Happy anniversary! We’re both 20(ish)!

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When I reflect back on starting down my healthy living path it amazes me how much things have changed over (almost) twenty years.

When I reflect back on starting down my healthy living path it’s astonishing to me how little existed at that time to help us women begin & maintain healthy lifestyles.

I remember *searching* for a woman’s-only fitness center with weights because so few women were resistance training back then.

I remember being too afraid to join a co-ed facility because I knew I’d end up doing aerobics—not weights as I wanted—out of sheer intimidation.

I remember repeatedly questioning if I should resistance train because everyone I mentioned it to immediately informed me Id bulk up/they’d turn to fat when I stopped.

Twenty years ago there was virtually nothing.

There were few apparel companies making truly functional female-centric workout clothing.

There were very few communities to which we could look for support.

No blogs.  No Twitter. No facebook.

As a result, magazines like Fitness Magazine filled more than a “something to read on the stationary bike” void.

They were our fitness-bibles, our communities, the place where we asked our questions (letters to the editor, anyone?) and basically our entire connection to a female fitness community we couldn’t see/communicate with otherwise.

I began trying (I know there’s no trying only doing.  And yes. At the beginning there was only trying around here.) to get healthy right around the time Fitness Magazine launch.

I had a few fits and starts, but for the most part my journey has paralleled Fitness Mag’s.

We both launched in 1992 & have done our best to be as healthy as we can for the past twenty years.

I have no clue what they’d say their ‘best!moment!’ has been since publication—but I know one of my ‘best!moments!’ of healthy living was being selected to launch their Fit Blogger We Love series.

When I started subscribing as a semi-sedentary graduate student I’d never imagined I’d be working out/living fit twenty years later let alone recognized for my efforts.

In the same vein, Im super excited to be heading to NYC on tomorrow.

Fitness Magazine is hosting an all day Meet & Tweet* on May 9th.

There will be a number of panels with rockstar speakers (read: way way far far bigger than I) & I’ll be speaking on a FitFluential panel about the Business of Blogging.

More important than all that stuff is We’re also planning some sort of a meet-up Tuesday night.

Low-key. Hangout. Talk. Laugh. Mock the fact I appear to own no other clothing than jumpsuits.

Id love for any of you NYC or *close* to NYC people to come and join us.

Ill post information on Facebook & twitter as soon as I know anything.

Now you.

How long has healthy living been an integral part of your day-to-day life?

Where have you found your healthy living ‘community’?

Were you still in diapers twenty years ago while I was struggling to shed pounds?  Break it to the rest of us gently.



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Comments

  1. I grew up playing a lot of sport and was quite fit and healthy… UNTIL I became anorexic at age 15-16 and then my world became about food and exercise. Bulimia came later and then, by my mid 20s binge eating without the vomiting and weight gain and – obesity.

    It’s almost 30 years later and I’m still grappling with food, dieting and exercise and I just wish that I’d never become obsessed in the first place!

    Happy 20th anniversary!

    Deb

  3. Twenty years ago? I was very unfit and never entertained the notion I could be the Mama I am today.

    Congrats to you, Miz.

  4. Twenty years ago I was a 14 year old who became interested in health and fitness. I remember reading Fitness Magazine for the first time. It was like an “aha!” moment. This is what I should be doing for my body!

    Fitness magazine have been an integral part of my life ever since even now that the blog world is such a big factor as well.

    Congrats on 20 years!!! 🙂

  6. Oh that sounds like such a great time! If only I were free that day! Well I’ll be following the tweets anyway as much as possible.

    Twenty years ago..I had just arrived to teenagehood and the struggles were many…physical was easy…I loved it.

  7. Sounds like a great trip!

    Oooh, I was far healthier in 1992 but I’m working on getting back there. 🙂 Not the actual year, just physically to that level of fitness. 🙂

  8. Happy Anniversary!!!! It’s still mind boggling to me how little information and resources there were for females just 20 years ago. I often take for granted how accepted it is for a woman to stay fit (esp during pregnancy) and how much harder it would have been to do the same 20 years ago.
    Looking forward to meeting you on Wednesday (maybe Tuesday night if I can make it in to the city!!)!!
    Healthy living has been a part of my life for the last 10-11 years. I was active before then, but never gave it much thought (I played sports in high school and college).
    I wasn’t in diapers, but I was only 11 then =)

  10. hmmmm 20 yrs ago I was training in a gym and mega defined and in shape…sadly I got lost on my journey and am now making a comeback!
    Love Fitness Mag…enjoy NYC, wish I wasn’t 1200 miles south

  11. Twety years ago I was where I am now.
    It’s another Monday and I hope these plans stick.

    • and for me so often is IS about harnessing the power of the community. lean on us when youre feeling like “well crapballs I cant do this again today.”

      seriously.

  12. holy moly this is awesome! congrats! just proves to show that deep down, we all have the desire to be healthy and live in balance… you just gotta start somewhere. AWESOME! Now… enjoy NYC. I will be following.
    <3

  14. Congratulations! Twenty years ago my daughter was in diapers. I thought I was pretty healthy doing some exercise videos at home (some with some weights – like Kathy Smith) but my food was all out of whack – Snackwells by the box and all that – so I wasn’t really healthy.

  17. Twenty years is a long time Mizzy.

    20 years ago I was five and probably healthier than I am today LOL but I wasn’t in diapers.

  19. Happy anniversary! You and Fitness magazine have established yourselves as the “go to” for fitness advice. Yeah!!

  20. I was fairly active growing up but like you said, it was all about cardio and aerobics classes. I started lifting a little while in high school when I played sports but it wasn’t until college that my eyes were open to magazines like FITNESS. It opened up a whole new world, particularly around strength training. I was always so intimidated going into the weight room but now, I could tear out workouts and feel more confident – having a plan in mind and a general idea of how to do the exercises.

    I am very excited to meet you this week, jumpsuits and all. I’d love to meet up on Tuesday night, assuming I can sneak out of the house 🙂

  21. Amazing!!!!! Have a fabulous time!!!

    I am just a little over two years since making my lifestyle change! I’m loving every moment of it! 🙂

    Congrats!

  22. I started walking to lower my cholesterol when I was maybe in my late 20s but probably more likely my early 30s. It was several more years before I joined my first gym and lifted my first weight. So I would say that my real fitness change came about maybe 15 years ago.

  23. Funny, this post reminds me indeed that 20 years ago there was almost nothing. Most you could do as a girl was aerobics. How times have changed and definitely in a positive way.

    Have fun at the event tomorrow, sounds great.

  24. I am about your age and had forgotten when I had to wait for magazines and newsletters to connect with my Tribe!

    We are very lucky now.

  25. Well, Carla – you know my answer to this!!! 30++ years for me & yes, Fitness mag & Oxygen Women’s Fitness were mine too along when Shape entered. Before that I was reading the men’s ones! 😉 I actually found an all women’s gym way back then before I joined Family Fitness which turned into 24 Hour Fitness – I joined them in 1982!!!!

    I am so proud of all you have done. I wish I had followed my passion back then & I would be in such a better place right now. For me, I knew I needed to support myself & so I went the way of many – make money & not go after your love… Then hubby & stepkids to support – well, you have heard the story.. 😉

    SO PROUD OF YOU!!! I so wish I could meet you guys in NYC but I look forward to reading & seeing pics & vlogs about it!

  26. Amazing how far health and exercise have come! My Mom first got me into fitness- group fitness specifically when I was young! I also (at the time) got my fitness on through sports.

  27. How cool that you have 20 years under your belt, so to speak…and it’s amazing how much has changed for the better when it comes to women and fitness. I’m just sorry I was so late to jump on the bandwagon, but one of these days, I’ll be looking back at my 20th anniversary! 🙂

  28. Twenty years ago, I was still eating up a storm in law school. After many ups and downs along the way, I think have a pretty good eating and fitness routine in place. One that works for me. Remember when they used to call aerobics “jazzercise”. 😉

  32. I can not WAIT to see you!!! For someone who is still having “fits and starts” I can’t wait to see what the next few years unfold! See you tomorrow!!!

  33. Well, 20 years ago I was 15. 😉 I think I was 19 or 20 when I started reading fitness.
    Twitter/facebook/blogs are my healthy living community.
    SO wish I could be in NYC with all of you. Going to be an awesome event!

  35. Happy 20 years, to you and to Fitness Mag! Great post — really reminds us to appreciate how much more information, resources, and community are available to us, today. Let me know about Tuesday night! Not positive I can swing it but I’d love to try!! SEE YOU WEDNESDAY!!!!!!! (PS: You’re a rockstar speaker, 100%)

  38. Had my first kid just over 20 years ago, and was trying to get healthy, not for the first time, nor the last.

    Congrats to both of you!

  40. That really puts it into perspective how much has changed… congrats to you both! That’s awesome that you’ll be sharing on the FitFluential panel, too. I wish I lived nearby– looking forward to hearing about it!

  42. 20 years ago I was buying ads in this new mag! I had a feeling they’d do ok. :0)

  44. Really? Where were you twenty years ago? I began lifting in college in an old gym (coed) in the 70s for gymnastics training. I started running in H.S. in 1970 and started a women’s track team at our H.S. because there was none. We had access to the weight room too. I lifted at a community college or at a university when I moved out west and belonged to several gyms (coed) and still lift mainly with men. It was there. You just had to be aware of things or go create what you wanted. Double it and that’s when I started my journey-rode 40 yesterday and just completed a 2500 meter swim with airforce guys. I was faster than all of them. 🙂 Catch up!!! 😉

  46. Happy 20 years!!!

    Healthy living has been in and out of my life throughout my years. I was an elite competitive gymnast from 6-17. Then slacked off way bad. Ate way too much. Started way too many bad habits. But I am happy to say that for 2 years+ now I have been on the road to healthy livin’!!! 🙂

    CANT WAIT TO MEET YOU!! I’ll be getting into the city tomorrow around noon so I am around for some hang outs in the evening!! I’ll be sure to check out your tweets

  48. Oh Carla! 20 years is quite the accomplishment!!
    While I haven’t been doing much of anything for 20 years (except living) I have been working my way down the healthy living path for the past 11 years with some stumbles here and there.
    Most of the time I feel pretty good about my journey and the advances I’ve made and then other times I feel like a “poser” calling myself RealFitMama.
    While I am “real” and I am a “mama” I don’t always feel so “fit”…
    But because of you, your blog and your friendship via the social network world I keep pushing, keep lifting, keep trying and keep moving forward.
    So thank you…

  49. Ummm 1992 not a good time. Now much better. Healthier and far more satisfying. Enjoy your trip!

  51. It was about that time that I should have started concerning myself with healthy living but instead I started gaining weight. Finally 3 years ago I started my journey. Its been slow but I’m going to get there! I remember the launch of the magazine thinking wow that’s acool magazine. Too bad it took me so long o realize hoe important it is.

  52. Happy anniversary Miz! You definitely deserve some props.

    I’ve not stuck with anything for 20 years, like, ever. 🙂 Hopefully I can change that soon with my hubbs, and I joke that I’ll qualify for Kona (the championship ironman race) when I’m 80!

  53. I started teaching in 1983 and there was NOTHING, not even IDEA. We wore leg warmers and taught in German (that’s where one went, as there wasn’t much here). I’m so glad there are so many choices and so much great research now. And I’m glad you have had so many honors.

    • By 1983 I had already participated in several century rides, a half dozen marathons and triathlons (Half iron distance) and had completed three Grand Canyon crossings. All supplemented by weight training-which I started in the seventies. There was a LOT- you just had to SEE it. Just because certain women were NOT exercisinig, training, doesn’t mean it wasn’t going on. My god women had been going to the olympics since the thirties!

  54. I am actually finding healthy living AND community in dog sports. My dog was my 100-pounds-lost present to myself and we do lots of fun things together. I am telling you, agility is a KILLER workout 🙂

  55. You are such an inspiration! Congratulations on your success!!

    Keep up the great work and stay focused!!

  58. Wow what a great journey! 20 years ago I was probably, sadly on the verge of my first diet. I do remember reading fitness though, off and on over the years. I think it’ll last and so will you!

  59. I’d never thought of fit mags in quite that way but I love it! People always ask me why women need their own fitness mags and I will from here on out point them to this post! Hope you are having a blast in NYC my friend! I heard you were a rockstar today:)

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