I CAN....TRANSFORMYA....

By far the most frustrating thing about being 50 is that one day you wake up and your body has betrayed you.  You look in the mirror and think..."I could swear I went to bed with only one chin....That extra roll under by bra was not there yesterday and since when did my belly rest on my thighs???"  I do have friends who brag about being able to fit into their high school cheerleading outfits, and wearing clothes they wore in college.  Well good for you....no one cares!!  Oh..and just so you know? If you fit into a single digit size NOBODY wants to hear that you need to lose weight.  Those of us who shop in the Missy Plus size section want to tackle you and feed you a cookie.....just sayin.

Mister has never cared about my weight one way or the other and for that I am incredibly grateful.  I cared. I got tired of being tired all the time and looking in the mirror and feeling like a stranger was looking back. So this year I decided to be proactive and take control of my life, my body and my fridge.

What did I do?  Well, I've been an online member of Weight Watchers for 2 years and obviously that's not working.  I have friends and family members who've lost a lot of weight with prepackaged meal planning and health coaches.  Mmmm..Not quite ready for that and besides I couldn't cook for my family and then open up a pouch and eat dinner.  I would feel too deprived.  What about exercise?  I have at home DVD's that I've used for years and while I like them just fine and they work,  it's just too easy to talk myself out of an early morning sweat when everyone else is comfy and in bed.  So far what I've learned about myself is that that I'm not accountable, I'm not willing to commit to eating differently and I can't make it to the living room to workout.  I guess the extra chin, rolls and belly are here to stay.

Maybe Not...Maybe There's Hope...

One afternoon as I was driving in my car, which also happens to be my office and cafeteria most days, I decided to stop here. 

I'm not going to lie....I was totally intimidated.  These people here were serious!!  Like supermodel, fitness junkie serious.  I almost apologized and excused myself to go next door to Paradise Bakery and get a muffin, a diet Coke and 1/2 dozen cookies.  Somehow they convinced me to come the next morning and take a free class.....SURE.....what could it hurt?? Besides every muscle in my body.

It worked!!  I loved it...um...uh...just kidding.  I loved being done when it was over but during the workout I look something like this.

My results so far?

The edema in my left leg is 95% gone, I now have ankle bones again. I am sleeping through the night. I don't feel like a stuffed sausage having a wardrobe malfunction every day when I get dressed. The scale is still my nemesis but at least it's moving in a downward direction.  I've gained a new appreciation for rap/hip hop. I can run uphill on a treadmill. I can lift a 26 lb kettle bell over my head while doing a squat. I still don't like jumping jacks, mainly because there's just too much that jiggles, either that or I need a better bra.

Bottom line is, I will update my progress as I go along.  I'm not ready to post before and after pics just yet because this is a marathon and not a sprint.  If you'd like to join me you can find me at

 Dana Park

I'd love to have some company as I huff and puff my 50 year old arse up those treadmill hills.