Natalie Whatley

Last week I announced physical fitness was moving to a higher spot on my priority list. I’m entering a phase of life where health must be attended to or the quality of said life will gradually decline.

I told all of you because I may need an added layer of incentive to stay on track: nothing like a few extra eyes to keep me motivated. Plus, you’re all welcome to join me.  And I realize I picked a rough time of year to start. I held my ground last year, so I’m looking to one up myself and actually see some improvements as I hit the other side of this holiday season.

My newest challenge: adding more muscle to my frame. (The men folk in my house are very afraid. Assurances have been made that it is not my goal to look as if I could lift a car.) It’s a proposition that’s going to tax me mentally and physically, but I’m up to the task.   

Research on long-term success has led me to adopt some basics of balance and common sense. Real life won’t allow me to do crazy drastic things, and I have no desire for this project to take over my life. Results will be slower that way, but if it’s doable I can do it forever.  And that brings me to the how of it all: proper nutrition and good old exercise. I’m a no frills kind of girl.

“Diets” and gimmicks don’t work. Instead of some complicated meal plan, I’ll be “eating clean”—most of the time. In a nutshell that means eliminating processed foods (man-made ingredients) and having everything that enters my mouth be as close to how it appears in nature as possible.  Pretty simple.  I’ll even build in “cheat” days because life totally devoid of junk food is bland. Funny thing is, though, once junk foods clear the system, cravings drastically diminish. I can vouch for that.    

On the exercise front, I’ll be replacing some running/walking with more muscle-building strength training. Working with weights has been a part of my routine for years, but in order to make muscle gains at this point I’ve got to crank up the intensity and force my body to work much harder. It sounds crazy, and I don’t like pain, but good things come to those who weight train. Rewards include an increased metabolism making the body a fat-burning machine capable of sustaining weight loss and there’s the not-so-minor detail of a much improved appearance.

And in line with my no-frills approach, a body-fat scale (very accurate ones are available in the $50 range), journal, and a mirror will help me track progress and determine what works.  

In the end consistency in nutrition and exercise are key. But it all starts with having a goal, getting excited about reaching it, and finding ways to balance the journey in the context of life. There are many things beyond our control—pick up some weights and healthy food and take your health into your hands.

© 2010 Natalie Whatley

As we near the feeding frenzy that begins with Halloween and comes to a nauseatingly-sweet end around February 14, I’ve got something seemingly superficial weighing on my mind. A major personal milestone is scheduled to occur during that time, and I think I’m finally ready.  

I’ve mentioned this previously-dreaded event plenty in the last couple of years and in a little over six weeks the big day will arrive.  I swore last year that I’d celebrated my last birthday, but with the full understanding that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow: It’s looking like I’ll make it to the BIG 4-0. (We’ll pause briefly to allow all my “senior” friends to giggle . . .  like I do when they call me young. Yeah, yeah. It’s relative.)

For some crazy reason I’d been dreading it. However, I’ve turned my thinking around and realize how blessed I am to have made it—physically in one piece (mentally is a whole different ball of wax). Among the blessings I can count are great health, but I know through vigorous research that I can’t take that for granted. I must work every day from this point forward to enjoy it further as it will surely decline if I let it.

I started off on a mission about a year ago—mostly for vanity’s sake— to hit 40 in the best physical shape of my life.  I’m happy to report that I hit the mark. It wasn’t terribly difficult in that I’ve dabbled in fitness over the years post pregnancies, but I’d never taken it to any level difficult to surpass.

Now I see how people get “hooked”. I am the best I’ve ever been, but I’m on a plateau and feel even more compelled to raise the bar because there’s still a great deal of room for improvement. Being satisfied is great, but constant forward momentum is greater. Interest in long-term health and vitality has surpassed the external benefits. And good health well into later years is a goal worth striving for.

Plus, researchers say the aging process can be reversed through exercise and a healthy diet.  Reversed! That got my attention. Sounds like the Fountain of Youth; I can’t gulp it down fast enough.

The great news is that no matter where you are in life it’s never too late to start improving your health and fitness. I admitted to interest sparking for vanity, but that turned into a powerful motivator that caused me to look into the other aspects: being mobile, healthy, and able to do whatever my mind cooks up on a given day.

Next week I’ll share more about my fitness goals as I enter my 40s and how I intend to reach them. In the meantime, think about where you are and where you would like to go. We may be in very different places, but we’re all traveling. Join me in making the journey to a place where age is a source of pride and nothing to dread.

© 2010 Natalie Whatley

               The new year is young, and the annual “get fit” message is in full swing. Who among us can ignore the fresh-faced people sporting the latest in workout fashions and gear, appearing in the mailbox before holiday overindulgences are fully digested? It’s enough to cause a psychotic fit only repeated when those same models appear once again, sans the workout clothes, showing off their gazelle-like bodies and loudly proclaiming “swimsuit season is here”.

                Fitness fads past and present make it quite clear that long-term motivation is key. While pondering that thought, I stumbled upon a revelation that has got to be the Holy Grail in fitness motivation for parents. There’s important work to do in the future, and we’ll need to be in tip-top shape. I know it doesn’t sound like much fun in the here and now, but anything worth having is worth waiting for, right? The anticipation alone gets my blood pumping. Do you see where this is heading? We’ve got to live into old age; there’s retribution to be paid.

                Not all parents feel the need to give back to today’s youth, but Jeff and I regularly fantasize about the things we’ll do when we visit our grown children in their homes. Recording the finer points of our plan protects good ideas from being lost to future “senior moments”, and quite frankly, it’s what keeps us going.

                As it is my goal to motivate others into good health, I’ll touch on the highlights: complain about the meals prepared; carve on the furniture with a pocket knife; put plates of half-eaten food under the bed, not to be discovered until a family of roaches has moved in, and multiplied; stop up the toilet, continue flushing until overflow is achieved, and tell no one, as this is a treat best experienced with no warning; and last, but not least, stuff wet towels (same ones used to mop up toilet overflow contents) into the deep recesses of a closet, and close the door to ensure the proper warmth and humidity mildew needs to thrive. Get the picture?

                In the past, I have dieted/exercised purely for vanity’s sake, but as I rapidly approach forty, I’m becoming more concerned with my health. This recent epiphany makes sweating and eating right sound almost enjoyable. Doctors say healthy habits that will carry us into the geriatric stage of life must be consistent, and started early. I hope I’m not too late.

                Of course I don’t really plan on doing those things to my children, but it is FUN to think about. I’m still going to make some deposits to the good-health account, and be a good steward of the vessel that will see me through this life. If nothing else, I want to be around to receive the exasperated phone calls beginning with “you’re not going to believe…”.  Yeah, I’ll believe it. I wonder if they’ll realize who planted the seed in that darling grandchild.

                Younger people secretly wonder why senior citizens are such a happy lot; now we know. Take care of yourself now…you’ll be ecstatic later.

© 2008 Natalie Whatley