Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheila53
If you need a walking partner, you might want to ask if she wants to walk with you because you'd like someone to talk with, but don't apply any pressure or tell her that she should because "it's good for you."
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That's exactly what I was going to suggest- ask Mom to be YOUR walking buddy. Tell her it's more fun when someone goes with you, and it goes by quicker.
Do you have a pool? Get a kid's ball, and play water volleyball with her. Buy a hula hoop from Walmart and have a fun competition- challenge her in a fun way to see if she can do it better than you. Buy a jumprope, see if you can have a fun competition with her again. Does she like tennis? Many high schools and towns have tennis courts. Go to a lake or an ocean, and if it's too cold to swim, look for shells or tread the water. How about a walking track? Most high schools have a track- tell her you'd like some company because it makes you feel safer having someone else with you, while walking it. Have a basketball hoop at home? Challenge her to a game or 21 or Around the World. Have any bikes? Go for a bike ride! My mother used to love badminton, and we used to laugh like crazy when we played- never realizing we were getting exercise, knocking the birdies out of the trees.
How about a game of horseshoes? Croquet?
Make a veggie platter with a low fat dip and ask her if she'd like some. I know this works in my house with my husband and kids- if I make it, they'll eat it.
She may do the same, instead of eating junk food all the time, which is easier to grab because it is already made and all you have to do is grab it and eat. Let's face it, cutting up veggies and fruits takes work- some folks are just too tired at the end of the day to do it, so they grab the fast and easy stuff to chow down. Offer to cook dinner a couple of nights a week, and make something healthy (just make sure it's tasty, lol, or they won't let you cook again).
I praise you for caring so much about your Mom. I did the same, and after awhile, she started liking how she felt after losing most of the weight. She was 65 years old at the time (died at the age of 67 due to kidney cancer and fluid in the lungs), and I got her swimming, going on the treadmill, going for walks, and she was chronically ill most of my life and on oxygen for 16-18 hours a day. She got so much better, that the doctor lowered the time she needed to use her oxygen everyday and she ended up needing less medication because her blood pressure was coming down and other problems were starting to diminish. She passed away 14 years ago, but that was the best year and a half she had (before she got sick from cancer) in over 30 years of her life, to which she was sick for most of it. Even when she had the cancer, she felt a lot better than she would have, had she not done anything to improve her health.
Sorry, didn't mean to ramble on about my Mom, but just wanted to say I think you're wonderful for loving and caring a lot about her to want to see her healthy. Just make it sound like you want her to join you for other reasons other than her getting into shape and losing weight, and she just may very well join you, and eventually, change her own habits once she starts feeling great from eating healthy and exercising.
Good luck, and let us know if it works! My best to you and your Mom.