Inspired?

I read a posting made by another person named Linda on a weight loss yahoo group I am part of. Lately, I've not been reading it and have just been deleting it. Silly me? I've just had this blah attitude about weight loss and this one posting drew me back to where I would like to be.

It's daunting to have 20+ pounds to lose. Yeah, everyone says "you look fine" and technically I believe I look OK too, but OK isn't looking good is it? Just OK? Hmmmm..... I can do better than this. It's also not about looking good, it's more than that. I have a big birthday coming. For some reason this particular birthday (55) is bothering me. I turned 30, 40, 50 and kept saying to myself, no big deal. You are as old as you feel, right? But, damn. 15 year from now (and time sure goes quickly) I'll be 70. Crap.

So, what do people when threatened with their own mortality? They have to face it and do whatever they can do to hang on to health for as long as possible.

I don't want to be my mom with regard to aging. When she reached a certain age, she kind of gave up doing things. She'd say things like, "Oh, I don't feel up to coming over to the lake". She'd sit at home, watch TV and do absolutely NOTHING. Dad would want to go out and she would tell him to go without her, finally. Dad loved life and I am so sad that cancer took him when he had so much more life to live. Mom was kind of like a ticking time bomb with her high blood pressure and things of that nature.

What causes people to lose their gusto and health earlier than they ought to? Weight. Weight makes blood pressure rise. Weight adds risk to diabetes and certainly to most forms of cancer. So, do I want to live another 20+ years or do I want to be gone in 10 or 12 years? I know the answer to this.

While I am at it, I sure wish my husband would finally quit smoking as I'd like to be with him during his retirement years and do the travelling we always have wanted to do. This time of year, I'd like to be somewhere warm and be active and enjoying things. That won't happen if he continues this way, but each time I mention it, he gets angry. He sees it as nagging, I see it as wanting him to live long.

At any rate, today is going to be a day where I start to make an effort again and get back on that weight loss bandwagon. It's my fault if I do not at least try.