We had the opportunity to talk to Jody of Truth2BeingFit this week, and she gave us lots of ideas and inspirations about getting fit. At 53, Jody has had a lot of experience, and is very knowledgeable about fitness and health. Keep reading to learn about what Jody had to tell us!

Tell us a bit about your blog? How long have you been blogging? How did you come up with the title of your blog? What are you favorite topics to blog about? Why is this topic important to you?

I have been blogging for about 3 years. I had a blog under a different host at first but have had this one for about 2 years. They both had the same name. I chose this name because I felt there was so much misinformation out there and wanted to help people learn from my own experiences AND mistakes. I have been at this workout stuff for 30+ years but I lost my original weight in high school which was 38 years ago!

When I first started blogging, I wanted to write only about exercise routines and everything to do with the different exercises for each body part. I also wanted to explain all I had done and changed through the years. As time went on, I learned that writing about a variety of health, fitness, weight loss, wellness, food/recipes, inspirational/motivational posts and exercise posts allowed for the full view of what losing weight, maintaining it, and just being healthy in every way beyond just the body made more sense.

I still love writing about the actual exercises and especially weight training because I love to lift weights but I also want to show that there are so many ways to do this “weight loss thing” so don’t box yourself in. Find something you love. I have changed things all through my life but the weights remain my favorite part of working out!

This topic is important to me because I want to help all ages and sexes, children to old age to live their “best life” as many say. Being active and eating healthy will not only help you live a longer and healthier life BUT if you have children, you are able to set an example of healthy living for them and older family members too! I also want people to know it is NEVER too late! ALWAYS LEARNING is my motto!

If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Honestly, I am not a huge book reader right now. I have been reading books to help me with the “change of life”! BUT, when I was younger, the books that stick out the most for me are To Kill a Mocking Bird that showed equality, fairness and compassion for all people. I love that book & movie – my favorites! Also, The Little Price. I first read that after my Dad died and it brought me closer to him. We even used a phrase from that book on the bench by his grave.

What is your greatest pet peeve?

This is easy for me – people that think it is their way or the highway and that means in all aspects of life, not just health and fitness. We all need to respect one another and not tell another person they have to believe what I believe.

What kinds of food are stocked in your fridge & pantry right now?

Chicken breasts, extra lean ground turkey, frozen veggies and berries, apples, 0% Greek yogurt, unsalted almond butter & peanut butter, ground flax, homemade protein bars, muffins and cookies, healthy breads, oatmeal, protein powders, almonds, low sodium salsa, different flavors of mustard, homemade guacamole, egg whites, oat bran, water – well, you get the picture – I could go on… BUT, one lesson I learned, treat myself each week because I deserve it! AND, if I decide to do any extra treat, I own it and move on – back to my basics!

What are your favorite workout moves?

WOW, I always see this question and it is such a hard one for me because I LOVE weight training – all of it! It may change over time but right now I am loving incline hammer and regular curls for my biceps; weighted bench dips and skull crushers (bar and dumbbell) and close grip/diamond push-ups for my triceps; kettle bell rows and Rubberbanditz bands used for the move most know as straight bar pull down for the back; dumbbell and barbell shoulder presses and cable rear delts for shoulders; incline dumbbell chest presses and all forms of push-ups; dumbbell squats with varying leg positions, leg press with feet high up on the foot pad, straight leg dead lift, cable cuff work for inner, outer & the butt, lunges, step ups for the legs ….. OK, I just could go on and on! I do a wide variety of exercises for each body part so these are just a few. I also do a core/ab and stretching routine.

What tips do you have for people who are intimated to start getting healthy?

Baby steps! You don’t have to do it all at once. In fact, people that try too much at the beginning or at once are more likely to quit due to frustration. Change a couple things each week. Maybe cut out one fast food lunch. If you drink high calorie drinks, cut one out each day until you can get them down to water each day and then each day of the week. Change out a 1 high calorie food in each meal OR work on making breakfast healthy and then move on to lunch and then dinner.

Also, find a program you can stick with long term. Quick fixes DO NOT WORK! If you love carbs, a low carb diet is not going to be right for you long term. You will crave them and the weight will come back on. Instead, find ways to change out your fav carbs with a healthier version. Spices & herbs do wonders!

CONSISTENCY! If you take baby steps, you are more likely to stick with it – PATIENCE will help you through. It took time to put it on and it WILL take longer for it to come off. The older you are, the tougher it will be – just being honest.

Exercise, again, take it slowly otherwise you may injure yourself. Learn how to do it right and get proper footwear!

AND most of all – don’t fool yourself – IT IS HARD WORK! Got to be honest. Ya have to face that and know that YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!!!

What website do you love, but kind of also hate?

Well, it is not a website but a show. I hate to admit it but I watch TMZ! I know! But, the guy with the voice that tells the stories is too funny! I don’t like them picking on women though! Hollywood & the entertainment business is tough on women!

If our readers could only read one of your blog posts, which one should they read and why?

YIKES! This is a hard one! Here are 3 I like because they encourage you to believe in yourself!

http://truth2beingfit.com/2011/09/13/believe.aspx

http://truth2beingfit.com/2010/12/20/dare-to-dream.aspx

http://truth2beingfit.com/2009/12/29/today-is-for-you.aspx

And 2 quotes among the hundreds I collect that I like – and are more recent finds:

Wishing and hoping and wanting isn’t good enough. You’ve got to believe THEN have your every action move you in that direction. Actions have to be in alignment. You Become What You Believe. – Oprah

I just saw Oprah say this again on her Life Classes show but she also said you have to take that belief & move it forward … do something. To me, that says even baby steps at it is a good thing because it leads you in the direction of your dreams!

And as Steve Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life … Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~Steve Jobs