Happy 50 Plus Valentine’s Day

This video sets the mood for Valentine's Day. Show some luv!

I love this video that was emailed to me by Paul Hoffman at  Success Songs. Let this inspirational song set the mood for you on this Valentine’s Day. And as you reach out to those near and dear to your heart, don’t forget to show yourself some love today.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

This video sets the mood for Valentine's Day. Show some luv!

Have a Strategy for Losing Weight in the New Year

Have a Strategy for Losing Weight in the New Year

Too many people resolve to lose weight but never actually have a plan in place for doing it. Therefore, year after year, they have the same New Year’s resolution because their goal was never achieved. Has this happened to you? How can you change this relentless pattern?

It’s important when setting goals to follow the S.M.A.R.T. goal system. This system will help you accomplish what you set out to do and reach your goals in a timely fashion.

* Specific. Be explicit in what you want. Write down a specific number of pounds that you would like to lose.

* Measurable. Weigh yourself every week and take note of your weight change, either up or down. Keep track of this in a journal.

* Attainable. Small goals which lead up to a larger goal are often easier to reach. The success of reaching these small goals will keep you motivated.

* Realistic. Understand what your body is capable of doing and set your goals accordingly.

* Timely. Keep your goal in focus by setting a completion date.

In addition, here are some more weight loss tips to help you succeed with your New Year’s resolution:

1. Have a plan of action. How much weight do you want to lose? Break your total down into a series of smaller attainable goals. For example, plan to lose ____ pounds by ____ (date). Make these goals realistic, and then follow a plan of diet and exercise to achieve them.


* Your plan may require changes in your lifestyle. Work these changes into your daily routines one-by-one to attain your goals.

* Write your goals down in a journal, and review them every day.

2. Change your diet. Figure out how many calories you’ve been consuming each day. If it’s over 2,500, gradually decrease the number of calories instead of immediately dropping to 1,200 calories a day.


For example, try limiting yourself to 2,000 calories a day for a week, then drop to 1,500 for another week. Eventually, you’ll reach your goal without being severely deprived.

* Reducing your daily calorie intake will require healthy eating choices. Consult your physician for recommended nutritional guides, and choose the one that works best for you.

* There are online programs that calculate your calorie and fat intake for you. All you do is write in your food choices. Use whatever tools you need to simplify your tasks and stay motivated to reach your goals.

3. Get off the Couch. Set a reasonable exercise schedule to help you with your weight loss goal. Design your exercise regimen to target the areas that need the most toning (i.e. thighs, abs, arms, buttocks, etc.).


* Keep your exercise goals realistic. Start small if you need to, and then increase your regimen. For example, running 5 miles every day will burn off a lot of calories, but it may not be feasible for you. You may need to first try walking to build up some stamina, and then add in running little by little. 


* Setting goals, which are too far from your normal activities, will quickly wear you out and discourage you. Start small and build on each success. Increase your exercise time (or treadmill speed, or incline, etc.) by a small increment each week.


* Exercising a little bit each day will increase your energy and help you become healthier. And you don’t need a gym membership or expensive exercise equipment either. Walk or run around your neighborhood or use canned foods instead of weights. You can even borrow exercise DVDs from the library.

4. Make Some Friends. The people who are usually the most successful in losing weight and keeping it off are the ones who have a great support system. Nothing deters you like knowing you’re accountable to others for every bite you put in your mouth.


* Your support team will encourage you, work out with you, and bring you confidence when times are tough.

* Some people find it helpful to join a local weight loss support group or an online weight loss group. Celebrating your weight loss successes with others will make them that much more meaningful.

Losing weight is possible for anyone who approaches the challenge wisely. With some careful planning and determination, your weight loss goal can certainly become a reality in the New Year.

Have a Strategy for Losing Weight in the New Year

Dr. King Told Me About the Dream

Dr. King Told Me About the Dream

I’ll never forget the day that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King told me about the dream. I was a 12 year old girl in Detroit and it was June 23, 1963. My parents took my brother and sister and I to the “Walk to Freedom”, a civil rights march. We were among 125,000 people who showed up that day in support of justice and equality for all. Rev King was one of those people.

We marched down Woodward Avenue, Detroit’s “main drag”. When we got down to Cobo Hall which sits on the Detroit River, Dr. King took the podium. As he talked, the 12 year old me stood mesmerized by his words:

I have a dream.

Many of the points Dr. King made in his landmark speech in Washington, D.C. two months later, were shared with us in Detroit on that momentous day of my childhood. As I grew older, his dream became mine. As the descendant of both slaves and slave-owners from the “red hills of Georgia”, I took to heart Dr. King’s message to join together because of – and in spite of our differences.

Now as a 50 plus woman, I watch the video of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech each year on this day and recommit to a dream that, as a country, we still struggle to turn into reality. If you haven’t seen the full speech before, please take 10 minutes or so and watch this video:

Dr. King Told Me About the Dream

How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Do you struggle to keep your New Year’s resolutions? If you’re 50 plus, you’ve probably seen your fair share of resolutions come and go without the results you wanted to achieve. More than likely, the excitement of starting a New Year – and right now, a new decade – can wane and leave you back in your old routines wondering how to make turn your resolutions into reality. But you can be the exception to this trend. Here’s how to get started:

Set Achievable and Clear Goals

Strive for making your goals achievable so you don’t set yourself up for future failure. For example, let’s say your goal is to lose weight or get rid of some ongoing mid life crisis symptoms. Determine where you stand currently, and then give yourself a goal that can be achieved following the 1-2 pounds per week guideline.

You’ll also benefit from making clear goals. Rather than saying that you want to be thinner, say how many pounds you’d like to lose. Then define the “how” as well. Are you going to follow a specific diet? How are you going to cut calories? Are you going to start a moderate exercise routine? How often?

With a clear, achievable goal and a set plan of tasks you know you can complete, you virtually guarantee your success! You know exactly what you want and how you’re going to get there. All you need to do now is take action.

Take Action

Taking action is usually where people tend to run into some trouble. It’s easy to get pumped up about an idea, but when it comes down to executing your plan, you might be tempted to fall short.

In this situation, you only need to muster up the energy to start. Tell yourself that you’re going to stick to your new plan for one week and then evaluate how it went. On the other hand, if you take everything in all at once, you’ll be less likely to begin in the first place. If it looks overwhelming, just focus on the short term.

Form a Routine

The reason you want to take baby steps at first is because once you form a new routine, it’s actually easy to hold yourself to it. Some say that it takes as little as two weeks to get a new routine engrained in your brain.

For example, in the weight loss scenario, starting an exercise routine can be especially grueling if you’re out of shape. The first two days can leave you tired, sore, and weak. That doesn’t sound like fun at all! However, those first two days are the worst you’ll endure. After your routine is built, you may find that you look forward to your exercise sessions.

Reward Yourself

Reward yourself often for your excellent efforts because you deserve it for working hard to change yourself for the better. You don’t need to wait until the end of the year to treat yourself.

Break up your goals into smaller pieces and every time you achieve a milestone, give yourself something that you enjoy. It could be an item you’ve been wanting or maybe a night out on the town.

Rewarding yourself for a job well done motivates you to keep going!

Rinse and Repeat

After your first successful year of bettering yourself through New Year’s resolutions, you can then repeat the process and work on another aspect of your life where you want to see change. Before you know it, you’ll be a perfectly happy and healthy person because of your awareness, perseverance, and hard work!

How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

50 Plus Woman Masquerades As Zany Christmas Elf

50 Plus Woman Masquerades As Zany Christmas Elf

In a minute you can watch my zany Christmas elf video below but first let me explain why a 50 plus woman would do something so – well crazy. Right? Here’s how I look at it. For so many years, the holidays had a predictable ring to them. Tradition. Get the tree up, buy presents, pull out the favorite recipes and go all out prepping for the BIG day – Christmas. If you celebrate this holiday and you’re over 50, this may all sound pretty familiar.

But then the passage of time throws a monkey wrench into these time-honored plans. You may not feel like putting up the tree – so much effort for a couple of weeks. And then the kids, now grown, announce that they’re going out of town for the holidays. You smile and say “how nice” when you really feel sort of crappy inside. Add to that, a parent who is now gone or one who has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t quite know who you are. Frankly as you get further into 50-something, there are times when it hard to find, let alone sustain the holiday spirit.

As these mid life crisis symptoms hit me this year, I decided to turn on the humor and lighten up a little. I watched my favorite holiday movie The Christmas Story and decided to create a funny little video to make me laugh as much as anyone else. So watch the video, dance a little and remember that this just might bring a smile to your face and your heart when you need it the most.

Merry Christmas!

50 Plus Woman Masquerades As Zany Christmas Elf