What a difference a decade makes.

Just ask “Woman of the Week” — Denise Taylor Tremaine (the photo to the left was taken this week). In the decade before turning 50 (which she did just a few weeks ago!) Denise started to experience alot of what many of us go (or suffer) through — weight gain, menopause, insomnia, fatigue, and confusion about what she should be doing to counter all of this. To complicate the situation even more, she developed fibromyalgia, a condition that can cause chronic pain. Like me, she was overwhelmed by all “the noise” out there from so many different experts — what to eat? what to wear? how to exercise? should I take supplements? and on and on and on . . . until she was feeling like it was time to “stop the world, I want to get off.”

But, Denise would never stop the world and get off. She is one of the most positive, sunny, lovely people I’ve ever been in contact with. On Facebook, where we have been “friends” for several months, Denise is usually the first person to congratulate someone, or post a fun, uplifting comment. She is kind, sweet, beloved by many, and always thinking of others.

However, Denise knew it was now time to focus on . . . Denise.

Denise bought my book — THE BEST OF EVERYTHING AFTER 50 — and after a bit of stopping and going, and lots of  prodding (okay, nagging), Denise finally agreed to not just READ the book, but USE it. Like with all of us, the hardest part was starting. But now . . . she’s rocking and she’s rolling. She has some very definite goals in mind (including a specific weight loss she would like to achieve by the date of her daughter’s wedding in October), and feels fully confident that she will reach them.  In fact, she’s already lost over 25 lbs. by making simple changes in both her eating, and her workouts.  Yay, Denise!!!  (This photo was taken in January, before she started her new programs).

All great . . . but the truly fantastic thing is . . . Denise has a very clear vision of her future, her next chapter. There’s a direction now that she felt was lacking for a long time. And, in moving toward her new goals, she knows she’s not alone.

Denise wanted to share her “Top Ten Things I’ve Learned Since Turning 50″ with all of us, which she has incorporated into her daily life:

1.  Make lemonade out of lemons instead of making a sour lemon pie . . . it’s all about keeping a positive attitude
2. Having proper fitting bras (for sports and every day) makes all the difference in the world
3. Family is the most important thing in my world . . . and I want to be fit and fabulous for them (and for me!) for the rest of my life
4. The Run/Walk program in the book is not hard to do . . . you just have to decide to do it . . . one step at a time (10,000 to be exact!)
5. Invest in a good pair of running shoes from a sports store that really understands proper fit . . . it makes a huge difference
6. I no longer dry my hair with a blow dryer (yay!)
7. I thought I walked a lot more steps every day than I was actually doing . . . so I wear my pedometer every day to make sure I get those 10,000 steps in
8. I look at food labels now, and make sure I prepare meals without using processed foods . . . the closer to their natural state, the better
9. I don’t need as many “things” in my life as I thought . . . decluttering my life has truly helped me to find my life and get me ready for what’s next
10. I LOVE being an “after 50″ woman! 

Denise is the epitome of the best of everything after 50 — she’s positive, proactive, and has made the clear decision to embrace her new age and new life with energy and joy. This has made alot of people very happy, including her family, and for sure, me. Tony Hsieh, the man who started Zappos (I LOVE Zappos!) has recently written a book — “Delivering Happiness”.  Tony’s message has resonated with me: you can dramatically increase your own happiness by increasing the happiness of those around you.  If that’s true, and I believe it is, Denise . . . is the happiest woman in the world!

Yay, Denise Taylor Tremaine!!!

Best of Everything,

Barbara