Recently, my hysterical friend Contessa sent me a picture from a bridal shower in 1994. I can’ t say that I was thrilled to see how big I used to be. I think I weighed 169 at my highest weight, & though I used to hear “you carry your weight so well”, I wasn’t happy at that size.  (Look for the picture at the end of this article).

I was hired as a US flight attendant with a max weight to be 132. (This was back in ’92, when there was weight requirement.  (Weight restrictions ended in mid-1992).  I still try and keep my weight at, or just below that number.

I never felt “food shamed” when my paternal grandmother asked why I was eating so much. I had the appetite of a starved wolverine.  No woman needed to be eating half a bag of oreos, along with fried chicken & steaks.   It was just sometimes fun, & that is all.  The “how” I looked & felt later, was not as fun though.

Back in my heavier days, my grandmother would give a non-filtered response to any weight gain, too. For example, “hi honey, good to see you. You’ve gained a little weight didn’t you?” It’s interesting to me, as my maternal great-grandmother would usually say,  “you’re not trying to reduce, are you?”. So funny to me now, & there were always laughs in the Adair household. They are both now deceased. but these were good looking women who both lived to be over 90, & maintained a healthy weight.  I get more “critical analysis” of what I am eating now, (at a size 2),  than I did at a size 12.   My family is unique though, as my Dad no longer works out & hung up fitness in his mid-forties.  I was not happy about this, but you’re only 100% in control of yourself.

I still love eat.  It’s no secret. I’m constantly reworking training & nutrition. Ask any of my friends at work & they’ll likely tell ya I swiped a dessert on occasion, or an uneaten roll turned up missing from the oven at work (on an international flight).  A healthy weight range for a woman with a small frame is 125-135, (say some insurance tables) for my height. Consult your doctor for the best advice for you.  I’m usually pretty strict when training for anything specific.

I’m at the onset of menopause, which I’m finding a challenge to keep my abs flatter. Do you have the same issue? My senior lady friends in one gym I frequent, the Lodge gym (lodgemember.com,  will give an unfiltered response to any questions I have on this by saying, “You can keep flat abs, but as you age, you simply cannot eat as much starch as you might have when you were younger”. (Said a 75 year old lady who does the stairmill at level 7 for 30 minutes, lifts weights, & maintains a size 2.  She enjoys wine sparingly,  and eats a healthy diet).   It’s fun to be around all ages,  At the other gym, Bailey’s (baileysgym.com).  I enjoy seeing the younger crowd tear it up in the weight room.

During the onset of the  Covid outbreak, gyms shutdown after March.  I was “floundering” around more than usual after this.  Quarantines  were not a blast & I’m sure I don’t have to tell anyone this.   When you travel, every country will have it’s own rules, which change a good bit.   Riding my bike for 17 miles a day around home back then was nice, but I still missed the time in the weight room .   Once when seeing family in SC, I was at Planet Fitness (after gyms reopened), & chatted with a man that told me he drove 3 hours from NC just to workout, as gyms there were still closed.   I’ve tested negative both for the Covid several times but follow mask rules for each state & country.  

I did get a little weight gain from what I call, “Covid floundering”,  (and by this I mean too many hours of TV watching #90DayFiance),  as opposed to being out and about.  I lost the weight & I’m enjoying the contest prep for an Ottawa bikini model contest.  If I get last place, who cares..  I’ll still show up in better shape than I was last spring. I’ve had a lot of fun, too. I’m calling the “SAF” competitions “serious about fun”, (with no disrespect to the coordinators who coined the acronym “Serious about Fitness”).

I’m hoping my “before” picture might help someone struggling with weight. I’m not posting it on here because I love it. I’m posting it for those who struggle & aren’t happy.  Maybe it will motivate or help someone.  My hair was darker then.  I lightened it as I started getting grey hairs.   It was taken 25 or more years ago.

My best advice if you are trying to get started on your weight loss journey, is go to a consignment shop or find clothes on sale.  Buy one outfit that looks good on you now.  Then give it away when you lose weight.  Record everything you eat in the beginning.  It will make you more accountable.  Don’t wait to “buy clothes when I lose the weight”.  It will give you something to look forward to when you’ve reached a short term goal.  I also used to donate clothes I no longer wear (and still do),  on occasion.  The holidays are always a challenge, too.  I usually deal with a 5 lb. gain and say I’ll never do it again, and am challenged each year with how to keep it off.  I inherited my Dad’s genes, and I fight them everyday.

I hope you reach all of your goals, 2021 is on the horizon and it will be better year for sure.  I’ve enjoyed things returning to a more normal pace, that’s for sure.  

 

#lifestyleFitnessBethAdair
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