Posted by Gob at spider-mtc-tb083.proxy.aol.com on March 23, 2002 at 12:47:02:
I too have had this conversation with my doctor. Fuckin' scared me to death. He has very little bedside manner to begin with but when he looked over his half glasses at me while he wrote me the same prescription and said "If you don't loose 200 pounds and get some exercise now, you will be dead by your next birthday!", I almost fell off the exam table. I am going to be 42 on my next birthday, June 13. That was 7 months ago.
I cried for about 2 weeks, thinking of how much I was going to have to give up, if I didn't want to die. I was so far gone at that point I actually considered chancing it and doing nothing. I understand those conversations you have with yourself, the deals and the rationalizations.
Let me tell you, it isn't as hard as I thought. It's about habit. It's hard to give up some stuff at first and the exercise was the hardest part. But once you have a routine, it's not so bad. The food????...find something you like, that's good for you, and plan your meals around it. For a while it will kill you to eat one more chicken breast or another turkey sandwich, or eat light mayo or one more shitty salad, but give your body time to break the cravings for the junk and then you can treat yourself, occaisionally, to something you used to love, that isn't so good for you. You have to break the cycle, form new, healthier habits...the rest falls into place pretty fast.
Start walking, slow at first, enough to make you sweat through your underwear...don't press yourself until you get adjusted...don't want a heart attack on top of all of this. Before you know, it you will be dropping the weight and feeling better everyday. Amazingly enough, you have probably forgotten how good it feels to feel good. I know I had. It's not such a drag to get out of bed, or just live every moment. These are things you have gradually gotten use to and didn't even know were slipping away. When you start to feel better physically, your mental and emotional health begins to perk up. It's kinda like the snowball effect. The more you do it, the more you're going to want to do it. Not because you have to, but because you want to. It's hard to explain...just trust me, you have forgotten how good it feels to feel good. When that returns, you've got the hard part behind you.
In those 7 months I have lost 127 lbs and I have about 65 more to go to reach my "ideal weight" whatever the fuck that means. I think I will live to be 42 and I am happy about that, as are my kids (but they would never admit it to my face).
We all want you to go on...I almost cried when I thought your article was going to tell us you had some incurable condition or inoperable tumor or something. I know you can do this...if I can...anyone can. Make us laugh, I am counting on you, Harley is counting on you and if you won't do it for yourself, do it for her, she needs her daddy to teach her to ride a bike and drive a car, chase off her first boyfriends, help her with her homework, and walk her down the isle and babysit for your grandchildren.
Good luck
An ever-faithful fan
Laura