Starting At Age 60

CW: References substance abuse and disabling injury

Beginning at Age 60

By Sarah L. Riggs

It was August 4th. Kelly looked at the bathroom scale in despair. 242 pounds! Since her 45th birthday, which was 15 years ago today, she had gained over 100 pounds, and it was now affecting her health.

According to the doctor, her cholesterol was at dangerous levels, blood pressure was high and A1C was at 12.4. Now 60 years old, she needed to get serious about eating better and exercising. It wasn't going to be easy with chronic back and neck pain, but since it was literally her life on the line, she was motivated to begin.

Resolutions needed to be made. No longer would she wait until Monday, or have days of uncontrollable binge-eating. No more would she make excuses for her poor habits. Now was the time.

She reviewed a dozen different online diet plans and discovered most of them had a high price attached. Living on disability checks since her accident, she couldn’t afford an extravagant plan that might not even work. She had already wasted so much money on food.

Concluding that it shouldn’t cost more to eat less, she created her own diet plan and went shopping. It wasn’t a long shopping list. Lettuce, tomatoes, dried beans, fat free cottage cheese, low-fat milk, frozen vegetables, whole wheat bread, spices, and potatoes. She wouldn’t get too many groceries at a time. Having a stockpile could be a detriment to her willpower.

Limping around the block in her small Appalachian town was the plan for exercise. In early August, it was so hot in eastern Kentucky that she could only walk early in the morning and late in the evening. Walking on the broken sidewalk, her memory of past trauma triggered anxiety, but she wasn’t about to quit.

The day she had turned 45, she had been running this same route, and had been the victim of a hit and run. The speeding car had swerved onto the sidewalk and struck her. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where it was discovered she had broken bones in her neck and back. She had severe disabilities, barely able to function. The accident ended her career as a vet tech, and changed her life forever. It began the decline that led to her current unhealthy state.

The person who hit her had not been found.

The weight gain was typical. Physically restricted, she turned to food for comfort and led a sedentary life. She frequented fast food establishments, buying what she could afford, and ordered in when it was available. When eating at home, she relied on easy foods like frozen meals, canned soups and sandwiches. Chips, donuts, ice cream, cookies, sodas and even alcoholic drinks became her lifestyle.

The one thing she wasn’t willing to give up yet was her morning coffee. She loved her sweet, creamy coffee, previously with a couple of donuts. She replaced the donuts with a single slice of wheat toast, but wasn’t ready to change the coffee habit. She swore to slowly lessen the amount of cream and sugar.

Exercise wasn’t easy, but she was dedicated. Her first act when rising every morning was stretches. After she had fed Penny, her cat, and turned on the coffee pot, she did a few more stretches before heading out on her first walk around the block. Ibuprofen helped the pain, but usually upset her stomach, so she soon switched to acetaminophen.

Keeping track of her calories, fat, protein, sodium and fiber was important. She dutifully documented each meal and her water consumption. She found an app for her phone that made it easy to record everything, and used it religiously. She wrote in her journal every day, keeping track of her thoughts, her anxiety, and all the little things that happened in her daily life. She purchased a food scale and began meticulously measuring everything. She chose nutrient-dense whole foods.

She didn’t expect fast results. It would take patience, and she could accept that. On day 1, her weight was 242.2. A week later, on day 7, the scale read 236.7. She had lost 5.5 pounds, which she knew was wonderful. It seemed like so little when she had been depriving herself of so many delicious foods, but she was determined. Reminding herself about being patient and how important her health was, she took a deep breath, forced a sense of peace, and made her weekly trip to the grocery store.

Her grocery bill was much less than whatit normally was. Yes! Eating less should cost less.

She walked that evening and met another sixty-something, overweight walker named Sharon. The two women walked together after that, which made the exercise bearable. Their conversation helped them get around the block twice each evening, and when Sharon began also joining Kelly in the mornings, they were soon rounding the block 4 times a day.

Week 2, the scale read 233.1, another 3.3 pounds! It might not seem like much, but in 2 weeks, she had already lost 9 pounds. That was a solid start.

Sharon had bemoaned only losing a single pound the past several weeks. Her weight was over 300, and she had many health issues. They compared diet tips, and Kelly soon realized that Sharon wasn’t limiting her food intake enough. She often ate ice cream, chips and usually enjoyed a few margaritas every night while she watched TV.

Excited to share what she was learning, Kelly invited her to dinner the next night and showed her what she cooked. She had prepared pinto beans with celery, garlic and carrots in the slow cooker, with sides of cottage cheese and a garden salad. Sharon ate, but complained that she couldn’t live without huge amounts of bread and some sort of alcoholic drink to accompany her meal.

“Sometimes you have to sacrifice a couple of things,” Kelly told her sympathetically.

Sharon was obviously unsettled. She left in a huff.

The next morning, Sharon didn’t show up for their walk, so Kelly figured she was angry with her. She made a new resolution to never again try to help someone else with health problems. She didn’t really understand the mentality, but she realized the issue was that people were easily offended when offered advice or solutions that took away their comforts.

Her feelings were hurt, but resolutely, she resumed her walking program. By week 3, her weight was down to 230.1. She was now walking 3 times around the block in the morning and 4 times in the evening. She had already started to feel a rise in her energy levels. Her body hurt less. Her gait was steadier. She was sleeping better. She was improving, which made her want to do even more.

The beginning diet had been 1800 calories a day, but after a lot of online research, she decided she could survive on 1500 calories a day, so her diet became more measured. She stopped putting sugar in her coffee. She cut down on the creamer. She eliminated the toast. In fact, she stopped buying bread altogether. She was learning more and applying it to her life every day.

Week 4, the 1st of September, her weight was 225. She had lost another amazing 5 pounds this week! It was inspiring!

That evening, as she began her second lap around the block, Sharon joined her and apologized. Quick to forgive and carry on, Kelly gave her a half hug, and they walked 4 more laps.

They were friends again, but more reserved now. Kelly was very careful not to mention her diet or any food suggestions. Sharon often talked about various things she loved to eat, such as ice cream and other treats, and several times, invited Kelly to join her for drinks with chips and dip that night. Kelly declined politely, and bolstered her willpower.

Week after week, her weight steadily decreased. By week 20, which was 3 days before Christmas, she was down to 185 pounds. She still had 45 pounds to go, and now she was confident she would lose all the weight she needed and be healthy by next August, or possibly before then.

The walks were getting more difficult because of the freezing cold weather. In January, the temperatures plummeted to less than zero on more than one occasion. Sharon refused to walk when the temperatures were low, so Kelly walked alone many times. She would not walk when there was ice and snow. Instead, she walked in place in her living room or did busy work inside her home.

She had practiced getting down on the floor and getting back up, which was something she hadn’t been able to do for some time. She could now easily get to her feet after lying down. Sometimes, she would lie flat on her back and lift Penny, her beautiful white cat, into the air, doing makeshift bench presses. Luckily, Penny was a docile cat and didn’t mind.

By the end of February, her weight was 170. She was on track and ready to lose more. She felt better, was happier, had less anxiety, and was rapidly becoming more productive. She was able to do many things she had long-since given up on ever doing again. She could climb a ladder to put up new curtains, do all the housework and yard work that needed to be done, and found she now had a lot more pep in her step. She even shoveled snow.

She had no doubt that she would be able to work again in the very near future.

By her first weigh-in in April, she was down to 165. Sharon had begun to walk with her again, clearly angry with herself that she hadn’t lost weight the way Kelly had. She began asking for more diet tips, but Kelly resolutely refused to discuss it. Every time Sharon brought it up, Kelly would change the subject.

Her next appointment for labs came back with perfect numbers. She was healthy again, and very grateful for that. Her dedication had paid off.

By the first week of May, Kelly weighed 154 and had started wearing warm weather clothes for her walks. Noticing her slender figure, Sharon seemed to get depressed, and demanded that she tell her how she had lost the weight. Finally, unable to change the subject again, Kelly said, “Go online. Find a diet you like. I don’t want to lose you as a friend, so I won’t say anything else about it.”

“You know, my birthday is May 10,” Sharon told her. “Let’s go get pizza and beers that day. We’ll get a cake, some ice cream and have a fun day! Call it a cheat day.”

“I’m sorry, but no,” Kelly ran the risk of alienating her again, but knew she had to be adamant about it. She couldn’t let her friend sabotage her diet, not even for just one day. She understood her own tendencies and would not risk it. One day of eating out of control could send her into a binge. “I will give you a present. I can throw you a party, but I can’t eat or drink with you.”

Sharon was unhappy with her, but was resigned to the rejection. “You know, the reason I started overeating in the first place was because I had an accident a few years back that completely changed my life,” she said.

“Same,” Kelly said. “But we have to overcome.”

Sharon sighed as they continued their walk.

By the second week in July, the weather was hot and humid. Kelly’s weight was 140, which was her goal, but she intended to try to go smaller. She only stood 5’3”, so, to have a healthy BMI, she should probably keep going. She needed to keep up the exercise program, anyway, because it made her feel strong and confident.

The first week of August, just after Kelly’s 61st birthday, Sharon began missing their walks again. She sent a text that told her it was too hot to be outside, and she was feeling ill. Two days later, an ambulance arrived at Sharon’s house. Kelly stared worriedly after it after they had loaded up her friend. She later learned that Sharon had suffered a heart attack and was scheduled for open-heart surgery.

She visited her friend in the hospital, and was informed she was to be put on a severely restrictive diet when the surgery was done. She hoped Sharon would be able to maintain the diet and lose weight. Her heart ached for her friend, but Kelly couldn’t save her. Sharon had to save herself.

Sharon looked pitiful lying in her hospital bed, hooked to many machines.

“Maybe a food psychologist can help you,” Kelly suggested.

“Maybe,” Sharon said. “What caused me to gain the weight started with my drinking. Do you want to hear about it?”

With trepidation, Kelly nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“Several years ago, I wasn’t this overweight, but I had a drinking problem. One day, I was driving home from the bar, and there was this woman jogging. I guess I passed out for a second or two. I lost control, ran up on the sidewalk and hit her. I barely remember any of it, but I did see her lying on the hood of my car. She rolled off, so I backed up and drove home. I hid my car in the garage, never drove it again. I haven’t got behind the wheel since that day.

Kelly froze, staring at her. “How long ago was that?”

“16 years ago,” Sharon said. “I was blackout drunk. I felt so bad about what I did, I couldn’t live with myself. I started eating too much, I drank even more and I let myself go. I sat around the house and cried for years. My whole life was completely ruined because of that one stupid mistake I made. I heard on the news that the woman survived, but was hurt pretty bad.”

“And you never turned yourself in?” Kelly asked.

“No, I was scared of going to prison,” Sharon answered. “But I suffered.”

Kelly gazed into the distance, considering. Should she tell her she had been the victim of that mistake? Should she demand compensation?

No, Sharon’s own conscience had been enough punishment. She had paid for her crime. Kelly sighed and consolingly patted her arm. “My thoughts are with you,” she said calmly. Forgiving wasn’t as difficult as she expected, and she was grateful for that. She could never be the kind of person to hold a grudge.

Kelly truly wished she could help Sharon. She would love it if her experience could help others achieve better health, too, but she figured if she published her ideas, tips and tricks for losing weight, they would only get lost in the thousands of other blogs and videos out there in the world, so, for the time being, she decided to keep all her information to herself and live her life to the fullest.

For now, she would just be happy.