We all know the quote that is attributed to John Lennon saying, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." The quote is brilliant because it's honest and true.
An ordinary day can turn on a dime.
A person rarely reaches my age without learning some hard lessons about life after facing illness, financial struggles, toxic relationships or tragedy. These are inevitable as we age, and the lessons we learn forces us to acquire some survival skills.
If you're wise you'll realize that being flexible about the inevitable twists and turns of life is healthier for you. Because the life we plan and the life we lead are, more times than not, two very different things.
Bending instead of breaking is always optimal.
For instance, over the past week I said farewell to a dear friend.
and cared for a sick one.
I celebrated some exciting family successes,
and was mindful of a few happy moments walking by.
It's important to remain focused on staying healthy while maneuvering the highs and lows of daily life. Eating right, getting plenty of exercise and practicing a stress-reducing activity (such as meditation) will help keep our bodies happy as we age.
It was the 1980's and big hair was, well, BIG!
Here's what worked for me this week:
Visualizing how I want to look and feel: At 55 I won't feel like I did at 25, 35, or 45. I'm trying to be the best ME I can be at this age. I'm not perfect. I stumble and fall, but I always try to get myself back up to try even harder.
Eating less: I have the Jenny Craig meal plan on my side to help me eat healthy meals, and I add fresh fruits and vegetables to each meal. This week I ate several meals out, so I'd cut up fresh veggies and carried them in a Zip-Lock bag in my purse. I tried to plan what I'd eat before every outing (a special thanks to Houston's tuna sashimi salad with cilantro viniagrette - a big yum!) Was I perfect? No. I'm a work in progress. But I'm eating healthier than I was a year ago. That's a step in the right direction!
Finally met Carol April of ndy (Not Done Yet) and she came bearing gifts and a new friendship.
Feeling better about the way I look: I'm fighting every (single) ounce to get off my body. It's a battle, and so far I've lost 12 pounds since December. I don't want to gain any weight back after working so hard to take them off. That fact continues to motivate me.
I like telling my husband that I'm losing weight: Okay, I admit it. It feels good to tell my husband my good news. Do you have any idea what it's like to be married to someone who weighs the same as he did when we met 29 years ago? He is dedicated to eating right and getting plenty of exercise. He also has great metabolism! This can be maddening at times, so I try to imagine what it feels like to never worry about gaining weight. Ah, Utopia.
What do you do to take care of your health as you age?
*I received a free month on the Jenny Craig program and a discount on food for this review. There was no compensation. All opinions are solely my own. NOTE: Clients following the Jenny Craig program lose, on average, 1 -2 lbs. per week.
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Cathy, this was such an encouraging post. And losing 12 pounds is a HUGE deal. What an accomplishment. My scale only seems to have one direction--UP! So I guess I need to try harder too!
A loss of 12 pounds? Fantastic. That, and your upbeat attitude, will take you far.
I have always loved that quote too...and feel like it shows up for me all the time...and yes, my husband is also the same (or maybe a tad over) as when we got married. He does have more gray hair than I do though! My weight is a long term struggle for me...excited to follow your journey!
12 pounds lost is outstanding! My husband can just stop snacking and drop 10 pounds in a few weeks. It is so unfair so I understand!
Yay you! You're doing great with Jenny. It's so true: life happens when we're not paying attention, and with it comes the good and the not-so-good. Hopefully in the end the good comes out on top. Great post, Cathy.
Wow! Twelve pounds since December? I'd say you're doing a fabulous job! Keep it up. Lovely, positive thoughts you share here, as always.
Cheers!
FOOD! LOVE! HAPPINESS! PLEASURE! WEIGHT! WEIGHTLESSNESS!!
I admire you Cathy for working so hard to achieve your goal. And I love your attitude of one day at a time, because that's all we can ask of ourselves. We had a wonderful delicious and healthy lunch together, for which I'm very grateful!
BTW, I LOVE to eat. I know when I'm simply eating for pure pleasure and what happiness it brings me. I'm also aware that when I get off a stressful phone call and find myself staring at the inside of my refrigerator, that that's emotional eating. Sometimes I reach for almond butter and a sliced apple; many more times the Hershey's Nuggets with almonds wins out. I guess I've come to realize there can be a balance and over the years I've discovered that food is not my enemy and that a joyful brisk walk is now my best friend! P.S I also ascribe to the idea that Protein at our age is ESSENTIAL -- a must at every meal because of course, we're NOT DONE YET!! xxo
You look terrific! And I still love BIG hair.
"An ordinary day can turn on a dime." We all learn this the hard way usually. Mine was a husband leaving. Your view of reality is never the same again.
You've got a busy and involved life, a model for the rest of us!
Yay, Cathy! You are doing so great and should celebrate every victory! Love the John Lennon quote, which is so true. So proud of you always! xo
You GO Girl! It is so important to take care of you so that you continue to be able to do all of the great work that you do for others! I am learning how to meditate! Taking 20 min 2 x a day to get back into that calm within! I shall let you know how it goes!
Congratulations! 12 LBS is definitely something to brag about!
Losing any amount of weight is an accomplishment! I've been striving to make healthier choices myself, lately. Luckily I LOVE yogurt. Unfortunately I also LOVE Dairy Queen!
I think you are so right about the difference between the life we planned vs. the life we actually get! For better or for worse, it's the life we've got, so we may as well make the best of it ---- something that I think you manage to do every day!
Right now I am working on being flexible. I would completely shut down when things came at me unexpectedly especially when I went through so much trouble to plan things just so. But you're right if you're not flexible you'll break.
I am a work in progress 🙂