By Jody Lee
radio host, author, political and lifestyle blogger, media consultant
Published: March 19, 2010

Staring at me from the magazine racks in line at the grocery store this week, I saw them.  Two women who have come to torment and torture me by ruining the perfectly nice, perfectly perfect little bubble of denial and delusion in which I had been living of late.

It is bad enough that they mock me from my tv set – now they are reaching out to tweak my calm from the newsstands too. 

It’s not fair.  It’s just not fair.  Bear with me a moment while I lapse into a moment of whining and self pity. 

Okay.  All better.  Now where was I?

Oh, yeah.  Valerie Bertinelli and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss.  I grew up with one and identified with the other as middle age approached.  Both the same age as each other, or close enough. 

Now they are 49 and 50 years old.  And they are more gorgeous than have been at any time in their lives up to this point.

I ask you.  How am I supposed to be content now with my steady-as-she-goes attitude when it comes to the fitness side of fabulousness with THAT (them) staring me in the face?

I confess I have become complacent of late and it has not been to my own benefit.  I look at these two incredibly fabulous women – apparently both inside AND out – and I am embarrassed at my complacency.  My protestations - that THEY have money for personal trainers and THEY can afford a cook to prepare only low-fat meals and if I had their money then I could buy a big slice of Fit Fabulous too – well, they ring hollow even to myself.

Do I not have a treadmill in my home office?  Do I not have access to Lean Cuisine Frozen entrees (not to mention the terrific yogurt parfait I talk about in my last post, Diet Food That Doesn’t Suck)?  Do I not have a little dog that would love it if I heaved myself off the couch and walked her daily?

I do, I do, and I do.  It doesn’t take money to add Fit to your Fabulous.  It only takes the want-to’s.  And seeing these two women on magazine covers this month may have ticked me off at first, but upon further reflection, I have decided they may have just given me the kick in the butt I needed.

I can feel the want-to’s setting in.  Let’s hope they take hold hard.  Because one thing I do know is that, baby, it won’t do you any good if you don’t want it BAD.