Day #137 - Saturday
Starting weight: 285.2
Calories/Carbs Goals (limits): 1600 / 40.0
Yesterday’s calories & net carbs: 1534 / 33.6
Yesterday’s exercise: 2.4 miles real bike + 20 min. elliptical
Weight Yesterday:: 245.4 Today: 244.4
Change today:: -1.0 lbs. Loss-so-far: 40.8 lbs.
Earlier this week, one of my hubby’s best friends died. It was totally unexpected. Jim was 63 years old, active, still ran his own business (owned, maintained, and managed nine residential properties). He was home alone, in his favorite chair, watching TV (probably football), when he fell asleep and never woke up.
Yesterday was the memorial service for Jim, and people took turns getting up and sharing stories. My husband wanted to go up there but knew he’d break down into tears and so he just held my hand and didn’t budge. “Besides,” he said later to a group of Jim’s men-friends and men-relatives, “there were children present and most of the stories I had about Jim couldn’t have been shared anyway.” His comment was met with laughter and general sounds of agreement.
Everyone at the service was just wrecked that this man who was so full of life and humor and love, could possibly be gone.
Jim’s sudden and unexpected passing saddened me, yes, but it also scared the hell outta me. My husband is only 46 years old and is in general good health, but during his last checkup his doctor was worried about both his cholesterol and triglycerides levels. I have tried to help him to lower his fatty food intake but he is such a picky eater that I honestly don’t know what to feed him.
He eats chicken (battered and fried only, I can’t get him to even try “naked” grilled chicken), ham, hamburgers, spaghetti with meat sauce (won’t eat it without ground beef in it), hot dogs, fried bologna sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, macaroni & cheese, biscuits with sausage gravy, sausage, bacon, potato chips, french fries, mashed potatoes, corn niblets, corn on the cob, cheetohs, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and reese’s peanut butter cups. Oh, and he’ll eat turkey once a year. That’s it. I can’t suggest other foods because he just won’t eat them. Won’t.
Losing a loved one brings our own mortality to mind, and so yeah, I’m scared of losing him. I talked to him about it yesterday after the memorial service and he said he didn’t know what to do about it either. “I can’t eat rabbit food, you know that.”
*Sigh.* I know.
5918
I’m sorry for your husband’s loss and your sadness. I hope your husband won’t wait until somethign scares him enough to take care of himslef. My husband just turned 50. He finally got wise to his health about 2 years ago while I was pregnant with our youngest. He knows we need him around for a long time to come. We have a 2 yr old, a 4 yr old and a 14 yr old. I have no college degree and haven’t worke din years. We depend on him. Besides, he needs to be active to be able to play with these kids and take them places. So he started eating less junk, more vegetables and lean meats. He lost 40 lbs, was able to stop taking one of his inhalers for early emphysema (he quit smoking about 3 yrs ago.)
My only suggestion to you would be to encourage him to try the foods you are eating, and try finding recipes that you think he could like. I hope you can get him to turn it arouns even in the slightest possible way. Also if you keep up the great work you are doing, you’re sure to inspire him eventually. Best of luck to you and yours!
I am so sorry to hear about your hubby’s friend. That kind of thing can really shake a person up. Do you know what happened? Was it a stroke or a heart attack?
For people hesitant to change the way they eat, maybe focusing first on exercise to lose weight is the best thing to do. That will bring his cholesterol down some without even changing his diet possibly. Maybe as he feels the results of the exercise, he will decide to shoot for optimal health by changing some things about his diet too. Other than that, it sounds like the only possible change would be to buy the extra lean ground beef and maybe try turkey bacon and turkey sausage. We really like it. This weekend hubby said he is so used to turkey bacon that mom’s pork bacon didn’t taste right. Progress! I just wish I could get him to consider more changes for his cholesterol instead of just feeling like that is what the lipitor is for.
Maybe you could enlist his dr. before his next visit to scare the cr*p outta him??????? Sometimes bluntness (maybe pictures even) by the dr. will do what all the pleading and talking from wifey won’t.
Eat rabbit food or die is what it boils down to.
Condolences on the sad loss of your friend.
I;m so sorry to hear about your friend
It always seems worse when you don’t have time to mentally prepare for it. As for your hubby and his diet… that is how I grew up. That was all that was offered because that was all my dad would eat. And sadly, unless I trick him, it still is. I know how scary that feels when someone you love won’t make changes for their health, but at least your kids have YOU to look to as an example. You are embracing the change!! I’m so proud of you!!!
He needs to take responsibility for himself. I understand your concern and it is heart breaking when people we love continue full speed down a road past repeated *bridge out* signs. You can’t change him; only he can do that. Eating only what he likes is the choice of a four year old. Adults eat what their body needs. Sure, we all slip up, but at least we get the job done even if badly. And, even a 10-20 pound loss can add years to your life. He needs to get his head out of the sand and quit pretending that suicide by food in front of friends and family is explainable. I really do apologize if my words hurt you, you are not the problem here. My heart just goes out to you for his insensitivity. Condolences to you both on your loss. Delita
Oh - and your taste will adapt to the foods you eat, we’ve all proven that. There really is not excuse for not changing your diet except… nevermind. Delita