Too Old - for what?

A Life Coach - who in the heck works with a Life Coach?  I'm organized, happily married with adult children and adorable young grandchildren, retired from a successful business career, I'm a community leader, and a spiritually grounded individual.  I repeat - who in the heck works with a Life Coach? Me? Probably not......though through exposure to the term Life Coach, mainly through bloggers whom I had followed over a couple of years on the internet, I felt comfortable with the idea that LC's were valuable particularly for young people attempting to organize their lives, to climb the corporate ladder, to step out into the dating world with confidence.  Certainly, a charming notion but nothing to which I could relate in my more mature stage of life, right?  Right........well maybe?

One evening last spring, my spouse and I were vacationing and I was settling in after a beautiful day at the beach, a nap, a leisurely dinner, an awesome sunset.  Relaxing before bedtime included writing a post for my blogsite and, as well, a quick visit to a couple of my favorite bloggers' posts.  Christine Kane is one of those sites I visit often; she's a Life Coach, a songwriter, an entrepreneur extraordinaire and always has an entertaining and informative word of the day on her site, so I clicked over there for a quick look.  That day Ms. Kane was featuring another LC and one whose specialty  caught my eye - Tonya Leigh Williams, a Life Coach specializing in weight loss issues.  I couldn't click fast enough; I was very curious!

 

Curiosity, questions, answers, phone sessions and homework - that was almost 5 months ago.  Tonya and I are a solid team now.  Essentially she and I have addressed why it is that I gained the weight to begin with and why I could not lose two decades of it, no matter how much I exercised!  We've covered a lot of ground relating to body image - my attitude toward life, food,  and fitness - all great topics but those topics and the loss of weight have become incidental in the broader scope of expanding the life that is mine now, in this moment, in this time!  What topics you might wonder - how about a 5K race, taking on serious writing and art creation and continuing my studies of a foreign language?  Are those diverse enough, perhaps even scattered in their diversity? Perhaps, yet those topics and their implementation are breathing new life, curiosity and wonder into my being- and at my age? A Life Coach - who works with a Life Coach?!

P.S. Those of you who follow my posts regularly, will remember that on June 26, I did run my first 5K event - started, finished - loved it - no injury - no doubt there will be another event - I'm working on it!  I have a new bike (I had been thinking about that for about 18 months and just couldn't make the decision)  I enjoy stretching my body into yoga poses at least two times a week; my list of post topics is expanding; my artwork has been on the backburner for a few months but Tonya and I have been discussing a plan for that project's re-emergence......oh, and the weight loss? - that's just happening, I have no obsession about it not coming off anymore - it just is.  So a motivational Life Coach - with a specialty in weight loss?  I'm not too old for that!!??  In fact there's not too much that I can dream up that I'm too old to accomplish - how about you? ........too old for what?!!! 

The Mind, Body, and Spare Tire

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Over the years I've experienced the fact that popular women's magazines, medical studies/journals, doctors, and particularly women friends, have repeatedly reminded me and other women that each decade brings a new "something" to our aging minds and bodies.  I've gone along with this surfeit of information for a long time - that is with the exception of being in my 20's when I was CERTAIN that none of the aging rules would apply to me, to my mind, to my body!

No longer in my 20's however, I look at the information in a different way.  For me, the minds part is amazing.  For example, I've developed what I consider to be common sense behavior that seems appropriate and applicable to the surroundings and circumstances in which I live.  I've learned new skills,   experienced forms of literature not studied in my youth, reached out to both old and new friends through mind, spirit and the internet.   Through occasional classes, on the job experience and just plain old living, I've savored good books, enjoyed visiting new continents and am entertained by both serious theological reading and silly slapstick movies!  At this time in my life, my curious mind takes me places that I might have, or probably would have, avoided in my youth.  Yes, the mind enhancing possibilities present or there to be enhanced in the aging process are, for me both intriguing and challenging!

However, the body part - oh yes, the body part, certainly challenging but not quite so intriguing!  On the positive side I've tasted new foods, experimented with new recipes, ordered expensive champagne on occasion, and found the delicious wines of our valley temptingly served at every social event I attend.  The body is quite pleased with all of the savoring going on through the aforementioned activities but the scales have confirmed that each decade definitely brings something new to it and the something new is usually at least 5 new and unwelcome pounds!   A nice spare tire around the middle and blouses that resist ever being tucked into pants' waistbands again!  Having read and swallowed the mind and body propoganda trends for a few of my own adult decades, I've still always believed in my heart of hearts that I was NOT doomed to gain 5 lbs or more every decade! So.....

I've happily engaged in vigorous exercise programs and not so happily in myriad diets over the years - Atkins, High Protein, Low Protein, Sugar Busters, Palm Beach, Weight Watchers, my personal favorite - the ice cream for dinner diet - and found, surprise, surprise that although the exercise is good for my heart and my joints, the diets work for a little while, a few pounds lost and then a few pounds more gained back and beyond.  What a pain!  What a disappointment.  Yet, that belief in the foolishness of those 5 lbs per decade being inevitable,  persisted.


I'm happy to report that I've lost two decades worth of added poundage - you do the math:) in the last 5 months.  No, I didn't find THE diet of all diets, I haven't had stomach surgery or liposuction - I just started to listen to my body.  Too simple, huh?  That's what I thought and found a bit too good to be true when I clicked on Tonya Leigh Williams' site,  JustBLiving.  There I found a no nonsense young Life Coach who worked not so much on what the outside looked like but what's inside my mind regarding dieting, body image, food, habits of breakfast, lunch and dinner, etc.  I've not missed a meal since I began working with her.  I've never felt deprived or left wanting for a special food item or dessert.  My scales moved to the back of my closet during the first week of working with Tonya and still reside there.  Her coaching has changed my mind set, my waistline-my personal spare tire, my life.


If any of this post resonates with you, I highly recommend you visit Tonya's site, send her an email asking your questions, schedule a call with her - I'm here to tell you that you won't be disappointed!