I think there are probably a lot of us who have maintained our weight fairly well through dieting alone...until we hit 50. I turned 50 last year, and just kept doing the same things I always did, and woke up one morning 17lbs overweight. I couldn't understand it. How could it happen? I tried my same old trick of cutting out bread and pasta and sweets and it didn't work, I was still gaining. It was horrid, unheard of, I hadn't weighed this much in 20 years since my youngest was born. What could I do? I counted calories and carbs and watched every bite and managed to slow down the gain but, still, I was no where near where I wanted to be.

Hmmm... maybe I would have to try ....... EXERCISE. Oh no, not that, anything but that!

Really, I'd had a gym membership a lot of years, so it was not exactly an entirely a new concept to me. Throughout my 40s I made halfhearted attempts, going as much as 3 or 4 times a week for a month or two at a stretch, doing cardio and weights. But I hated it. Especially the cardio, it was torture. Still I tried it again, without much result, and found myself feeling angry and resentful every moment at the gym. I think I would have been better off if it was new to me, it would have felt like a new adventure. Instead it just kind of reminded me of how old I was getting, how it was just harder than ever before.

I thought a long time about it. I really did NOT want to have to exercise. I live in Georgia. It is too hot for walking and certainly for running outside. I couldn't take another minute on the elliptical and the treadmill made me dizzy. I loved swimming, but none of the hydro-fitness classes were at a reasonable time for me. I'm not much good at sports like tennis, and I have two left feet so aerobics classes have been dismal for me. And then I remembered biking.

As a teen I was so attached to my old gray ten speed, I lived all summer on it, it was transportation and it was freedom. So I researched and found a big comfy model of bike just made for someone like me, bought it at a local bike shop, brought it home last memorial day and haven't looked back. I cancelled my gym membership. I bike every day, even in the heat it is not too bad, and on the weekends I take long rides on shady local trails.

Honestly, the weight loss has not been as much as I wanted, I'm down 7 lbs and I am still struggling to lose the rest. But as time goes on, I care less and less because I feel SO good and best of all, I AM HAVING FUN.

So, my point is, don't be afraid of the "e" word. If one activity doesn't work for you, find another. It might be kickball or square dancing or who knows. Reach back to your youth and try to remember something you liked to do then. It might actually be fun!