January 30, 2012
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Getting Older Without Getting Old
There are lots of ways to do this. My Grandma, who is 92 and still goes to work at the Red Cross everyday is an example of the importance of having activities and meaning in your life. It helps keep her young. Physical activity also helps keep you healthy, but to compare my grandmas, the one who walked every day and was careful about what she ate, died of cancer in her 60s. My 92 year old grandma sleeps in until noon or so and starts her day with grits and bacon (a small portion, but still), and has a reasonable portion of meat and vegetables when she gets home from work (she just works in the afternoon). Then she sits in her chair and reads or watches tv until late.
My parents have never been very physically fit (though they have always been about healthy food) and my sister is obese due to diet and no exercise.
I've always been physically active and a healthy eater. Until a couple of years ago when the stress in my life led me to give up running and eat a bunch of crap. I loved my body in my 30s - strong, lean and sexy. I hit my 40s at my highest weight ever - weakening, fat and smiling gamely but not always feeling the sexy. I have slowly gotten back into regular exercise and found some stuff that works for me. And as I am figuring all this out again I started having health problems and will be having a hysterectomy. The statistics for post-hysterectomy weight loss are not great. I am tapping deep right now and insisting, not me.
I signed up for a weight loss competition at the YMCA. A favorite coworker of mine also joined and we compared our fitness level stats. I shared with her that I want to try surfing but that I am worried about the pop up (a push up on the surfboard so that you move to standing). One of my goals is to get stronger so I can try this. "You can totally do it! It's not hard!" she insisted. And she demonstrated a pop up for me in the hallway of my office in her work clothes.
So Southern California. So age 20s where everything seems possible. So sweet, supportive and yet honest. Why don't I talk to myself like that? I need to more. I started by writing "You can totally do it! It's not hard!" on a post it note and stuck it to my computer monitor.
Comments (3)
I am totally going to be a grandma who sleeps until noon and watches TV into the night.
I wanna grow up and be just like your 92 year old grandma. (My goal is to make it to 94, still ambulatory, lucid, and productive-- is that too much to ask?).
oh my. i'm trying to figure if the weight loss is your main focus or if it's the thing you're focusing on instead of the hysterectomy. i hope whatever the issues are, you'll be healthy soon. getting old(er) is bullshit.
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