Get it Back!

My dad is 74 years old, has a perfect diet and exercises many hours a day.  He regularly goes on multi-day backpacks, has climbed most of the 14,000-foot peaks in the continental United States and lifts weights at the gym.  He is a machine.  He is physically perfect.  Pretty much. 

I am on the downhill slide to 50 (four and a half months to go) and suddenly find myself gaining weight at an alarming rate.  No, this didn't happen overnight but the speed at which the pounds are piling on has accelerated. 

Thirty years ago, I was one of those uber-annoying girls who weighed in the 105-110 pound range who moaned about being fat all the time.  Yes, I would slap me too if I could.  As I got older, I did gain some weight but it was always manageable, I ate well, I exercised a lot and was quite fit.  Still moaned about being fat, even when I weighed 120, or 125, or 117, or whatever the number happened to be.

Annoying . . .

Of course, I never dreamed I'd get fat in middle age.  I exercised!  I knew about nutrition!  I cared about how I looked!  My family is scornful of the overweight! 

Famous last words.

I'll explain more later about what (I think) happened, but I have found myself lumbering around today in a body that is 5'2" and weighs 181.8 (thanks, doctor's digital scale) pounds.

This is not good.  In fact, it is bad.

As my most recent and worse weight gain was starting to snowball, I was talking to my dad about wanting to go backpacking but fearing I couldn't because I had lost so much fitness.

My dad, paragon of physical perfection that he is, had a simple answer for me.  Lost fitness?  No problem!  "Get it back!", he said, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Get it back!?!?

When I pointed out that I was gaining weight, his answer was simple as well.  "Lose weight!  Now!  Today!"

This conversation was several months ago and I should have taken his advice because I have probably gained another 20 pounds since then.  Don't know if its aging, or hormones, or just being a lazy butt, but I have never gained weight so fast.

Nor have I ever weighed so much.

I'm still exercising but its actually hard to move.  My thighs, always trouble spots, rub together alarmingly, making it even harder to move.  Walking has become uncomfortable. 

Clothes that fit?  Ha.  I've got the middle age belly spread but I guess I still have enough female hormones to still have saddlebags on my upper thighs.  So I'm not an apple, or a pear, I'm both at the same time.

I'm still healthy, sort of, but I'm uncomfortable and want to change.  I really can't stand this.  I need to lose in the 50 pound range, and I can't do it alone. 

Hence this is, yes, wait for it . . . yet another weight loss blog!

I've got to go cuz husband is clamoring for the computer but a little about me:

I live in New Mexico.  I like where I live.
I work for a municipal government.  My whole career has been in government.
I'm 49 for a little while longer.
I have three kids.  One is 26, one is 22 and one is 6.
I'm an only child.
I haven't really felt good since having a third child at the age of 43, but I soldier on.
I'm addicted to Diet Pepsi, and I have cravings for sugar that must rival those of nicotine!

More to follow.

I'm attaching a horrible picture of what I look like.  Eu, eu, eu.  And yes, I made it as unflattering as possible.