This past week has been an interesting one, to say the least. (I use the word "interesting" very loosely, by the way.) It was very definitely a "Murphy's Law" sort of time, and I have to tell you, I do not like it. Not at all. Apart from all the usual mishaps that come with daily living, I had an overabundance of migraines; my mom was in the hospital for a few day, which always freaks me out; and Sunday night a very dear friend of ours had a stroke. Tim is 45 and has always been very healthy, so this was a complete shock. He's doing well - thankfully it was a mild one - but there's no such thing as a "good" stroke. Now the doctors are trying to determine what brought this on and how to prevent it happening again.
Now, I am not normally a person who obsesses about her age. I'm 43, that's how many years I've been breathing, and there's not much I can do about that, is there? But Tim's stroke scared me. First of all, obviously, for Tim - this guy is the brother of my heart, he's been part of our lives for a very long time. The thought of something happening to him just makes me sick. The realization that if it could happen to him, it could happen to us - that's scary too. I've been thinking about strokes and such as something that I didn't have to worry about for a few more years, you know? I mean, we're not young anymore, but we're not really old either. Right? But this is making me think differently...and again, I don't like it much.
The biggest thing that hit me is that if Tim, who is a healthy, active person, could have a stroke, then what am I at risk for as an overweight, inactive woman? Yeah, it's not a pretty thought. This may be the motivation I needed to really make some changes in my lifestyle. Pants that are a little snug around the waist weren't enough to do it, but the thought of a stroke or heart attack is definitely a kick in the rear. Plus, I recently read an article citing research that suggests belly fat can be a trigger for migraines in women ages 20-55. You mean losing some of my tummy could help cut out those hellacious headaches? I am SO there!
The final straw came yesterday morning. Our new puppy, Zeke, has conquered going up the stairs, but he still can't go down very well, so he frequently gets carried down (I know, I know, but there's only so much time in a day and I can't spend it all watching him squirm down 15 steps!). I had just carried him down and thought "Wow, it's amazing how much of a difference carrying his 22 or 23 pounds makes while going up and down the steps." Then it hit me. With the extra weight I'm carrying (and it's been here a long time, folks...a looooong time) it's like I've been asking my body to carry two Zekes around everywhere I go. No wonder my legs and back hurt! That image really shocked me. Vague things like "Oh, losing weight will help your __________" don't go very far with me, but the idea of carrying around two hefty puppies 24/7? Ouch! Put 'em down!
So I am embarking on a quest - a quest to find my lost waistline. It's going to be tough, I know; exercise and healthy eating and all that stuff just doesn't thrill me, to be honest. But it's got to be done, and now I really see why.
It really does help, too. Even five crummy pounds makes a big difference for me anymore, let alone the sixty I *was* carrying on the old buns-n-thighs (ya, buns and thiiiighs) (sorry...dating m'self again...) after Boo Bug arrived.
More energy, less back pain and reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. It's worth doing!
Posted by: Mother Chaos | May 05, 2009 at 04:49 PM
Good for you! They say even losing ten percent of your body weight makes a big difference in your health.
Posted by: Suzanne (Yarnhog) | May 05, 2009 at 11:36 PM