DAVE - KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
We could call this the bare your soul thread since most of us chiming in have demons in one form or another.
I was really caught off guard in October '07 to find I needed a triple bypass. I'm no kid, but not quite 60 at the time. Cholesterol was pretty much borderline, but the good cholesterol and tryglicerides were exemplarary so the Doc and I thought I was OK. 210 pounds and and 5'11" isn't obese, but I had gradually become way too inactive except for playing some golf in the summer, wrenching and wheeling.
In any case, I avoided a very serious heart attack, possible the widowmaker, when I went to the ER with minor symptoms. If I had stayed home, I'd probably be dead by now. It took them 6 hours to realize that there was a bit of a problem and the catheterization the next day proved there was a major blockage. No fun having your chest sawed open top to bottom and there were weeks of recovery. Fifteen months later, I still have some discomfort from time to time from the carving. Long story short, I survived just short of having a heart attack and enjoy every minute that I'm awake these days, wheeling is an added plus.
Dave likes the Weight Watchers thing and I can relate. I quit smoking 14 years ago on the 13th of this month doing a group program. Some of us do better with a group than on our own. After doing cardiac rehab, I'm still doing an exercise maintenace program 3 days a week over a year later. It's a group. I try to exercise on my own outside that, although winter sucks for that, but the group keeps me in line.
Our bodies were made to move and work. You never saw a fat farmer when I was a kid. It's easy to sit at the computer all day, I know I do. When you diet, you lose weight for awhile and then the body says, what's up?, and then goes on defense. The metabolism slows and every pound becomes a chore. The answer really is to keep moving. That keeps the metabolism up and muscle activity burns calories faster than sitting and starving.
Dave is to be highly commended for his efforts and I wish him very well and much success. Same to everyone else out there fighting their own personal demons, whether it is being a little too large, smokes, drugs or booze. Good luck to all of us and keep up the support!
LC
