Back, well kind of, by popular demand, is SUITE's Brand New series. This time we'll be concentrating on getting toned up for an important event in your life that is only a few months away...like a wedding. And since that big day is coming up for me at the end of October, I will be the guinea pig, er, I mean, the subject, this time! :-)

Let me clarify a few things to begin with. I am an ex-gymnast, and as so, have never been a petite woman when it came to weight. For more than 20 years I stayed, consistently, at 130 pounds, which suited me just fine. Then a few years ago, out of the blue, I put on 35 pounds (in a little over two months). Afraid something might be wrong, I went to my doctor. She basically blew me off, saying that as women get older they put weight on, pure and simple. I do not believe that just because I'm 47 I should accept the weight will come on no matter what I do. And, in my mind, I knew it was more than that. I am probably more active now, exercise-wise, than I was when I raised my four sons and ran after them on a daily basis. I know that calories in must be more than calories out in order to gain weight and I eat very little. So I pushed for a better explaination.

She had me go in for some bloodwork, and sure enough, my thryoid had decided to go on vacation (and hence, my metabolism, as well). Not that I could do much about it. Like a vast majoritiy of people, I had no medical insurance, and as such, could not afford any further testing, or any kind of regular medication. So I plodded along. Not liking my body or my added weight.

A quick caveat here...I teach acrobatics at two different dance studios, five days a week; I keep up with my granddaughters (ages 2 & 4); and I do various activities and exercises with my triathlete fiance (although not as much as I would like to, or should). I watch what I eat, but after just a few small bites I feel like a beached whale from how much I bloat up. I know some of you look at me and say...OMG...you look great for your age! And for that, I thank you!!! But you know as well as I do, the feeling good about yourself has to come from within, and right now my within don't feel too well.

Knowing RT was coming up...I worked like mad, in between my extremely hectic schedule, to drop some of the weight. I was very happy when twelve pounds came off. Then fifteen pounds came back on. So I continued to work on my weight...pounds came off, more came on. Not only is this frustrating as hell, but it's very bad for your health. The weight itself does not really bother me. I mean, when I competed in gymnastics I was 4' 11" tall and weighed 180 pounds. But it was solid. Now...when I look in the mirror, more things seem to jiggle than the jello I feed my granddaughters. That I hate!

So...late this afternoon, I am going to a small gym here in town. It's run by a bodybuilder that holds some title for the over 50 group...not sure of his name...and see what kind of training program he can advise for me. I'll see if he'll agree to be my personal trainer. Now I know what you're thinking. How can this help the average woman? We all have VERY busy lives, most of us don't have time for the gym, or the money. But what I want to bring to you all is a common sense approach to getting more toned, more in shape, that will fit into a busy lifestyle. I don't have the time to put hours a day into a regime...maybe an hour, tops. Any more than that and I know I just can't do it. But an hour...that, I can manage.

But, before I go in to talk to this man, I want to have a clear picture of what I want out of this 5 month curriculum. Yes...five months. Today is the 1st of June. Evan and I will be getting married on October 31st, and a week later leave for our honeymoon in the Caribbean. I want to feel comfortable in a bathing suit. When I feel comfortable, I feel sexy, regardless of my weight. I don't expect to ever have a runway model's build, but to feel toned and tight is okay by me (LOL).   more >>