On May 8, 2011, I said goodbye to the best Dad in the world.
He had sunk into Alzheimer’s for the past several years, living within a few miles of my house. Mom and I did what we could to support each other and help him ease through the transition, and he did so with lightening speed. It didn’t feel speedy at the time, however. In fact, it felt like time dragged on slower than molasses. But, within a 19 months of moving from our family home of over 40 years into a retirement facility, he disappeared into himself and left us.
Before he died, I promised him that I would get healthy again. I have tried for years, albeit without much gusto, to lose weight. My biggest weight loss came after my divorce in 2005, I was down to a svelt 188–the best I’d been since graduate school [written tongue-in-cheek]. But last year when we lost him, I had maxed out at 218. Mind you, I’m a woman and stand a mere 5’6″. I’m considered morbidly obese by those that make such determinations.
Heck, at 188 I was considered obese. When I did weigh the prescribed 135 I looked as if I’d just left Auschwitz. I have no intentions of losing that much weight, but I do intend to drop a significant amount. I have to be careful though, for three years in High School and College, I had anorexia and bulemia. You could say I’ve always had an issue with food.
After he died, my husband and I joined Weight Watchers. He lost 27 pounds, I lost 17. I’ve put 8 of those right back on again. So, this blog will be my quest to lose weight by training for either a Triathlon in April or a 5k some time this summer. [I've signed on with Team-In-Training and will compete in a Triathlon in April!]
Please, don’t chastise me for wanting to improve. Support me for what I’m trying to accomplish.
[swiped from http://whatifoundwhilewalkingaround.com/. . . thanks B.L.!]
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You’ve got my support!!!
Thanks, BL! Right back at you!
I am in there with you too!! You Can Do It!!!!
Thank you! You’re awesome, by the way. I stopped over at your page and I am in awe
Awesome! Glad I found your blog!! Thanks for stopping by mine and leaving a comment! I’m in training for a 5K right now… but I’ve signed up to read blogs on people training for triathlons… goal set for next year
Oooo! Hopefully you’ll enjoy my training blog. There’s another guy doing a blog about a TNT Triathlon in Oklahoma, you can find his comments scattered about my pages.
Welcome, I’ll be following you, too!
Hi thanks for popping over to my blog http://www.intotheorchard.com and liking my post on culture. Good luck with your challenge.
Thank you!
Great goals!!
Thanks, Buddha-seeker!
Keep the spirit!
thank you! And if I can be a triathlete, so can YOU!
Good luck with your triathlon! You are going to do awesome–focus on the finish and smile!
Thank you! I like the name of your blog. After doing a few, and having done numerous ironman challenges at the gym, I may have the bug, too!
Thanks! It’s addictive but fun, that’s the whole point. Thanks for following me. I hope to keep people engaged and inspired!
. Elizabeth.
You betcha! Thanks for finding me and following me, too!
Good luck!!
Thank you! and thanks for stopping by!
Good luck to you! I support (and understand) you for where you’ve been, but mostly for what you’re trying to accomplish. You’re gonna do just fine : )
Thanks!
I enjoyed peeking at your blog, and hope to look through it a little more when I have time!
Thanks for stopping by thefirstgates and liking a post.
I lost my father to Alzheimer’s in 2007, and for him it was quite a slow process. That actually allowed us to get to know each other in an updated way in the early years after his diagnosis in 1998. For instance, we rang in the new millennium, Dec. 31, 1999 (his birthday) with a Three Stooges marathon, reminiscent of times when I was in grade school and we’d catch a half hour of the Stooges after he got home from work.
I wish you the very best as you seek to honor your father, your family, and yourself.
You are welcome. Alzheimer’s sucks, but I also experienced a “getting to know each other” in a very different way than I ever expected. We caught up on old cowboy music and stories, and even though I heard some over and over and over again, I knew some day I’d miss hearing them. That day has come.
Since you stopped by my blog I thought I would check yours out as well and found we’ve got a few things in common. About 3 years ago I noticed my driver’s license weight said 155 but I was tipping the scale at 260. I guess in the last 30 years gaining 3 or 4 pounds a year had finally caught up with me. I decided it had to stop. Hundreds of miles hiking, thousands of miles biking and eating better and now I find myself at 190. At 48 I’m probably in better shape than I was at 28. So you keep on running, swimming and biking and let me hear all your success stories. I’m a sucker for a happy ending.
Take care and keep on moving.
Oh, I’m definitely going to have to go back and read through your blog from start to finish. I hope to be in better shape than 5 years ago. I was pretty amazing at 28 (in my view), so maybe my goal is to hit that. Thanks for wishing me luck, looking forward to being motivated while reading through your blog. Don’t be annoyed if I make a few comments on the “olden days”!
and what you’re wanting to accomplish, and are accomplishing, is incredible and honorable. Am cheering you on.
Thank you. I need it!
Just a reminder that I’m proud of all you’re doing for yourself, that I admire your tenacity and hard work toward these goals that you’ve set for yourself, and that I love you to death! You rock and I’m lucky to have you in my life!
Thank you
Everyone needs encouragement, regardless of whether they can barely run four miles or if they’re working to break their 10th PR in the marathon. We are all at different levels, but working toward the same goal. Right? 
THANK YOU!
I love what you are doing here. My dad passed away 20 years ago (the anniversary was this month) and he has been in my thoughts a lot lately. I love seeing that you are working so hard to keep your promise to him. You are an inspiration!
Thank you so much, and thanks for following my blog! I look forward to learning about yours, too.
I have a cousin who is working to get some weight off that he’s carried around his whole life. I also referred him to your blog because I thought it would be inspirational to him! Thanks again for sharing your goals and accomplishments!
Thanks, hopefully we can both get better together.
My sympathies on your dealing with your Dad’s Alzheimer’s. I took care of my aunt for the final six years of her life and saw her decline from kind of silly to an utter vegetable. People don’t realize that the scourge of Alzheimer’s is on the family who have to sit by and watch the decline of a person that they love.
I have been successful at weight loss and weight control. Check out my page How To Lose Weight and Keep it Off.
Best of luck!
Tony, thank you for your words. You are a sweetheart to care got your aunt.
I will check out your website, thank you!
I am glad I clicked on to your about page. Sounds like you are on a similar journey this year to myself, albeit for somewhat different reasons. Time to catch up and see how things have been going, wanted to thank you for following me, I hope you enjoy my musings.
Me too! I look forward to following your journey! Thanks for finding me!
I think it was vice versa, but that is the great thing about this internet blogging thing, finding so many great stories and becoming part of a larger community.
Oh, you’re right! I agree, blog land is a glorious meeting place!
Goid luck in achieving your promise. I’m sure you’ll do it.
Thanks, i surely plan to try/tri!
What a wonderful goal! I love the premise of your blog and your general outlook.
Thanks for following my blog and leading me to yours – I look forward to reading your future posts
You rock!