3 Things I'd Never Do Again If I Were Starting Over After 50

At 47, I did something I never imagined I'd do. I lost 55 pounds, trained for an entire year, and competed in three sprint triathlons. I even placed third in my age division! Not bad for a woman who spent most of her life telling people she was allergic to running. 😂

I was probably in the best shape of my adult life. I could squat my own body weight, and I'd discovered I was capable of doing things I never thought possible. But here's the thing about life. It doesn't stop happening just because you've finally gotten yourself into a good routine. Over the next several years, I navigated grief, stress, and some pretty difficult experiences. I gained the weight back, plus a few extra pounds I certainly hadn't invited along.

Now, almost ten years later, I'm a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Coach, I'm working toward completing my Life Coach certification, and I've learned a few things about taking care of myself that I wish I'd understood sooner. If I were starting over today, there are three things I'd do differently.

1. I'd Stop Treating Sleep Like a Luxury

Remember when we used to brag about how little sleep we needed? The whole "I'll sleep when I'm dead" attitude? Yeah, I'd like to have a conversation with whoever decided that was a good idea. For years, I treated sleep like something I could catch up on later. I'd push through being tired, convince myself I had too much to do, and assume I'd make up for it over the weekend.

Except regularly running on too little sleep eventually catches up with you. And if you're anything like me, you've got approximately 47 things running through your head at any given moment. My squirrels apparently believe that bedtime is the appropriate time to hold their board meetings. Sometimes I can go to bed completely exhausted, and the minute my head hits the pillow, those little suckers decide we need to discuss everything I've ever done, everything I need to do, and probably a few things that haven't happened yet. 🙄

These days, I'm making winding down a priority. For me, that includes putting down my electronics, taking my Rested Gummies, and crocheting before bed. Crocheting gives my hands something to do and helps me settle down after a busy day. Does it mean I sleep perfectly every night? Absolutely not. But I've learned that consistently making room for rest is a whole lot better than pretending I can keep pushing through exhaustion indefinitely.

2. I'd Stop Making Wellness So Damn Complicated

There was a time when I believed getting healthy meant overhauling everything. Meal prepping on Sundays, perfect workouts, getting up before the sun, and spending an hour and a half at the gym five days a week. And I've done it! When I was training for those triathlons, I genuinely enjoyed working out. I loved getting stronger and seeing what my body could accomplish.

But I work full-time, I'm building a business, and I have a whole lot of other things I enjoy doing. Taking care of myself cannot become another full-time job! I don't need a 17-step morning routine that requires getting up at 4 a.m. I need habits that actually work with the life I'm living, and that's why I'm such a fan of habit stacking.

Every morning, I make coffee. That isn't changing. Trust me. ☕️ So instead of creating an entirely separate routine, I've started incorporating things into what I'm already doing. I add protein, creatine, and my Infuse HA to my coffee. While it's brewing, I do ten inclined push-ups in my kitchen. I've even started doing a few more when I take bathroom breaks throughout the day. Am I going to turn into Wonder Woman overnight? Nope. But I'm rebuilding strength, and I'm doing it in ways I can realistically maintain.

As a Nutrition and Wellness Coach, one of the things I believe strongly is that there isn't one perfect routine for everyone. What works beautifully for someone else might be completely unrealistic for you. And just because somebody else is getting amazing results doing something doesn't mean you're failing because that same approach isn't working for you.

Me, after one of my three sprint triathlons. And yes, that's a finisher's medal. Still proud of that one! 😂

3. I'd Stop Comparing Myself to the Woman I Used to Be

At 47, I could squat my own body weight. Today, there are times when lifting 40 pounds is a challenge. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice the difference. But grief, stress, and life changes don't exactly ask permission before showing up. My body has been through a lot over the last ten years. So have I.

For a long time, it would have been easy to look at where I am now and see everything I've lost. But comparing what I can do today to what I could do ten years ago isn't particularly helpful. Neither is comparing my progress to someone else's. I'm not starting from where I was at 47. I'm starting from where I am today, and that doesn't mean my strongest days are necessarily behind me.

Lately, I've been thinking about getting back into the pool. Not just swimming a few laps, either. I'm considering training for a 4.5-mile swim across the Straits of Mackinac. Am I ready to do that today? Absolutely not. Do I know whether I can accomplish it? Nope. But I didn't know I could complete a triathlon when I started training at 47, either. And honestly, that's part of what makes the possibility exciting.

It's Not About Becoming the Woman You Used to Be

I think a lot of us Gen X women reach a point where we start looking backward. We remember how much energy we had, what our bodies could do, and the things we accomplished. Sometimes we get so focused on getting back to that version of ourselves that we forget to consider what we might still be capable of becoming.

I love my family. I love the life we've built, and I wouldn't trade those years of raising our kids and making decisions around what everybody needed. But after spending decades taking care of everyone else, I'm ready to find out what's possible for me, too. And maybe you are. Maybe there's something you've wanted to try but keep talking yourself out of because you think you're too old, too out of shape, or too far removed from the woman you once were.

I don't need to become the woman I was at 47. I want to find out what THIS version of me is capable of. And maybe you do, too.

So tell me, which one resonates most with you—prioritizing sleep, keeping wellness simple, or letting go of who you used to be?

Fine was never the goal.

Cheryl 💋

Cheryl Miller

@HeyCherylMiller

Certified Nutrition & Wellness Coach (CNC, CWC)

Helping Gen X women rebuild their health, confidence, and purpose.