Why do you care so much about your health?

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Replies

  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Genetics are against me and luck with respect to those genetics haven't been in my favor.

    BRACA1 gene carrier and breast cancer survivor with a family history of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers of all sorts, etc., etc....Lots could go wrong for me.

    If I don't do this, I'm asking for an early grave.
  • kim4bs
    kim4bs Posts: 5 Member
    I was fighting Type 2 Diabetes, a fatty liver, and no energy. My last blood work...liver normal and blood sugar in the non-diabetic range with no medication. I have so much more energy now. I've learned to put my health first.
  • cjsacto
    cjsacto Posts: 1,421 Member
    I always felt I was overweight BUT pretty healthy... until I got turned down for health insurance last fall based on two minor health history issues and my BMI. I was even told that each healthy history item alone wouldn't have caused me to be declined.

    For some reason, it wasn't a wake up call when my best friend had a stroke (we both have weight problems and she has some genetic bad luck), when my brother was diagnosed with diabetes, when I was told my cholesterol was borderline high ... but when some actuary somewhere said I wasn't healthy enough to insure, it was a real slap in the face and kicked me into gear for the first time in four years. I looked up my BMI and saw I was "obese" at 200 pounds, even though I saw myself through a filter that told me I looked not-great-but-OK and I felt capable of most activities.

    Also, I'm in my 40s now and I want to keep my original knees and hips.
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
    I want to make the best of my life, I want to live it to the fullest, no medications or limitations.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Honestly, I just wanna look good naked.

    Amen! me too!!!
  • aseymour13
    aseymour13 Posts: 767 Member
    Im 56 years old. Soon to be 57. and like a number of others, I want to be a fabulous fifty something and eventually a sexy sixty something. I have been active and fit my entire life until the past few years. Fractured my hip (which I actually didn't realize for over 2 years) and gained a lot of weight. All that being said - I have 2 college age daughters and I absolutely want to be around to torture them. My Mom died 26 yrs ago of breast cancer. My husband never even got a chance to meet her (2nd husband). My Dad passed away when my daughters were 4 and 15 months of a stroke (back when they didn't know NOT to take someone completely off Coumadin then putting them on full strength). I want to feel good and look good and be around for a long time.
  • rgrrgr
    rgrrgr Posts: 3
    179 DAYS TILL I RETIRE
  • rabt6f
    rabt6f Posts: 37 Member
    My parents are 50, obese, have no clue what healthy food is (they think they know), and they can't hardly keep up with my 2 year old. They are slowly killing themselves with their unhealthy lifestyle. I don't want to be them when I'm 50 and I want better for my daughter. I want her to know what real exercise looks like and what actual nutrition is.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
    - I work with disability claims and many of the patients I work with have become disabled by their lifestyle choices and I shudder at the thought of living like that. I know it could happen anyway, but I think I almost could accept it better if I didn't think I was to blame for it.

    - I had back surgery a few years ago and spent 8 weeks or so "disabled" due to restrictions on what I could do. I think I appreciate my body more now than I ever did before. As long as it's working, I want to make it as strong and fit as possible.

    - I've lost a couple of family members in recent years - that will make anyone reflect a bit on how short life is and how you never know when it's gonna be your time to go. I want to make the best choices possible so I can feel as good as it's within my control to feel every day.
  • auntsammy88
    auntsammy88 Posts: 401 Member
    I'm 60. I miss a day of work due to illness about once every 3 years. I don't know I have a back, a stomach, knees, etc. because they just do their thing without bothering me. I'm not on any prescriptions. Part of it is good genes and part of it is work and I want to feel this way for a very long time.

    And yeah, I want to look good naked!

    I'm loving this! You go girl! =)
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    As a cardiac/intensive care nurse, I see all the time what happens when people don't take care of themselves.
    And then I see my grandmaster (a10th degree black belt), who keeps his body and mind strong through martial arts and clean eating.
    Yeah, it's a no-brainer which one I'm going to shoot for.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    I understand and accept vanity as a reason to take care of yourself - I love me, so I should be the best possible me - but I was surprised at how doing it the healthy way made vanity and health work both ways. I work out because I want to look hot, that's okay, but working out makes me feel like I'm hot! :smooched:

    Great point!
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    I'm 60. I miss a day of work due to illness about once every 3 years. I don't know I have a back, a stomach, knees, etc. because they just do their thing without bothering me. I'm not on any prescriptions. Part of it is good genes and part of it is work and I want to feel this way for a very long time.

    And yeah, I want to look good naked!

    That is awesome! Thats something I want to be able to say when I'm your age. :) I had my spinal fusion when I was 12 and other than the staph infection it caused... I'm still up and going and better than ever 14 years later! I've been very fortunate in the sense that I can still do the same activities that I did before the surgery (minus a backbend/ crab walk) :P
  • Ultragirl2374
    Ultragirl2374 Posts: 390 Member
    So many reasons.... But the biggest one is because I am worth it and deserve to be happier and healthier
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    same pretty much.

    previous illness
    second chance
    but also my family there are people who rely on me so i have to be as healthy as I can and have no excuses right now so time to get to it.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    Just going to be honest. I've always had a beautiful, fit body and always taken steps to maintain that. This was the next logical step, as I am getting older (ever-so-slightly) and I want to maintain my fitness, for life, with ease. Health is beauty (and happiness), so I take care of my health and enjoy it.

    This is a great outlook and positive attitude to have. I wish most women had the positive thoughts about their body as you do. (big small, perfections, imperfections... etc).
  • ashleey1000
    ashleey1000 Posts: 256 Member
    Because I'm only 24 years old and I feel like I let myself go. I'm too young to be this overweight and causing possible health problems for myself. I can't go to the doctor so I need to get healthy for me.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    Let's see....
    November 2006-my mom passed away and she was really obese and had heart disease
    March 2007-gal bladder removed and they thought I had diabetes...
    December 2009-liver problems
    January 2010-heaviest weight ever of 346.6
    February 2010-liver biopsy done
    March 2010-weight loss journey started
    June 2010-first time registered on a scale at 330.6
    June 2010-same day I fell and hurt my knee real bad...sad had to lose weight to help it but they were both bone on bone due to my weight...
    August 2010-stomach flu and an ovarian cyst found
    October 2010-down 60 so far
    January 2011-ovarian cyst had to be removed due to possibility of cancer
    March 2011-down to 238 by my bday
    June 2011-down to 205 and started the gym
    August 2011-down to 185
    December 2011-down to 165
    ...as I found out on here, starvation mode for about a year but lowest was 153.7 but not eating much...
    January 2013-joined my fitness pal at 157.6
    February 2013-148.4 right now

    Wow, great job!!! I think that even though you started MFP at 157.6, you should still reflect your TOTAL weight loss in the ticker! :) You're down just short of 200 LBS!!!! That is amazing and something to celebrate in itself, especially considering all you've overcome.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    Because I'm only 24 years old and I feel like I let myself go. I'm too young to be this overweight and causing possible health problems for myself. I can't go to the doctor so I need to get healthy for me.

    You're still young enough to start getting healthy. :) Its never too late... start now before you have no choice but to see a doctor. Stick to MFP, great resources/support/motivation on here.
  • ashleey1000
    ashleey1000 Posts: 256 Member
    Because I'm only 24 years old and I feel like I let myself go. I'm too young to be this overweight and causing possible health problems for myself. I can't go to the doctor so I need to get healthy for me.

    You're still young enough to start getting healthy. :) Its never too late... start now before you have no choice but to see a doctor. Stick to MFP, great resources/support/motivation on here.
    Yup I've started! The time is now I've procrastinated too long.
  • ClaireBoe
    ClaireBoe Posts: 13 Member
    Just like with all the parents here, I want to be here for my kids and their kids (and maybe even THEIR kids!) I want to be able to go hiking, and stay active into old age, like my mom. She will be 80 in a week or so, has never been overweight and goes to the gym, still. I am so thankful that she has taken care of herself, and I owe that to my own kids.

    Also, you just never know when the zombie apocalypse will happen, and I need to be able to run! LOL! (My zombie loving peeps will appreciate this..."CARDIO!")
  • BobbieLee1959
    BobbieLee1959 Posts: 605 Member
    spent a lot of time being overweight, then about 10 years being skinny fat, then slowly went up over the years until I hit morbidly obese (I think now I am just obese)~~in my 20's, 30's and 40's, I was somewhat healthy even though overweight, but when I hit the big 5-0, I discovered due to some female problems, what I was doing to myself. So at 52, decided that I needed to make a change and become healthy if possible~~so far, it has been a great way to spend the past year! I feel soooooo much better after losing 20% of my body weight...I could easily stand to lose another 90 lbs, so that I would be at about 50% of my highest weight.

    I have already seen an increase in stamina, my mood is better, I sleep better, and don't snore. My knees don't ache, my body only hurts when I have overworked it (which I do on occasion) and I can breathe...I don't sweat unless I mean to, I eat what I like, just not as much of it, and I am learning how to make better choices in how I fuel my body.

    My life is 100% better. My family is proud of me, my friends on MFP, at work and in real life, are supportive and have been complimentary and have I mentioned that I can move without getting out of breath?

    When I see people that are NOT taking care of themselves, it makes me want to cry...when I hear someone say, "I hurt all the time." and I can see that the reason they hurt is because they eat too much and move too little, I want to say, "Just start today and by this time next year, you can feel amazing, too!"

    So why do I care so much about my health? I care because I have been possibly at the brink of death and not only is that scary, but it also feels miserable!

    To quote my favorite actor~~"That is all I have to say about that." ~Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    Just like with all the parents here, I want to be here for my kids and their kids (and maybe even THEIR kids!) I want to be able to go hiking, and stay active into old age, like my mom. She will be 80 in a week or so, has never been overweight and goes to the gym, still. I am so thankful that she has taken care of herself, and I owe that to my own kids.

    Also, you just never know when the zombie apocalypse will happen, and I need to be able to run! LOL! (My zombie loving peeps will appreciate this..."CARDIO!")

    LOL .. my husband makes references to this quite often. Survival of the fittest!!!!!!!!
  • never124get
    never124get Posts: 163
    Basically I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome, it's mostly becoming more common with overweight women) when I was 18 and was told if I don't get in shape and lose weight it will be difficult for me to conceive. I really want children, and I want to be healthy so I can be around for my children, grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren if I'm as lucky and as healthy as my great grandmother was :smile: I want to be a good example for my children so they don't have to deal with weight issues growing up like I did.
  • simplyxaddicted
    simplyxaddicted Posts: 292 Member
    I want to be confident and I also want to have lots of energy to play with my daughter
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    Because I'm watching my mother age right now. She is having a lot of health problems. And some of those are a result of not having been very active in her middle-age years.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Honestly, I just wanna look good naked.

    Primarily, ths! But also I have a morbidly obese mother who has a whole host of health problems, most of which are probably hereditary so I figure the more I can do to be healthy now, the better! I refuse to turn into my mother in 30 years!
  • emelia_
    emelia_ Posts: 91
    I like to compete in running events and watching what I take in vs what I put out has really shown me how much crap I was putting in my body. I want to be able to run for a long time and as a plus healthy = confidence!
  • smokinjackd
    smokinjackd Posts: 341
    I want to enjoy getting older and try to stave off the diseases and frailties that effect older people, and more importantly i have four people that depend on me to be healthy and active.

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