September 3, 2024 • 21 mins
Imagine if your job was to review restaurants, test recipes, and hobnob with the foodiest of the foodies in a major American city.
Well, my friend Jill Silva has had that job for decades. She was the Food editor of the Kansas City Star for more than 20 years and now has a PR business focusing on food and dining.
Now, at 60, Jill has a new passion: Powerlifting.
Jill’s is the kind of story you need to be sharing with your prospects, clients, and communities. It’s relatable and inspiring. She says she feels, moves, and looks great, and she’s finding new confidence — even a little swagger, if you ask me.
“I might never be that skinny young thing again, but that’s OK,” she says. “I’m strong, I feel great, and I won’t need to use a walker when I’m 80.”
Find Jill Silva on LinkedIn
Prime Fit Content
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Imagine if your job was to review restaurants, test
recipes and hobnob with thefoodiest of the foodies in a
major American city.
All the cuisine, all the wine,all the best desserts.
Sounds great, doesn't it?
Well, my friend, jill Silva hashad that job for decades.
(00:22):
Silva has had that job fordecades.
She was the food editor of theKansas City Star for more than
20 years and when the newspaperindustry dried up, she opened
her own PR firm with restaurants, chefs and food-oriented
businesses and non-profits asclients.
Now, at 60, jill has a newpassion powerlifting.
(00:42):
How did a professional foodiesuddenly get into fitness?
What's the role that her loveof food writing played and how
does she hope to find a healthybalance moving forward?
Well, these are some of thequestions Jill and I cover in
this week's episode of OptimalAging, the show for fitness,
health and well-beingprofessionals trying to grow
(01:03):
their businesses with morepeople over 50.
I'm your host, jay Croft, ofPrime Fit Content, which
provides premium marketingmaterial to gyms and studios
serving the over 50 demographic.
Jill's is the kind of story youneed to be sharing with your
prospects, clients andcommunities.
It's relatable and inspiring,as we saw by the response to an
(01:29):
article I recently wrote abouther for my Prime Fit content
subscribers.
You can learn more about mycontent business at
primefitcontentcom.
But for now, enjoy Jill's storyabout her new lifestyle.
She says she feels, moves andlooks great and she's finding
new confidence even a littleswagger, if you ask me.
(01:51):
She says I might never be thatskinny young thing again, but
that's okay because I'm strong,I feel great and I won't need a
walker when I'm 80.
Now I'm delighted that myfriend has found an activity she
loves so much and that it'sresonating with so many people.
Here's our conversation, whichwe enter midway and which ends a
(02:14):
bit abruptly because, well,like the best of old friends, we
were gabbing so much I forgotto put a formal start and stop
to the interview and had to editout a bunch of chatter before
and after.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
So enjoy For all those years I was learning to
test recipes, learning about newfoods, dining out quite a bit
and for many years that wasn't ahuge issue as far as my health
or my weight.
But you know about the time Ihit forties and that I guess
perimenopausal phase for womenyou don't lose weight as easily
(02:51):
and you start to notice that youmight be inching up on the
scale and you ignore it for awhile.
And I think if you just do moreexercise it'll be better.
And I think a lot of times Ithought, well, I'm so busy with
my kids and I'm so busy withwork.
I'll deal with that when my kidsare gone.
I'll deal with that when I'mretired.
(03:12):
I'll deal with that when Idon't have to review restaurants
anymore.
And I was laid off in 2018 inDecember.
It was quite a blow.
I wasn't quite sure what I wasgoing to do but, oddly, still
wanted to be in food.
I have all these things I stillwanted to do in food.
So the people who said to me oh, that's great, you'll probably
(03:34):
start losing weight now.
Oh you know, I didn't loseweight.
And the pandemic came along andI gained weight because you
know it's the apocalypse, right,and it just felt so insular and
the only thing you had was tosupport every single restaurant
and every single bar.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
And so.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I was picking up cocktails and I was picking up
food and I was supporting,supporting, supporting.
And then just finally, a friendsaid to me well, I'm going to
investigate a trainer.
I've got a three session pass.
My husband gave me do you wantto go?
I said okay, yeah, sure.
(04:15):
And so we go to this trainerand I think she's going to.
You know, stand over me and tellme to do more pushups and more
sit-ups and show me how to usesome of those very intimidating
machines that I don't know howto use, right, cause the only
thing I know how to use is abike and barely a treadmill.
So I'm walking in circlesaround all this stuff, cause we
(04:35):
have a track that goes around itat the rec center, and I just
keep walking and walking andtotally intimidated by all the
weights, get to this woman.
She says well, I can teach youhow to do those things, but
really what I do is powerlifting.
So we start trying with lightweights and she's not trying to
hurt us or anything Juststeadily work us up.
Because she has a good point Ifyou overwork and you're so sore
(05:00):
you can't move, you won't comeback, right?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
She slowly starts working us.
So sore you can't move, hewon't come back right.
She slowly starts working usand it appears my friend who has
other issues going on, likeretirement and a knee problem.
She kind of drifts away and I'msuddenly over at the rack
because my trainer's telling meyeah, you can do that.
And so I'm learning and I'mconfused and I'm writing things
(05:25):
down and it takes a long timefor me to understand what we're
doing, but eventually it wasjust like no, just so empowering
, and it started to be like Icould feel that my muscles were
better and that all that kneepain and some of the things
going down the stairs weregetting better Not perfect.
(05:45):
I still have some of that, butyou just stairs were getting
better, not perfect.
I still have some of that, butyou just get kind of caught up
in it because there aren't a lotof women doing this in the gym.
It's sort of like yeah, ask memy age.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I am 60.
I am.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
What do you want to know?
Yeah, I don't know.
It's just become kind of apersonal thing and it's just
doing a whole lot more for mybody than walking in circles was
doing, or riding a bike or orjazzercise or yoga all things
I've done, all things I'veenjoyed.
But I think I'm just at adifferent point in my life and I
need a different kind ofexercise.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
So is it fair to, is it fair to say you were
sedentary?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Oh, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
That's real fair to say.
So it's once a week with thetrainer, once a week on your own
, and then you're also doinganother session of cardio or
aerobic exercise.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Trying to get that third one in.
That is kind of so.
I'm working with a dieticiannow and I am going through our
university medical weightmanagement program, our
university medical weightmanagement program, and so, in
conjunction with all of this,I'm, you know, trying to add
that extra aerobic, I'm tryingto drink more water.
You know, there's just theseconstant little goals that I'm
(06:57):
working on, that healthylifestyle things, it's, it's
going well, and so I'm justworking incrementally to try to
change lifestyle habits.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, okay.
I want to back up to being afood person, because your job, I
think, was and has been andstill is something that I think
a lot of people might fantasize.
Oh, I wish I was a food writeror a food editor.
I wish I knew all the chefs andcould go to all the openings
and all the wine pairings andtaste all the recipes and all of
(07:31):
that, and I'm sure it is veryglamorous and exciting and fun
to be a part of that world.
And so tell me about the fun.
I mean I imagine you going outto Kansas City's, got all this
barbecue and all this great foodeverywhere.
What's it like to be the foodmaven of Kansas City?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
It's just an area that's so fascinating because
food affects every part of ourlife.
And it's it's.
I got beyond recipes.
I was into the politics of foodand sustainability of food and
just a number of topics thatwere fascinating.
(08:11):
So that's why food was socompelling to me and why I still
love it.
It is fun to go out and havethe chef know who you are.
It's fun to try special thingsthey want you to try.
Now, in my public relationscommunications role, it's fun to
(08:31):
help them behind the scenes,plan those events and eat at
their special dinner with thewine pairings and meet a famous
chef.
The other day I wasinterviewing somebody about his
Jewish food and I'm eating, youknow, pastrami and rye that had
just come out of the oven.
You know just delicious things.
(08:51):
So you learn about culture, youlearn about life through food,
and so that's just so appealingto me.
But it can add up.
It's so plentiful that you justyou can overeat, and food's
delicious and food's fun, untilyou are the restaurant critic
and then you realize how reallygrueling it is on your body.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
What you're trying to do is to change this direction
without, without abandoning yourarea of expertise and the thing
that fascinates you so much,and that is the broad topic of
food right.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Absolutely yes, I'm figuring out how.
How can I do this?
I'm not leaving that world, buthow can I do it better for my
health?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yes, I think you're really onto something, and I
wish more people, particularlypeople our age, could realize
that you can still enjoy thefood that you want to enjoy.
You don't have to live at thegym seven days a week, three
hours a time.
Let's just start by moving afew times a week and let's start
by looking at what we're eatingand why, and then from there I
(10:00):
think you can start making somechoices, like you've been making
.
I really want to get back tothis powerlifting.
My friend Jill is powerlifting.
What, what?
So you're in this rec center.
There's a bunch of sweaty, loudguys dropping weights and
looking at themselves in themirror, and there you are at the
(10:21):
squat rack, deadlifting.
And tell me about this.
The visuals are incredible.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
It's just good to have a routine, so that's what
my trainer has enabled me to do.
She's taught me the correctways to do things, and so I have
two different routines that Igo back and forth off of.
It's sometimes about addingmore weight, but mostly it's
about making sure the form isnot changing or regressing, or
you know that I've got right.
(10:50):
It's just this really empoweringthing when you realize that
every once in a while people arestealing a look to see what
you're doing.
At first I was reallyself-conscious about it, super
self-conscious, but now I'mfeeling like, yeah, I belong
here, so look, all you want,look all you want.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Son, you said some things when we talked a couple
weeks ago for the article thatreally stood out to me, and one
of them was a little bit aboutthe goal of why you're doing
this, you're not doing this, soyou'll look like when you were
20, right, and I think that'sreally important.
If you can remember what yousaid.
I want you to get into that alittle bit, because so many
people I talk to in our age say,yeah, I'm going to get.
(11:32):
A lot of guys will say, yeah, Iplayed college football, so you
know I can bench press thismuch because I did it when I was
19.
And it's like well, you're 63now, so guess what?
Who are we right now?
That's what matters, not whatwe were in college.
So you know, tell me about that.
What's the goal for all of this?
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Just to keep improving it's kind of a contest
with yourself and be moreconsistent.
I mean, some days I'm superstrong and other days, I don't
know, I'm a little wimpier.
It's just kind of coming backeach week and seeing if you can
at least do what you did theweek before and maybe you can do
(12:12):
a little more, so that feelsjust good.
Can do a little more, so thatfeels just good.
It's a good routine.
I know what I'm doing and I'mnot waiting for the pounds to
fly off right.
I am at that age where I justrealized I can't be 20 and I
can't probably do the squatslike the girl next to me who's
(12:32):
20 can do right.
It's just not reality.
I had knee problems because Ihave osteoarthritis a very 60s
kind of thing and keep workingout.
I can't tell you how many timesI wanted to quit my trainer's
like nope, we'll just workaround it, keep going.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah, so you're not trying to look like you did in
spring break in your bikini.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Let's avoid the walker if we can, for as long as
we can.
Let's have good balance.
Let's have strong legs.
Let's be able to get out of achair without using your hands.
Let's do all those things thatkeep you moving right.
Just don't quit.
I could have quit a long timeago and had I quit, had my
trainer let me quit I probablywould never get back to it.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Now, you and I grew up in the 70s and we had PE, but
they never told us kids, youshould lift weights, because
when you're old you'll begrateful that you're they never
told us.
That did they.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Never, never once, did anybody tell me to lift
weights.
I was so intimidated by weightsand I knew nothing about them.
The most that I'd ever done waswhen I was in jazzercise and
they would have you strap onsome leg weights while you were
laying on the floor, you know.
Or some hand weights that youknow weighed two pounds and I
(13:56):
didn't feel anything and it justI don't know.
But I didn't know what to do,right, I just didn't know how to
use weights.
So it takes going to somebodywho's a professional, I think
sometimes spending the money,it's money well worth spending
and learning, and, as mytrainers pointed out, I don't
(14:17):
need her anymore.
I know what to do.
I don't have to pay her.
For me it's motivating too,because she's just a really
great person and we're on thisjourney together.
And be realistic about yourgoals.
I'm not going to be marchingaround in cute little booty
shorts.
That's not where I am going tobe marching around in cute
(14:37):
little booty shorts.
That's not where I am right inlife.
But that doesn't mean I'm notgetting immense benefits,
probably more than the youngerpeople are.
You know, keep doing it and thestories are tremendous.
And the stories I hear not justmy story, but the stories I
hear from my trainer about otherpeople who couldn't play with
their grandchildren, couldn't docertain things like bend down
and pick things up or just moveand go on a vacation that they
(15:01):
wanted to.
All those things are just moreimportant than how cute you are
in your spring break tank top,right.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Well, yes, because nobody wants to see me in my
spring break tank top from 1984.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
I have a vision, jay, I have a vision.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
You probably have a photograph, I probably do your
self-image.
You know we're talking aboutnot being looking like we did
and not wearing the clothes andall of that, and I'm fine with
it, but it is, it's most of thetime.
Sometimes I think, oh man,where'd that flat stomach go?
How do you feel about your bodynow, how you look and feel and
(15:39):
move.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I'm.
I'm feeling a lot better.
I've lost a few pounds, whichfeels great.
The ring that's always beentight on my hand is spinning
around.
I mean, one of the things thatwas just horrible for me was
that my wedding ring got stuckon my finger.
I had to have it cut off.
I don't think there's anythingworse than that feeling of wow,
(16:01):
I just let this really get outof control and then to start to
see things change, you're justlike, oh my gosh, I can do this.
I can do this.
So I feel confident, both inthe gym and just more confident
in life, and I think we allsuffer a little bit.
I mean, I thought to myself God, I hope Jay doesn't think I
(16:23):
look old.
I'm looking at you and you lookgreat.
We both look old or older and Ithink you just have to get out
of that mindset.
The thing about probablyeverybody certainly, I think,
women are harder on themselvesabout this is just we kind of
stop in our 20s, right, Usually,or early 30s.
(16:46):
You know that's.
That's our prime time,physically speaking, when we
look in the mirror and our mostfashionable time when we look at
our clothes and all of that.
And it's just, you know, youspend a lot of time sort of
comparing yourselves to thesupermodels of the decade and
your generation or whatever.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
And it's just it's.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
It's just.
If I could tell my younger self, I would just say that's just
such a waste.
Just don't do it.
Just don't do it.
Just move on, be who you are,be happy and have the best
physical, mental balance you canhave.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
I never wrote about fitness when I was a newspaper
reporter.
I love the stories, and for thesame reasons that you were
talking about food.
You can go in so manydirections.
It touches on healthcare,touches on economics, touches on
lifespan, touches on familyrelationships, nutrition, diet,
self-image, hollywood, the wholething, all of these forces that
(17:47):
are going on behind us.
And then it comes down to oneperson who says I've got to make
some changes in my life.
How do I do that?
And the reason I'm doing thatis because I want to play with
my grandchildren, or because myblood pressure is too high, or
because I'm probably going tolive for 30 more years and I
want to enjoy it.
I want to feel good and to me,the stories are just.
(18:09):
It's really what drives me.
I think of this as my beat now.
The only difference is I'm onmy own, I'm not at an
institution of a media outlet,but it's great stuff.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
It's powerful and it just feels good when you can
take that and understand it andthen sort of make it work for
you and you're lucky.
I think you probably found thatmuch earlier than most of us
have, but you know, we don't allhave to be jocks to find that
(18:45):
thing right.
Just right now.
Weightlifting is working verywell for me, so I will do it for
as long as I can and see whereit takes me.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
And we've got a few months till our next birthday.
We'll be 61.
And I have on my wall, right infront of me, a photo from our
birthday in that little house weshared when we turned 21.
So it's been 40 years.
Yes, it has my gosh yeah, thatcrazy, and but you know what?
(19:15):
I feel good, I look all rightand my health is good and I'm
trying to not have anycomplaints.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Trying yeah, yeah, I think that's where I'm at too,
you know just uh, except for theknee, all is good yeah sure
sure yeah, well, you know, Istarted with you while you were
there.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
When I started lifting weights.
When bruce springsteen came outwith born in the usa, it was
right before then.
Actually it was, you know, inthe first two years, I think, of
school you had to take p, right, didn't you have to take a p
credit the first two years?
something like that yes, you didthe semester before that album
came out.
That album came out in thesummer of 1984.
(19:57):
And so I guess it would havebeen the spring semester of 84.
I think the only PE class Icould get was weightlifting and
so I took it.
I was like fine, whatever.
Well, I kind of liked it and Iwas always the smallest,
runniest, skinniest kid inschool.
And suddenly, after a fewmonths of working out, I was
putting on some muscle andpeople were noticing I look good
in a tight t-shirt and it waslike, wow, this is interesting,
(20:20):
it's never happened before.
And then Springsteen came outwith the album and he was always
the skinniest, runniest kidhe's just a ragamuffin, right.
And then he came out with thatalbum and biceps and it's like
hey, if he can do it, I can doit.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I remember that period, I remember when you took
that class actually, and youdid enjoy it and it made you fit
very quickly.
I should have picked aweightlifting class.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Oh, please, please.
You all did tease me a lot.
You gave me a lot of griefabout the weightlifting you
really did.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Oh, I know, that's because we knew.
I don't know, we knew thatwould probably make you work
even harder, right?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I just remember Defeaty used to say I'll dance
on your grave Croft.
Thank you for listening toOptimal Aging.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, tell a
friend and write a review.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
You can learn more about me andmy content business at
primefitcontentcom.
(21:22):
You can send me an email at jayat primefitcontentcom.
That's jay J-A-Y atprimefitcontentcom.
I'm also on Facebook, linkedinand Instagram so you can find me
anywhere you like and be intouch.
And again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
Imagine if your job was to review restaurants, test
recipes and hobnob with thefoodiest of the foodies in a
major American city.
All the cuisine, all the wine,all the best desserts.
Sounds great, doesn't it?
Well, my friend, jill Silva hashad that job for decades.
(00:22):
Silva has had that job fordecades.
She was the food editor of theKansas City Star for more than
20 years and when the newspaperindustry dried up, she opened
her own PR firm with restaurants, chefs and food-oriented
businesses and non-profits asclients.
Now, at 60, jill has a newpassion powerlifting.
(00:42):
How did a professional foodiesuddenly get into fitness?
What's the role that her loveof food writing played and how
does she hope to find a healthybalance moving forward?
Well, these are some of thequestions Jill and I cover in
this week's episode of OptimalAging, the show for fitness,
health and well-beingprofessionals trying to grow
(01:03):
their businesses with morepeople over 50.
I'm your host, jay Croft, ofPrime Fit Content, which
provides premium marketingmaterial to gyms and studios
serving the over 50 demographic.
Jill's is the kind of story youneed to be sharing with your
prospects, clients andcommunities.
It's relatable and inspiring,as we saw by the response to an
(01:29):
article I recently wrote abouther for my Prime Fit content
subscribers.
You can learn more about mycontent business at
primefitcontentcom.
But for now, enjoy Jill's storyabout her new lifestyle.
She says she feels, moves andlooks great and she's finding
new confidence even a littleswagger, if you ask me.
(01:51):
She says I might never be thatskinny young thing again, but
that's okay because I'm strong,I feel great and I won't need a
walker when I'm 80.
Now I'm delighted that myfriend has found an activity she
loves so much and that it'sresonating with so many people.
Here's our conversation, whichwe enter midway and which ends a
(02:14):
bit abruptly because, well,like the best of old friends, we
were gabbing so much I forgotto put a formal start and stop
to the interview and had to editout a bunch of chatter before
and after.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
So enjoy For all those years I was learning to
test recipes, learning about newfoods, dining out quite a bit
and for many years that wasn't ahuge issue as far as my health
or my weight.
But you know about the time Ihit forties and that I guess
perimenopausal phase for womenyou don't lose weight as easily
(02:51):
and you start to notice that youmight be inching up on the
scale and you ignore it for awhile.
And I think if you just do moreexercise it'll be better.
And I think a lot of times Ithought, well, I'm so busy with
my kids and I'm so busy withwork.
I'll deal with that when my kidsare gone.
I'll deal with that when I'mretired.
(03:12):
I'll deal with that when Idon't have to review restaurants
anymore.
And I was laid off in 2018 inDecember.
It was quite a blow.
I wasn't quite sure what I wasgoing to do but, oddly, still
wanted to be in food.
I have all these things I stillwanted to do in food.
So the people who said to me oh, that's great, you'll probably
(03:34):
start losing weight now.
Oh you know, I didn't loseweight.
And the pandemic came along andI gained weight because you
know it's the apocalypse, right,and it just felt so insular and
the only thing you had was tosupport every single restaurant
and every single bar.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
And so.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I was picking up cocktails and I was picking up
food and I was supporting,supporting, supporting.
And then just finally, a friendsaid to me well, I'm going to
investigate a trainer.
I've got a three session pass.
My husband gave me do you wantto go?
I said okay, yeah, sure.
(04:15):
And so we go to this trainerand I think she's going to.
You know, stand over me and tellme to do more pushups and more
sit-ups and show me how to usesome of those very intimidating
machines that I don't know howto use, right, cause the only
thing I know how to use is abike and barely a treadmill.
So I'm walking in circlesaround all this stuff, cause we
(04:35):
have a track that goes around itat the rec center, and I just
keep walking and walking andtotally intimidated by all the
weights, get to this woman.
She says well, I can teach youhow to do those things, but
really what I do is powerlifting.
So we start trying with lightweights and she's not trying to
hurt us or anything Juststeadily work us up.
Because she has a good point Ifyou overwork and you're so sore
(05:00):
you can't move, you won't comeback, right?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
She slowly starts working us.
So sore you can't move, hewon't come back right.
She slowly starts working usand it appears my friend who has
other issues going on, likeretirement and a knee problem.
She kind of drifts away and I'msuddenly over at the rack
because my trainer's telling meyeah, you can do that.
And so I'm learning and I'mconfused and I'm writing things
(05:25):
down and it takes a long timefor me to understand what we're
doing, but eventually it wasjust like no, just so empowering
, and it started to be like Icould feel that my muscles were
better and that all that kneepain and some of the things
going down the stairs weregetting better Not perfect.
(05:45):
I still have some of that, butyou just stairs were getting
better, not perfect.
I still have some of that, butyou just get kind of caught up
in it because there aren't a lotof women doing this in the gym.
It's sort of like yeah, ask memy age.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I am 60.
I am.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
What do you want to know?
Yeah, I don't know.
It's just become kind of apersonal thing and it's just
doing a whole lot more for mybody than walking in circles was
doing, or riding a bike or orjazzercise or yoga all things
I've done, all things I'veenjoyed.
But I think I'm just at adifferent point in my life and I
need a different kind ofexercise.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
So is it fair to, is it fair to say you were
sedentary?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Oh, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
That's real fair to say.
So it's once a week with thetrainer, once a week on your own
, and then you're also doinganother session of cardio or
aerobic exercise.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Trying to get that third one in.
That is kind of so.
I'm working with a dieticiannow and I am going through our
university medical weightmanagement program, our
university medical weightmanagement program, and so, in
conjunction with all of this,I'm, you know, trying to add
that extra aerobic, I'm tryingto drink more water.
You know, there's just theseconstant little goals that I'm
(06:57):
working on, that healthylifestyle things, it's, it's
going well, and so I'm justworking incrementally to try to
change lifestyle habits.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, okay.
I want to back up to being afood person, because your job, I
think, was and has been andstill is something that I think
a lot of people might fantasize.
Oh, I wish I was a food writeror a food editor.
I wish I knew all the chefs andcould go to all the openings
and all the wine pairings andtaste all the recipes and all of
(07:31):
that, and I'm sure it is veryglamorous and exciting and fun
to be a part of that world.
And so tell me about the fun.
I mean I imagine you going outto Kansas City's, got all this
barbecue and all this great foodeverywhere.
What's it like to be the foodmaven of Kansas City?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
It's just an area that's so fascinating because
food affects every part of ourlife.
And it's it's.
I got beyond recipes.
I was into the politics of foodand sustainability of food and
just a number of topics thatwere fascinating.
(08:11):
So that's why food was socompelling to me and why I still
love it.
It is fun to go out and havethe chef know who you are.
It's fun to try special thingsthey want you to try.
Now, in my public relationscommunications role, it's fun to
(08:31):
help them behind the scenes,plan those events and eat at
their special dinner with thewine pairings and meet a famous
chef.
The other day I wasinterviewing somebody about his
Jewish food and I'm eating, youknow, pastrami and rye that had
just come out of the oven.
You know just delicious things.
(08:51):
So you learn about culture, youlearn about life through food,
and so that's just so appealingto me.
But it can add up.
It's so plentiful that you justyou can overeat, and food's
delicious and food's fun, untilyou are the restaurant critic
and then you realize how reallygrueling it is on your body.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
What you're trying to do is to change this direction
without, without abandoning yourarea of expertise and the thing
that fascinates you so much,and that is the broad topic of
food right.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Absolutely yes, I'm figuring out how.
How can I do this?
I'm not leaving that world, buthow can I do it better for my
health?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yes, I think you're really onto something, and I
wish more people, particularlypeople our age, could realize
that you can still enjoy thefood that you want to enjoy.
You don't have to live at thegym seven days a week, three
hours a time.
Let's just start by moving afew times a week and let's start
by looking at what we're eatingand why, and then from there I
(10:00):
think you can start making somechoices, like you've been making
.
I really want to get back tothis powerlifting.
My friend Jill is powerlifting.
What, what?
So you're in this rec center.
There's a bunch of sweaty, loudguys dropping weights and
looking at themselves in themirror, and there you are at the
(10:21):
squat rack, deadlifting.
And tell me about this.
The visuals are incredible.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
It's just good to have a routine, so that's what
my trainer has enabled me to do.
She's taught me the correctways to do things, and so I have
two different routines that Igo back and forth off of.
It's sometimes about addingmore weight, but mostly it's
about making sure the form isnot changing or regressing, or
you know that I've got right.
(10:50):
It's just this really empoweringthing when you realize that
every once in a while people arestealing a look to see what
you're doing.
At first I was reallyself-conscious about it, super
self-conscious, but now I'mfeeling like, yeah, I belong
here, so look, all you want,look all you want.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Son, you said some things when we talked a couple
weeks ago for the article thatreally stood out to me, and one
of them was a little bit aboutthe goal of why you're doing
this, you're not doing this, soyou'll look like when you were
20, right, and I think that'sreally important.
If you can remember what yousaid.
I want you to get into that alittle bit, because so many
people I talk to in our age say,yeah, I'm going to get.
(11:32):
A lot of guys will say, yeah, Iplayed college football, so you
know I can bench press thismuch because I did it when I was
19.
And it's like well, you're 63now, so guess what?
Who are we right now?
That's what matters, not whatwe were in college.
So you know, tell me about that.
What's the goal for all of this?
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Just to keep improving it's kind of a contest
with yourself and be moreconsistent.
I mean, some days I'm superstrong and other days, I don't
know, I'm a little wimpier.
It's just kind of coming backeach week and seeing if you can
at least do what you did theweek before and maybe you can do
(12:12):
a little more, so that feelsjust good.
Can do a little more, so thatfeels just good.
It's a good routine.
I know what I'm doing and I'mnot waiting for the pounds to
fly off right.
I am at that age where I justrealized I can't be 20 and I
can't probably do the squatslike the girl next to me who's
(12:32):
20 can do right.
It's just not reality.
I had knee problems because Ihave osteoarthritis a very 60s
kind of thing and keep workingout.
I can't tell you how many timesI wanted to quit my trainer's
like nope, we'll just workaround it, keep going.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah, so you're not trying to look like you did in
spring break in your bikini.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Let's avoid the walker if we can, for as long as
we can.
Let's have good balance.
Let's have strong legs.
Let's be able to get out of achair without using your hands.
Let's do all those things thatkeep you moving right.
Just don't quit.
I could have quit a long timeago and had I quit, had my
trainer let me quit I probablywould never get back to it.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Now, you and I grew up in the 70s and we had PE, but
they never told us kids, youshould lift weights, because
when you're old you'll begrateful that you're they never
told us.
That did they.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Never, never once, did anybody tell me to lift
weights.
I was so intimidated by weightsand I knew nothing about them.
The most that I'd ever done waswhen I was in jazzercise and
they would have you strap onsome leg weights while you were
laying on the floor, you know.
Or some hand weights that youknow weighed two pounds and I
(13:56):
didn't feel anything and it justI don't know.
But I didn't know what to do,right, I just didn't know how to
use weights.
So it takes going to somebodywho's a professional, I think
sometimes spending the money,it's money well worth spending
and learning, and, as mytrainers pointed out, I don't
(14:17):
need her anymore.
I know what to do.
I don't have to pay her.
For me it's motivating too,because she's just a really
great person and we're on thisjourney together.
And be realistic about yourgoals.
I'm not going to be marchingaround in cute little booty
shorts.
That's not where I am going tobe marching around in cute
(14:37):
little booty shorts.
That's not where I am right inlife.
But that doesn't mean I'm notgetting immense benefits,
probably more than the youngerpeople are.
You know, keep doing it and thestories are tremendous.
And the stories I hear not justmy story, but the stories I
hear from my trainer about otherpeople who couldn't play with
their grandchildren, couldn't docertain things like bend down
and pick things up or just moveand go on a vacation that they
(15:01):
wanted to.
All those things are just moreimportant than how cute you are
in your spring break tank top,right.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Well, yes, because nobody wants to see me in my
spring break tank top from 1984.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
I have a vision, jay, I have a vision.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
You probably have a photograph, I probably do your
self-image.
You know we're talking aboutnot being looking like we did
and not wearing the clothes andall of that, and I'm fine with
it, but it is, it's most of thetime.
Sometimes I think, oh man,where'd that flat stomach go?
How do you feel about your bodynow, how you look and feel and
(15:39):
move.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I'm.
I'm feeling a lot better.
I've lost a few pounds, whichfeels great.
The ring that's always beentight on my hand is spinning
around.
I mean, one of the things thatwas just horrible for me was
that my wedding ring got stuckon my finger.
I had to have it cut off.
I don't think there's anythingworse than that feeling of wow,
(16:01):
I just let this really get outof control and then to start to
see things change, you're justlike, oh my gosh, I can do this.
I can do this.
So I feel confident, both inthe gym and just more confident
in life, and I think we allsuffer a little bit.
I mean, I thought to myself God, I hope Jay doesn't think I
(16:23):
look old.
I'm looking at you and you lookgreat.
We both look old or older and Ithink you just have to get out
of that mindset.
The thing about probablyeverybody certainly, I think,
women are harder on themselvesabout this is just we kind of
stop in our 20s, right, Usually,or early 30s.
(16:46):
You know that's.
That's our prime time,physically speaking, when we
look in the mirror and our mostfashionable time when we look at
our clothes and all of that.
And it's just, you know, youspend a lot of time sort of
comparing yourselves to thesupermodels of the decade and
your generation or whatever.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
And it's just it's.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
It's just.
If I could tell my younger self, I would just say that's just
such a waste.
Just don't do it.
Just don't do it.
Just move on, be who you are,be happy and have the best
physical, mental balance you canhave.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
I never wrote about fitness when I was a newspaper
reporter.
I love the stories, and for thesame reasons that you were
talking about food.
You can go in so manydirections.
It touches on healthcare,touches on economics, touches on
lifespan, touches on familyrelationships, nutrition, diet,
self-image, hollywood, the wholething, all of these forces that
(17:47):
are going on behind us.
And then it comes down to oneperson who says I've got to make
some changes in my life.
How do I do that?
And the reason I'm doing thatis because I want to play with
my grandchildren, or because myblood pressure is too high, or
because I'm probably going tolive for 30 more years and I
want to enjoy it.
I want to feel good and to me,the stories are just.
(18:09):
It's really what drives me.
I think of this as my beat now.
The only difference is I'm onmy own, I'm not at an
institution of a media outlet,but it's great stuff.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
It's powerful and it just feels good when you can
take that and understand it andthen sort of make it work for
you and you're lucky.
I think you probably found thatmuch earlier than most of us
have, but you know, we don't allhave to be jocks to find that
(18:45):
thing right.
Just right now.
Weightlifting is working verywell for me, so I will do it for
as long as I can and see whereit takes me.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
And we've got a few months till our next birthday.
We'll be 61.
And I have on my wall, right infront of me, a photo from our
birthday in that little house weshared when we turned 21.
So it's been 40 years.
Yes, it has my gosh yeah, thatcrazy, and but you know what?
(19:15):
I feel good, I look all rightand my health is good and I'm
trying to not have anycomplaints.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Trying yeah, yeah, I think that's where I'm at too,
you know just uh, except for theknee, all is good yeah sure
sure yeah, well, you know, Istarted with you while you were
there.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
When I started lifting weights.
When bruce springsteen came outwith born in the usa, it was
right before then.
Actually it was, you know, inthe first two years, I think, of
school you had to take p, right, didn't you have to take a p
credit the first two years?
something like that yes, you didthe semester before that album
came out.
That album came out in thesummer of 1984.
(19:57):
And so I guess it would havebeen the spring semester of 84.
I think the only PE class Icould get was weightlifting and
so I took it.
I was like fine, whatever.
Well, I kind of liked it and Iwas always the smallest,
runniest, skinniest kid inschool.
And suddenly, after a fewmonths of working out, I was
putting on some muscle andpeople were noticing I look good
in a tight t-shirt and it waslike, wow, this is interesting,
(20:20):
it's never happened before.
And then Springsteen came outwith the album and he was always
the skinniest, runniest kidhe's just a ragamuffin, right.
And then he came out with thatalbum and biceps and it's like
hey, if he can do it, I can doit.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I remember that period, I remember when you took
that class actually, and youdid enjoy it and it made you fit
very quickly.
I should have picked aweightlifting class.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Oh, please, please.
You all did tease me a lot.
You gave me a lot of griefabout the weightlifting you
really did.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Oh, I know, that's because we knew.
I don't know, we knew thatwould probably make you work
even harder, right?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I just remember Defeaty used to say I'll dance
on your grave Croft.
Thank you for listening toOptimal Aging.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, tell a
friend and write a review.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
You can learn more about me andmy content business at
primefitcontentcom.
(21:22):
You can send me an email at jayat primefitcontentcom.
That's jay J-A-Y atprimefitcontentcom.
I'm also on Facebook, linkedinand Instagram so you can find me
anywhere you like and be intouch.
And again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
Popular Podcasts
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com