Fat 2 Fit: Robyn Eidson—Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

It's easy to put taking care of others before taking care of ourselves. Find out how one woman learned to make time for eating right and exercising—which, unexpectedly, added more time for fun and relationship-building.

By: Carole Carson | Source: AARP.org | 2008-10-28

Realizing she was "sick and tired of being sick and tired," Robyn Eidson, 49, of Penn Valley, Calif., decided to get fit and lose weight. She also wanted to keep feeling young.

Married with two boys and a full-time job, Robyn realized she had used her job and family responsibilities as an excuse not to take care of herself. This realization shifted her eating and exercise habits.

First, she eliminated fast food and rich salad dressings. She also learned to read labels. She keeps dates in the refrigerator for a sweet, nutritious treat. Robyn also eats a variety of foods which, she said she believes, "helped with food cravings." She's also trying new foods: "I've fallen in love with shelled soy beans [edamame] on a salad or to nibble on. I'd never had them before," she related.

Robyn had always thought of exercise as, well, exercise. Once she realized it could also be fun, she returned to an early love—dancing. Today, her routine includes Jazzercising six days a week. She also schedules fast-walking dates with her best friend; they catch up on their relationship and have fun, too.

Robyn's goal is to feel strong and alive with a bounce in her walk. She wants to play every day and have the scale get down to 165 pounds. She's lost much of the weight to achieve her goal and is convinced she will lose the rest. "I tell everyone I meet or know what I'm doing," she said. "I both give and receive encouragement in making changes."

Robyn has also started a friendly competition with her family and best friend over who is losing the most weight. She said, "We check almost daily on how we are doing. It keeps the momentum going."

Negative self-talk is the saboteur, and Robyn nips it in the bud. "Before it can take hold," she related, "I replace it with positive talk and do what I know is best for me." Robyn is replacing sick and tired with fit and energetic—a good exchange for all of us.