Yup, ain't getting any younger. 2009 seems destined to clue me into that particular reality. This Spring I was diagnosed with diabetes. Not entirely unexpected since it runs rampant in my family and I am not in good physical shape, it was still a blow. Next week I will have a final test to determine if I also have high blood pressure; I will wear a special cuff for 24 hours that will takes readings every half hour. Based on daily readings from back in April and May I will certainly come back with a positive diagnosis. Which will likely mean permanent medication. And I will have some blood tests to check if I am still anemic despite daily iron supplements. I have no idea how that one will go. I have seen more of doctors in 2009 than I had in my entire adult life up 'til then.
On big factor is the BMI (Body Mass Index) where I really don't come close to being in optimal range. I need to lose weight. The ten pounds I lost in the Spring have all come back. Interestingly enough, I found a (the?) critical factor was not the cutting out of junk food but regular (i.e. daily) exercise. I started by walking 45-60 minutes a day back in late winter and eventually progressed to using the elliptical trainer a couple of times a week. I slacked of on this totally, and need to get back to it. Guess it's time to start up. While I have been carrying around extra weight for many a year now, I guess it's really starting cost me, health-wise.
A new twist: my hips hurt. This past week for no apparent reason I started to have pains in my hips. For a couple of days it was in both but now seem to have settled in my right hip. As far as I can recall, I have done nothing to bring this on. But this dull ache is enough to have made sleeping tough 2 times now, and sleeping normally is a challenge enough for me on a regular basis that no extra hindrance is welcome. Hopefully this new problem will vanish as suddenly as it appeared and I can forget it. Hopefully.
It's weird that with my health and well-being on the line that I am having so much trouble being motivated to take better care of myself. Is this some latent suicidal tendency that I have never recognized? That might explain my bizarre eating habits...I don't want to be flippant about such serious stuff because I've never considered killing myself, but what logic circuits have blown out that I cannot come to eat like a normal human being with so much on the line? Good question...
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I feel you Keith, I may be much younger than you but I also have trouble understanding myself sometimes when it comes to healthy living. For me it's not so much what I eat but how MUCH I eat. Over-eating has been a big problem for me for years now but I can't seem to stop. And don't talk to me about exercise, I can't get motivated on that at ALL.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how much heredity plays a role. My eating habits are so skewed that you'd think they would play havoc with hereditary traits but sadly I have pretty much the same shape (and problems) as my mother. You, similarly, have pretty much exactly the same shape as your brother and your father. Do they have similar health issues?
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