This board sure does get quiet! I guess there aren't a whole lot of us who are in the over 60 category -- or, maybe some people don't want others to know they are IN the 'over 60' bunch. It took a bit of courage for me to sign up on this particular board, but life is what it is, there is no denying it.
I am writing today to share some sad news. My best friend's husband (age 60) just died last week from a massive heart attack. In my view, 60 is much too young these days to die. However, he did not take very good care of himself, sad to say. In fact, I am more than a bit angry with him for leaving my dear friend so alone (she is only 50, kind of young to be a widow). It didn't have to happen. His death could have been prevented.
He was very overweight and did absolutely nothing for exercise. It was work all day, and then lie on the couch when he was home. He would spend the entire weekend just lying on the couch andhis wife would worry about this. So did I. His diet consisted of very high fat foods and lots and lots of carbs -- pasta, cheese, steak, pork, candy, cakes, cookies, and so on. he ate very little poultry and NO fish at all. Now, the man knew he had a heart condition and had a triple bypass operation many years ago. Still, he did not follow his doctor's orders and ultimately, he paid the price.
Here I was, struggling along with my JC diet and feeling kind of sorry for myself. Now, after seeing what can happen when a person doesn't take good care of his/her body, I am looking at 'motivation' in a whole new way. Let's face it, none of us are getting any younger. Why take chances with our lives at this point by being overweight? Let me tell you, I am looking at all of this in a new way, now, and my viewpoint on dieting has changed. It's gone from "I want to do this so that I can look good', to "I want to live."
True, I took a minor 'detour' for the first few days after his death and I binged on sweets for a day or two. I turned to my dieting friends here on the JC site and they helped me through that little detour. Back in control now, I am ready to get back to business and really stick on my diet.
The really hard part is helping my dear friend through this diffuclt time as she is very overweight, too, and does not eat the right stuff. I am very worried about her, but feel this is not the time to talk about her weight problems. She has enough to face just adjusting to her new life alone.
Sorry if I'm rambling on, but I just wanted to share my past week with you all. I don't know about anyone else, but this man's death really drove home a point with me, that if I care about myself enough and about living a healthy life, I will stick to my diet and exercise even more.
Wishing everyone a good week....
Rie
Rie,