Get’er Done by 61

By Debbie Bucher –

On November 10th, 2011, I will turn 61. I’m at a healthy weight of 165, which is 66 pounds lighter than August of 2009. I’m enjoying an abundant life spiritually, physically and financially and giving generously to causes I’m passionate about.

I’m active, physically fit and have enough spare time to travel, be with friends and take advantage of the recreational opportunities and beauty that Central Oregon has to offer. I have plenty of time to spend with my mom, who at 92 loves playing cards and still enjoys an occasional gin martini (her secret to long life and health). I’m helping men and women all over the country improve their health, fitness and weight loss through the 90 Day Challenge. Life is good, and I’m bringing hope to those who have struggled with their weight. My purpose and destiny at the ripe old age of 61 is coming into focus for the very first time.

Have I arrived yet? No, not quite. But I’m learning to speak my future into existence based on my passions, gifts and purpose.

They say that 60 is the new 40, and I find myself asking questions of myself that I’ve not asked before. I have a new awareness and appreciation about the importance of my life, purpose, health and future.

For years, I had taken for granted that I had survived a very serious and “inoperable” congenital heart defect. It’s only been recently that I’ve come to understand the true nature of that condition and the incredible miracle that took place in October 1962. My life expectancy was 12 years of age and now that I’m approaching my 61st birthday, I’m overcome with appreciation for this life of mine and I have a new commitment to see my life’s purpose come to fruition.

In August 2009, I weighed 231 pounds and my 60th birthday was just over a year away. I felt very “unlovely” but emotionally and mentally not up for the challenge of losing 60 pounds. A friend of mine was ready to lose weight and talked me into being an accountability buddy with her. She lived several hours away so we decided to email each other every week to help us achieve our goals. Our first goal was 20 pounds by the end of the year and that would give me 10 months to lose the remaining 40 pounds by my birthday.

We each reached our first goal by New Year’s, and were giddy with success. I created my very first vision board and on it was my slogan: “60 x 60” (Sixty pounds by my 60th birthday). I continued to lose weight slowly just by cutting calories, but the journey was long. By the time my 60th birthday arrived, I was “only” down 40 pounds, not the 60 I had planned. That, for me, was a BIG problem because I had “failed.” While I did somewhat celebrate my 40 pound success, in my mind I had fallen short, which for me, subconsciously equated to failure.

With Thanksgiving around the corner and Christmas right behind, suddenly there was mental “permission” to give up. I could see patterns from my childhood and belief systems come into play that said, “it’s OK, you don’t have to finish, at least you tried.” Like children with handicaps, I was always given an excuse to quit prematurely. The teachers knew I didn’t have the physical capability to complete my assignments so they just graded me on what I did do. I never was expected to come across the “finish line.” The sense of accomplishment or experiencing victory as a child was foreign to me.

The past few years have been a reason to evaluate my “limiting beliefs” and expose lies that have been my personal road map for years. These lies included those about my future that robbed me of hope or allowed me to dream and stories in my mind that did not line up with the Word of God. I’m discovering truths that have been there all along but were impossible for me to believe.

Around February or March of 2011, I shared my disappointment of not achieving my 60×60 goal with a friend, and that I’d lost the desire to finish what I had started. She came up with a new slogan for me and said “How about: ‘Get ‘er done by 61’? I loved it! But having gained back 10 of the pounds I had lost, it was overwhelming to visualize even crossing the finish line. I needed support, a buddy. Then, unexpectedly, my friend Patty from Wisconsin called and said, “Debbie, I’m calling to bless you” and asked me to join her on a 90- Day Challenge, a program that helps you be laser focused on a specific health goal in 90-day increments. The timing was perfect, and just the tool I needed to get back on track.

My journey is far from over, but the lies I’ve believed of achieving success are being exposed, and I’ve thrown my old map away. I’m down 18 pounds in the past two months, have more energy than I’ve had in a long time, but more importantly, I have incredible hope and a new vision for my future. A vision that includes helping women see themselves as God sees them and exposing the lies that have held them back from being all they were created to be. How that passion will unfold in the months ahead is yet to be seen. But the finish line is in sight, my arms are open wide, and I can feel the tape breaking across my chest! Stay tuned though … We all know the finish line is really just the starting block for the next journey.

Debbie Bucher resides in the beautiful town of Sisters, Oregon after a life long career in corporate relocation. . She enjoys writing, women’s ministries and is a promoter of the 90-Day Challenge. She can be reached at Debbie@DebbieBucher.com or by visiting her website at: http://www.debbiebucher.myvi.net/.