BBee5064 wrote: »

Brinasacat wrote: »

Hello all. I'm 54, divorced, but have been in a relationship for 13 years so it feels like we're married. I have a 27 year old son. I've been on MFP for 3 years. I'm a slacker when it comes to logging food. I'd like to lose 40 more pounds. I'm down around 30, so that's about 10 pounds a year. I'm making very slow progress! I like to jazzercise for exercise, and have been going 4-6 days a week for over 10 years. I have arthritis (osteo), and this helps to keep my joints moving. I am stiff like an old dog at times.

Welcome to the group. The hare & the tortoise comes to mind, when reading your introduction, Sometime the slower we go the more successful we will be. Its great that you get to Jazzercise 4-6 days per week, sounds like great fun.

heart2health wrote: »

BBee5064 and I started this site in November 2014 as I was inspired by some of her comments in another forum. For me at the time it was what I hoped would be a form of therapy. I'd had two heart attacks in July 2014 and my cardiologist suggested I look for forums to track my cholesterol and sugar content. I found MFP shortly after arriving home. After looking around alot of the forums I couldn't find a like minded group that related to people that were older. I was still struggling with being considered "older" and getting a senior's discount at the local hairdressers (qualify over 55) . I'm only 56 years old.

To give you a brief history, my first HA happened on a business trip in Edmonton. That day, I knew that my husband of 25 yrs was back home packing up his belongings and moving out. The hospital informed him of my condition. He proceeded to leave an email for my daughter on an account she very seldom used but somehow that day she logged in and picked up the message. Needless to say, she left work and was on a plane headed west within hours leaving my 18yr old son alone looking after our black lab who was ill. Three days later they discharged me on a Friday night and before noon hour on Saturday, I'd suffered a massive heart attack that put me back in the hospital for 3 weeks. Came home with a collection of stents in my heart and medication galore. Some of the meds made me feel terrible and I had to set alarms on my phone to remember to take them all.

In Dec 2014, just hours after having spoken to a childhood friend (40+ yrs) wishing him a happy birthday, he was involved in a crash in his 18 wheeler and went on life support due to brain damage. He died Dec 27. For weeks I barely moved or ate as the depression sunk in deeper. I barely noticed when January came and went. Then in February we were told our 15 year old dog who had been a companion and best friend to our family had a stroke and was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer and had to be put to sleep. I was losing everything and it didn't seem to be stopping.

One thing that didn't stop was me logging in to MFP or reading the forums because it gave me something else to focus on late at night or before I ran out the door in the morning. Something other than me. The stories were inspiring but I couldn't continue with the upkeep on the site. Regretfully, I told BBee5064 to continue on.

Some days are still difficult when the angina pain is persistent but I can't stop or wait around for someone else to do whatever needs to be done. I try to forget that I'm still recovering and just go on and hope that I make it through the day. I've been back to work since mid-August in a high pressure job but it's something I really enjoy and it also lets me concentrate on issues that don't relate to me nor does it give me time to feel sorry for myself and my new "after HA's" way of life. I work in an office that has all day security. One of the guards is a paramedic so he occassionally checks in on me to see if I'm alright.

After the long hours and the long commute everyday, some days its all I can do to put dinner on the table and do laundry without trying to figure out if I have any energy to exercise. I've only lost 37 lbs so far as the exercising and weather conditions haven't been favorable. Now that its spring, I've raked up numerous bags of leaves and have tons more to do but that's for another day. I have my cell phone in one pocket and my nitroglycerin in the other pocket when I'm doing yard work. Correction... both of those things go everywhere with me.... and I mean everywhere.

My line to weight loss certainly hasn't been direct, as I've had ups and downs but it is coming off. I'll get there eventually. Another 25 lbs or so.

Sorry if this sounds depressing, its not supposed to be. I've been thankful for having the opportunity of reading about all of your successes and following your weight loss stories. Some of you I know a little more about as you are the originals on the site. I'm glad that each and every one of you have found the site and are working towards your goals.

Good luck to all of you on your journeys !!!

Heart2Health