For the last week, my father was admitted into the telemetry unit at our local hospital. I was greatly concerned for him and his outcome. My dad is a huge part of my life; and one that I'm not ready to lose.
Amidst the concern for my father's health, I caught a glimpse into my future: if I don't make changes now, I will certainly follow the same path he is on. For me, I've been overweight for a large part of my life. At one point, I lost a significant amount of weight - almost 100 lbs. prior to COVID. I remember the feeling of accomplishment, the feeling of success, and the struggle it took to get there.
In 2019, I explored the possibility of bariatric surgery and met with a surgeon and a nutritionist to decide my options. Successfully, I began dropping weight on a low-calorie diet with exercise. I hit a few plateaus and the weight didn't drop as fast as it had before. With encouragement and the buddy system, I purchased a gym membership that included working with a trainer... then COVID hit.
The pandemic was a bitch. I'm not sure that there are words to adequately describe 2020 and the year(s) that followed. I fell back into my old habits rather quickly. The weight of course piled back on. One pound at a time, I saw the scale change back before my eyes. However awful that sounds, it was easy for me to fall back into the patterns that I was comfortable with. The taste of food, the ease of not exercising; it all took a toll.
Fast forward to present, I witnessed my dad struggling to breath, struggling to walk, struggling to stay awake. While his situation might be similar to mine and dissimilar in ways, it was a wake-up call for me. At 39 years old, this is not the path that I want to be on in the next 10-20 years; assuming I would have that much time prior to my own mortality.
My dad is now back home, resting comfortably, and on a path to recovery - thank God! And here I am blogging about this circumstance because I'm making a commitment. I'm making a commitment to myself, my dad, my daughter, my family, future relatives and my friends: I'm going to get back to the process of becoming healthy.
This is going to be a slower process than I did before, with a focus on portion control, quality of food, and low-sodium, heart-healthy food. I will exercise again, and will partner with my dad to ensure that he has an accountability buddy. There are going to be days that I don't want to do it. There are going to be times that I don't want to eat healthy. And I have to push past it and make a difference for myself and those I love and cherish. I don't want to leave this world anytime soon. Moreover, the only vacation I covet is a pool in Mexico at a fancy resort - not a week stay in the hospital and/or a trip to the afterlife.
If you're reading this, become my cheerleader. I'll post updates occasionally to keep you all apprised of my journey. And when you see me out and about, feel free to ask me about it and give me encouragement. I'm taking this seriously and I want a cheer squad. I love my dad, and I'm encouraged that he, too, is taking this seriously.
Signing off for the night, and wishing you all much health.
Brian
