Getting My Mind Right

by Fatherofeight | More from this Blogger

01 Feb 2007 09:00 AM

On May 24, 2006, I weighed 272 pounds at my doctor's office. That was an all time high for me. I have had to fight my weight for the last forty years, I am sixty years old. When I was younger, 235 was a high weight and 185 was an ideal weight. I was six feet tall, or slightly under, depending on who measured me. Today, I have been whittled down by the years and I stand at 5'10. I do have a large frame.

My weight that day really scared me for several related reasons. I was less than five months from turning sixty and my wife and I have adopted five maternal brothers, ages two through eight. First of all, I owe it to my wife and children to stay around for a while. Second, the big "sixty" scared the "you know what" out of me.

I have detailed the fateful meeting and discussion with my doctor, the goals that I set, and how I have been trying to accomplish them in another blog. I have also detailed why I chose swimming as the way to exercise and given swimming tips that I have learned in several other blogs.

I weighed 192 pounds (on real scales, as opposed to bathroom scales) this morning. My doctor and I have now agreed that a goal of 175 would be very good. I am now losing weight very slowly, I'm not sure if I have lost any weight this month. I will never be able to eat more than one meal a day for the rest of my life. I am pretty sure of that.

I do know that this time I am going to be able to keep the weight off. I can remember a random thought that I had about 25 years ago. The fact that I can remember it is why I know that it is important. I was traveling in Missouri on business. It was very cold and I was going to be in the elements for the better part of the day. Breakfast was going to bring me the only pleasure that I had that day.

The place where I was staying had this huge breakfast buffet. Eggs, cooked to order, ham, bacon, sausage, homemade biscuits and gravy, pancakes, all you could eat, it was all there. I had been to the serving table several times already when I noticed two elderly couples sitting at a table. They were eating pears and peaches. One gentleman drank the juice from the bowl after he had eaten the fruit. That was all they were eating.

My thought was, "I don't want to live a long time, if eating like that is how you get there." My thinking has changed.

Ed Paul is a Families.com Adoption Blogger. Read his blogs here.

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PATTI (580) 01 Feb 2007 08:23 AM

Dear Ed, this was a really good article. It really hit me in my heart. Please keep up the weight blogs. I am too losing weight and need all the help I can get. PATTI

Fatherofeight (2475) 01 Feb 2007 08:29 AM

Thanks, Patti, I am convinced that the real weight battle in between our ears. No gimmicks, just thinking right. I hope that we both reach our goals.

Linda Hansen (1796) 01 Feb 2007 08:50 AM

Ed, I am NOT going to disclose my weight. I have no problem divulging my age or my political viewpoints. I just can't bring myself to admit I am not that slender young thing anymore. Thanks for the blog, I hope you write more. We are in the same age bracket and in the same circumstances, I want to live long enough to see my boys independent and functional in their adult world. Linda (artcraft)

Andrea Hermitt (5512) 01 Feb 2007 01:28 PM

When you say 1 meal a day, you mean 1 meal and fruits and veggies for your other meals, right?

Fatherofeight (2475) 01 Feb 2007 04:05 PM

Art, I will put these in once a week on Thursdays. Thanks for reading.

Andrea, yes when I get to my target weight, typical would be bowl of cereal for breakfast, salad for either lunch or dinner, with reasonable meal for the other. I would like to get used to main meal being lunch but it will probably be dinner. Thanks for your concern.

I weighed 191 today, I have not been under 190 in a long, long time.

Jeff Bogle (1022) 01 Feb 2007 06:02 PM

Hi Ed, Looking forward to reading your weight loss journey every week. My own weight loss blog starts this Saturday. I am 31 and have been a bigger dude my whole life. I am 6 foot 5 inches (thank god!) haha.

Lashell Hoover (470) 01 Feb 2007 06:31 PM

I'm glad that you're writing a weight loss blog. My husband is a tall guy who has struggled with his weight for more than ten years.

Fatherofeight (2475) 01 Feb 2007 06:56 PM

Hey Jeff, I guess that it will be fun comparing how we are doing. May be we all will encourage each other.

Fatherofeight (2475) 01 Feb 2007 07:04 PM

Hey Lashell, we are all going to have some fun doing something besides eating.