51 and still kicking ass...

Interview with newsletter subscriber Lisa on her own success story.



Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you're so involved in fitness?

Oh my goodness... I have to start off by saying , "I am the luckiest girl I
know."

I truly believe that. I am one of the "lucky ones" in so many ways.
I have 4 amazing children, Melanie (22), Travis (19), Clay (15) and Paige
(12 as of Feb 7th, she is counting the days!)

I have been lucky to be a stay-at-home mom all these years. I got what I call, "my wake UP call"...you know how fast time goes by... life just happens, and you are so involved in what is going on around you that you suddenly realize that YOU have
gotten lost along the way somehow.

I woke up one day in Sept a few weeks before my 49th birthday and realized the big 5-0 was so close... in 1 year I was going to be 50 years old. How did that happen? It just crept up on me.

I took a good look in the mirror and did not like what I saw. Somehow I
found myself staring back at a woman who had not been taking care of herself
at all. I definitely had let myself go.

As luck would have it, an old friend came by and invited me to start walking with her. That was a start at least. We walked that first day and her knee bothered her so the next day she invited me to go to her gym, LA FITNESS and take a water aerobics class. I had never done that before.

Dan, I walked into that gym the first week in September 2006 and I have been there almost everyday since. This was my BIRTHDAY PRESENT to myself. I wanted to be FIT and 50. I gave myself 1 year to do this. I looked long range as I knew to do it the right way it was going to take some time.

When I joined the gym my starting weight was 212 lbs. Oh my GOSH... I weighed 222 lbs when I was 9-months pregnant with my first child and she was born weighing 10-1/2lbs~ I couldn't believe I was that heavy. It is so easy to kid yourself when you go around with sweat pants all the time.. LOL. I remember how horrible it was when I had to go buy a pair of jeans and I found myself in a size 18/20!

I began working out by asking questions, watching the trainers, watching
other people in the gym. I started on the equipment and eventually started
taking the classes that are offered.. step, pilates, yoga, spin,body
scuplting... I was there.

I also was doing the treadmill...walking on it for almost 45 minutes at a time. As i stayed on that treadmill I would ask myself every day.. "How bad do you want this...and my answer to this day is always the same .. I WANT IT BAAAD". I never did go on the scale... I am through with that game. The scale can make or break your day.. and it didn't matter to me.. I knew I was going in the right direction.

I paid attention to what I ate... I suddenly no longer cared about food that I knew
was not beneficial to me. I was so surprised in December when I went for a
checkup and I was down to 174 lbs.

I kept on striving. Every day I would go to the gym.... I wake up in the morning so excited as to what I am going to do each day. I even had bunion foot surgery in February and that didn't stop me... I just carried my crutches and my shoe pad..and i would at first sit at the machines with my leg elevated on a chair working my upper body...LOL...then the doctor gave me permission to at least do my spin classes...there was not going to be anything to hinder my progress.

One of my favorite classes at the gym I call my Kick ASs class on Wed
mornings. When i walked into that class for the very first time the
instructor, Joyce, took one look at me and asked me if had ever really
worked out hard before... hahaha.. well... I did the Cher step VHS tape a
few years ago i answered.
Oh my goodness..that girl kicked my BUTT that first day.. and I watched the kind of shape she was in and the things she was able to do and then something inside me just CLICKED and I KNEW I wanted to strive everyday to achieve that kind of FITNESS LEVEL.

Joyce and I are the best of friends today and she has been there since the beginning of my journey and watched my transformation and she is still KICKING my BUTT every
Wednesday morning and I love IT still~

Dan, as crazy as it may sound.. "FITNESS, gave me my life back. I never knew
what i wanted to be 'when i grew up".. I have loved being a wife and mom...
but this is the first time that I have found something that is all about
ME... I truly LOVE the whole aspect of it.

I have found my passion. I am so humbled when somebody comes up to me and tells me I have inspired them.

Doesn't get any better than that. If I can just get that word out to women
that turning 50 is a whole new beginning for US. there are things i do
everyday in gym that the younger girls can't do...

On September 28, 2007 i turned 50 years old. I weighed 140 lbs... I felt
good... I mean... I FELT GOOD. I always say... if everybody knew what it felt
like to really feel GOOD...they would never want to feel any other way. I
have people ask me have I reached my GOAL... I always say... NO WAY... this
is a lifetime Journey... there is so much more to find out what I can
accomplish. It is not unusual to see me pushing 2 risers with a 45-lb plate
on it across the gym floor... or pushing a tire... I am up for anything.

I was at the gym so much... last year they actually offered me an instructor
position... so I teach 2 body sculpt classes on Mon and Fri and I make sure
we have FUN... work HARD, challenge ourselves... and we are high-fiving
each other all during class.

Nothing is better than the look of accomplishment on somebody's face when
they achieve something they had no idea they could do.

I always tell my class the only limitations we have are those we put on
ourselves. WE can DO ANYTHING we set out to DO.
I love the tabata training method and incorporate that throughout my class.
Whether it's 20 seconds on and 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds and 4 quick
minutes..or 50 seconds on and 10 seconds of rest for a 20-minute circuit
alternating 5 exercises.

We even do relay races at the end of class just like the old days in PE class and it's so fun to watch them cheer for each other. It's amazing the things we did as kids 'playing' now kicks our butt, trying skipping and frog jumps and bear crawls and hop scotching across a
basketball court... It's hard NOW...lol.

One of our favorites...or most challenging is a full tabata round of
mountain climbers on paper towels... 4 little minutes.. but man it kicks our
butt..and we are all SMILING and high-fiving when we are done.

I pretty much workout every day in some way. That is what I am trying to
concentrate on now. A rest day. I know it's important.

A real training program.

A good nutrition plan.

These last 2 years I have been doing this by myself. Now I am ready to get really serious and see just what I am capable of transforming my body into with a TRUE PLAN.

It is so exciting to watch your body change before your very eyes along with
all the amazing “ROCKY MOMENTS"... when you hit 10 on the treadmill for the
first time... when you finish your first tabata of mountain climbers. when
you can do your first Chin UP... it's never ending. Every day offers
something new.

I am currently getting ready to get my Personal Training Certification in
Feb (Lisa just accomplished this goal…CONGRATS LISA!!!). I am hoping to take my enthusiasm and love for fitness... and just try to spread it among others.

This is all about ME. It's MY turn now. I can't even put into words how
much I love what I get to DO. Not everybody gets that in LIFE.

I know that....

I am the LUCKIEST GIRL I KNOW....

Give it your all... don't give up... have a long range vision... stay off
the scale..the numbers mean nothing. Take pictures often... a picture will
tell you more than numbers on a scale or what's looking back at you in the
mirror as we are our own worst critic.

Stay positive. Challenge yourself everyday and be proud of what you do
accomplish. This is not a contest. This is about developing a healthy
life, a longer life, a better life.

My poor mother-in-law spent the last 2 years of her life in a "lift chair".
She couldn't even get out of bed. It was like being trapped.

Believe you can change. Believe in yourself.

Don't get in a hurry and try not to get discouraged and frustrated... just
keep going every day. Be good to yourself.

The journey itself is the most wonderful reward...

Don't be afraid to lift weights... we are not ever going to look like the
BIG BOYS... :)

If you are walking on the treadmill talking on your phone or reading a
magazine.. and you are not seeing results.. guess what? you are not going
to get results.

Interval training is the way to go. Short, fast, INTENSE.. I love interval
training. One of my favorites is on the treadmill going as fast as I can
for 45 seconds.. I mean my heart pounding through my chest.. .and then I
recover for 1 min 15 sec really slow... and then I go really fast again..
and i do this 6 or 7 times and with a 5 minute warm up and cool down..that's
like 20 minutes and you are DONE..and you have gotten a great workout. This
can be done on the elipitical, the bike,swimming laps in the pool.. You can
mix it up 60 seconds fast 60 seconds recover or 30/30.. or however it works
for you at your fitness level. Remember, we all have to start somewhere.

Keep trying new things... I am currently learning how to use the
kettlebells... LOVE THEM... just LOVE THEM and the ropes, I love those, 2.
LOL... it's all just so much FUN~

Oh...and don't forget to stretch...

I hope this is ok... i tend to get excited... sorry DAN :).

Lisa :)
Atlanta, GA
mother of 4
51 and kicking assssss LOL