! I’m just a few months ahead of you so welcome to 65! I look forward to what you’re planning to share especially in regards to healthy eating. I’ve been working out since age 40 and I’m pretty proud of the fact that I can paddle a kayak for over 3 hours or go on a long hike without wearing out. My husband has had issues with high cholesterol for years, so we’re in the habit of eating a healthy diet. In the past couple of years, I’ve been watching my sugar intake carefully as I’m pre diabetic. That’s genetic, but it can also be caused by my cancer treatments. There are definitely challenges to entering our senior years, but with a bit of effort and the right attitude, life is great! And those discounts are nice too!

  20. Happy birthday Pam! Thanks for your constant encouragement, generosity and authenticity! Rare to find all three in a person but you display them all. I look forward to your post each day !!! Even if I can’t comment , I read them all and always learn something or am inspired to make a change or try something new!
    Enjoy your day and wishing you many blessings in the year ahead!!

  21. Susan, you are so kind and I appreciate your words so much. Thank you for being here.

  22. Your hair looks marvelous, and I love the necklace. I bought a white necklace and earrings at Chico’s. They livened up my outfit recently at the rehearsal dinner for my nephew’s wedding.

    At 70 (71 next month), I am listening to all the comments about diet and exercise. My mother was a deplorable role model. She died at age 53 of smoker’s lung cancer. I had to find new role models as I went through parenting and menopause. Now I have good friends and we encourage each other, as you are doing today. We remind each other not to go out without eyebrows! I’m not heading to the gym at 5 am, but I am doing a lot of walking and logging it on my pedometer app on my smartphone.

  23. Paddle a canoe for over three hours?? Wow, you inspire me, Elaine…I do not think I could do it right now, but will add it to the goals list! Thanks for being here.

  24. Sounds like you are doing great, Gail. The encouragment of friends has been so important to me! I am sorry to hear about your mother, but glad you are not going to follow the same path. Thank you for sharing…

  25. My biggest challenge is to keep my brain healthy and the brain fog. I’m taking a couple of supplements that have helped but I truly want to stay active and keep my brain active and healthy.

  26. I agree, Kathy. Another reason I exercise is to hopefully keep dementia away…it is frightening. I understand why you see it as a challenge.

  27. Happy Birthday, another wonderful milestone. You look absolutely fabulous – excellent picture – excellent outfit and excellent hair !! Next B/D for me is 80 !! sometimes I wonder how I got here. The past two years have been good. We downsized – smaller home, smaller city. Love it. Joined the Health and Wellness Centre a few minutes from home. Three times a week I work out with a trainer. Good results. I love reading positive Blogs and yours in one of the finest. Thank you.

  28. Thank you so much, Eleni! For your encouragment and for charting a course for the rest of us to follow. I so appreciate you sharing and hope that at 80 I am still working out with a trainer! Thanks for being here…

  29. Happy Birthday, Pam! You look lovely, & joy radiates from you smiling face. I will be 64 in September, & my biggest challenge is the social aspect of my life. Over the past eight years, I have let many friends drift away. There were good reasons at the time, but now I am growing to regret it.

  30. Oh, Becky…I hope you are able to rekindle some of those friendships. Don’t hesitate…reach out to them this week. Thanks for sharing.

  31. Happy Birthday, Pam! Love your hair – you look great! I joined Weight Watchers a few months ago & have lost 30 lbs so far. It’s definitely not as easy to lose weight as we advance in age, but I’m really pleased with my progress so far.
    Thanks for the reminder about strength training – I need to do this.
    You’re an inspiration!

  32. Happy Birthday, Pam! You look wonderful and are such an inspiration, as are all these wonderful women who commented! What an inspiring, supportive, positive community….I love visiting this blog and always come away uplifted and motivated.

  33. You are inspiring me, Cindy…thirty pounds is awesome progress!! Thanks so much for sharing!

  34. Happy Birthday, Pam! You look amazing!

    You’re such an inspiration. I just turned 60 and you’ve made me really look forward to it!!! I always enjoy your blog posts!

  35. Happy Birthday Pam! At 59 I have pretty good health but challenges getting exercise and enough sleep. I am concerned about bone health and overall health in general. I am also trying to decide how long to stay on HRT. Very inspirational hearing what you do to stay healthy and the comments from others.

  36. Happy birthday and congrats on being such an inspiration! You are exactly right about being active. As my husband (almost 65) says, “sitting is the new smoking”. And at my last physical my doctor said being active is what keeps us young — in body and mind. So go for it, Pam — we are cheering you on!

  37. Thank you, Heidi. Wish I had come to this early, but at least I got there!

  38. Happy Birthday! Birthdays serve as my secondary New Year’s Day, also. I review and try out new resolutions to improve my life.
    You are making 65 look good.
    And you go girl on that sugar decision.

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