RE: Carol, you rock!!
Kathy, thank you so much for your kind words!! There are so few of us who commit to regular exercise and staying healthy, that I thought if I could share what I've been through, others might be encouraged by it. I'll be 46 soon, and it's so important to take care of yourself, at any age, but especially as we get older. I work in a Cardiac Care Unit now, and I've seen firsthand the devastating effects of poor lifestyle choices. I take care of women younger than me at times, and plenty around my own age, who already have heart disease and adult-onset diabetes. They're overweight and their diets are full of fast food and unhealthy choices. These things are preventable!! I was lazy for so many years, thinking a few weeks here and there of working out would protect me, and even when the weight slowly piled on, I was in denial. I really do thank God I was able to see what I had done to myself, and take steps to change it! That picture of me at my college friend's wedding is what did it for me.
The friend was my old boyfriend in college, and he and I have kept in touch all these years. I hadn't seen his family or a few of his friends from college since 1981, and his friends didn't recognize me at first. I was over 80 pounds heavier last summer at that wedding than I had been when we all graduated in 1981. His family recognized me, but I could tell how shocked they were. It was so wonderful to see him married, but at the same time all I wanted to do was go home that night and cry. But, if that hadn't happened, I might never have taken the first steps to finally do something about the way I looked. More importantly, I have done something healthy for my body, and in turn it's changed my outlook on life in general. It's as if I've shed a lot of baggage along with the weight and the inches. Who knows what we store in those fat cells? LOL!
Well, thanks again!! This forum is really terrific, and you folks are kind and supportive!!
Carol
