The proper way to weigh yourself! Who knew?
All my life I've been told I'm fat. Well actually, I didn't know it until I was five. At that time, my family moved from California back to Minnesota and I met all my aunts and uncles for the first time. I have a distinct memory of that meeting as my mom's sisters oohed and aahed about what a fat little thing I was.
Over the years, I have struggled valiantly against obesity all the while being assailed by the media and medical people about how it would shorten my life. Here is a short list of the different things I used to lose weight--Ayds caramels, grapefruit diet, Hollywood bread diet, the drugs Dexadrine, Preludin, Ionimin, 3-day fasts, TOPS, Weight-Watchers, Atkins Diet, Rotation Diet, South Beach Diet and many others I can't recall. My doctor once gave me a booklet on the Heart Healthy Diet--this consisted of cutting out fats, but then moved on to eliminating salt and sugar from your food choices. I called it the "Gotcha Diet" because it was as if they decided that once got you trapped into their plan, they were going to take away everything!
Well, the upshot of all this is that they had me convinced I wouldn't live much past the age of 65. So when I retired, I set up my pension plan annuity to pay out over 5 years. I will get my final check next month.
The problem is that I'm nowhere near dead!
Not only will I suffer the loss of that income, but SS benefits didn't increase this year. At the same time, other expenses are increasing. I am in deep doodles!
I know I'm a dunderhead for not planning better. I should have been less trustful of the medical establishment/media and believed in my Norwegian hardiness more. I will manage, but just be forewarned, when they tell you you're probably going to die, don't believe them!
12 comments:
I feel for you. I truly do. And there is no Politically Correct to protect overweight people from harassment.
I wonder, though, if it is as big a problem as they all say. My grandmother was obese. She lived to be 90. How many years did she shorten from her life? I'm not sure she wanted to be around to see 100.
Skinny people die young, too.
Oprah Winfield may be the richest woman in the world. And yet she struggles to keep her weight down.
Is it really a problem, or is it only a problem because it doesn't fit in with our Western notion of young, slim and trim? I wonder.
Maybe if people didn't feel so harrassed by all sides, they might lose weight more easily!
I am sorry about the annuity plan -- I think they failed you by not counseling you a bit better. When I worked at a credit union, in the OLD days, we were taught that #1, you NEVER just sit idly by if you think a member is making a financial mistake...I guess we would be considered "nosy" and overbearing in this day...but we HELPED people, I think...
Brenda Ueland was very chunky at times and she lived FOREVER...tee hee...
Ouch! There really is no way to know how long we'll live, is there?
Your life history is just about identical to mine dear lady! I have no retirement funds, anywhere, and figure I better die fairly young because there's no future anyway!
My dad died at 55, and my mom will be 93. So...whose gene pool did my brothers and I inherit from?
We shall see. I truly feel as if you'll manage as well.
You're around because you still have purpose on earth. There is a reason. And, as they say, God will provide. Trust, have faith, and enjoy all the time you have! Coming from Hardy stock helps.
Weight is such a tough one isn't it? I know many people that are overweight and some have gone to extreme measures to "fix it". I am not overweight, just out of shape, and even that is difficult to correct.
I think if people eat a healthy diet and get some form of exercise and are still heavy, then heredity might be playing into it. That doesn't mean they can say oh well...nothing I can do. It's even more important to take care of themselves.
It's a bummer that you set things up that way. I hope everything works out for you.
The only thing that I have ever heard of that makes some sense is to not eat white flour and sugar. That leaves lots of fruits and vegetables I guess. Not sure how well it really works. I've never tried it.
If you are healthy and happy...then good for you! Make it an awesome day for yourself. :)
As the old saying goes, you ain't dead yet. Everyone seems to have a problem with getting old and income and doctors. I think it would be nice if the congressmen and women would vote for universal health care for everyone like social security and medicare.
Oh honey. I am so sorry. Thirty minutes ago my husband and I just had the "how long can we live conversation?". It's a strange one to have and even harder to try to figure out. I've been clipping coupons for years and will continue to do so because we really have no idea what the future will hold or how long "the future" will be.
Hang in there.
xo
Okay, sigh, the deed's done. Suggestion: Go to Google's AdSense and put some ads on your blog. You're not going to lose us; Google said they match ads to blogs; no one's forced to click open an ad; and if they do, you get a bit of change. Good luck!
Hi MS Sparrow,
I think your photos must be with my photo album My brother and I take turns at having our Mums heirloom photo album. It's my turn and I've lost it . I've searched the house from top to bottom, made sure it really is my turn to have it but no joy Hope it turns up when least expected. -the whole family history going back to the 1800's is in my careless hands and I've lost it!
Wishing you all the best!!
I am so glad you are not dead, Ms. Sparrow. I would be lonely without you.
"Consider the lilies of the field..." Every spiritual tradition includes stories of the abundant nature of the Universe. Know it, feel it, experience it. IMHO and FWIW : )
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