Dont give up on yourself

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pa_cornpone
pa_cornpone Posts: 16 Member
in Motivation and Support
I normally like to give people inspiration through encouragement and positve stories... But for those of you that need something else, read on.

A man from my work died yesterday. He was one of the nicest guys that I have ever met. But he was overweight, actually morbidly obese. I would guess that he was probably 5'10" and about 400 pounds. He called in sick on Tuesday then went MIA on Wednesday. The police were called, they broke into his home and found him dead.

He tried to lose weight several times... he actually succeeded losing 60lbs once. But then said it was too hard and simply stopped. Maybe if he kept working at it, he would still be around. I will miss him.

Losing weight is tough... at first. There is a learning period... you must retrain yourself how to eat. Then you have to start moving those mucles and get them used to moving. Then you must set a workout schedule and keep to that. As you lose pounds (OR INCHES - which is a much better way to mark your progress) the exercise will get easier. (But you should add tougher workouts as they get easier).

But the most important thing is to not give up on yourself. YOU are the only person who is going to cause this change in your life. And if you say it is too hard and simply stop, no one is going to make you do it. But that may just have some negative repercussions for you or your family as it did for my friend. Just know that you CAN do it as long as you dont give up.

Replies

  • Seminolegirl97
    Seminolegirl97 Posts: 307 Member
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    So sorry to hear about your friend. Message is great. Then again I get your support every day! Hugs to you! Thanks for posting.
  • mattschwartz01
    mattschwartz01 Posts: 566 Member
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    I recently lost a friend in a similar situation. He was 6'5" and probably 550 pounds. He was admitted into the hospital with uncontrollable high blood pressure. None of the the anti-hypertensive drugs were working and the dosages were near lethal levels. They immediately started him on IVs. After a month in the hospital he lost 80 pounds and they figured he would be healthy enough for bariatric surgery. His blood pressure came down below eminent danger and the night before he was going to undergo the surgery, he had a massive stroke which killed him. He left behind a wife but no children.

    Don't ever give up on yourself! Love yourself! Use the wonderful MFP community for support and you can get healthy.
  • graceire
    graceire Posts: 323 Member
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    I'm so sorry about your friend. Its always hard to hear about that, but thank you for sharing.

    Almost all of my motivation is about health, which is why I still feel empowered and that I might succeed this time, where I've given up in the past where my motivation was how I looked. I'm not saying that one is truly better than the other, it all depends on your own individual mindset.

    A good friend lost his brother to a heart attack. Both were quite heavy. Tom was devastated by his brother's death, and its impact on his wife and young children. Within a year he has lost 80lbs by hiking the mountains of Colorado. He's now an avid marathoner and hiker. Because of that tragedy he found a passion that he otherwise not might have.

    I have several co-workers who are morbidly obese. Their health is clearly poor, they are frequently out on sick days, and are also clearly uncomfortable even when just moving around the building. One has back problems stemming from being over-weight, another has badly hurt his knee, making weight loss even harder. Sadly, their pain has motivated me. I now only take the stairs (5 story building) (already huffing and puffing less than when I started!), and avoid all things fried.
  • nicarey19
    nicarey19 Posts: 126 Member
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    I am really sorry about your friend. The way you delivered the message was inspiring. All of his family and friends are in my thoughts.
  • fattyfoodie
    fattyfoodie Posts: 232 Member
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    Thank you for sharing. I am so sorry about your friend.
  • melmi20
    melmi20 Posts: 37 Member
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    My condolences to you. Thank you for sharing this post. I'm emailing it to my husband right now because he matches your friend's stature exactly. Hopefully your post can cause a ripple effect that will encourage him even more to continue with the tough beginnings and making healthier choices a habit. It certainly is encouraging me.
  • yowza101
    yowza101 Posts: 196 Member
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    Sorry to hear about your friend but you are so right on the spot with this. I go by how my clothes fit by losing inches not the scale.
  • pa_cornpone
    pa_cornpone Posts: 16 Member
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    Graceire. Keep taking those stairs... that is great!!!!

    Matt. Sorry to hear of your friend but let it motivate you!!

    SeminoleGirl. I always happy to support my friends!!! :)
  • vbrent07
    vbrent07 Posts: 115
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    I'm really sorry about your friend. 5 years ago I lost my grandpa that raised me to congestive heart failure. He was very overweight and he liked to sit and watch tv ALL day. He had a double by pass on his heart like 8 years ago and his Dr told him to eat right and move more but he never did. Instead he would eat twice as much as you should and kept watching tv all the time. Things started to get worse with him. His arteries were so clogged his veins on his legs would even leak onto his skin. When he passed away I was kind of mad because he didn't take care of himself and I wanted him alive long to watch his great grandson grow up.This whole situation (and a few other issues) got me motivated to live a healthier lifestyle. I think food is either made to destroy us or keep us healthy. I'm glad that I got motivated but I think situations like my grandpa's and your friends are sad because it probably could have been prevented. I'm not exactly where I want to be but I know that I will continue to work hard to reach my goals. Not just for weight loss, also for health purposes so I can be here for a long time to watch my kid/kids and eventually maybe grandkids grow up.
  • uwharriegold
    uwharriegold Posts: 47
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    That is a sad story and sadder because he could possibly have lived a much longer, healthier life. That's why I'm here. I joined MFP when I reared about 2 months ago. I no longer have any excuses for not getting into shape. My mother had a debilitating stroke wen she was just 3 years older than I am now. She lived another 20 years, but her life as an independent person was gone. She had trouble speaking, could not drive, cook, do her own laundry, or shop. Her health continued to decline and she was bedridden for her last five years and I was her caregiver. She was a wonderful Southern cook, baked biscuits and/or cornbread every single day, drank sweet iced tea and didn't believe supper was complete with dessert. She was plump ... not obese. I've known for a long time I needed to get in shape and I wanted to, but had loads of reasons why I wasn't doing it.The story of your friend is a grim reminder of how our lifestyles can shorten our lives. t want to live to be 100 and I want to maintain a good quality of life 'til the end. That's why I'm here!!!
  • chatipati1
    chatipati1 Posts: 211 Member
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    Tough story but point made. Sorry for the loss.
  • pa_cornpone
    pa_cornpone Posts: 16 Member
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    Melmi... keep pestering your husband...

    vbrent... Yes it is frustrating when people can help themselves but choose not to. My mother did that when she got breast cancer,... She decided not to take Chemo. If she did she may still be around... She missed me getting married and seeing her grandkids. There is a whole lot of reasons to take care of yourself other than just trying to look better.

    uwharriegold... I am sorry about your mother but you seem to doing the right thing for yourself.
  • uwharriegold
    uwharriegold Posts: 47
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    Thanks, j! You have a great attitude and kind of you to encourage others.

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