PARENT

The New Bedroom Appliance

I stared into my doctor's face, listening with growing fear to what he was saying.

He decided that shock treatment was the best way. In no uncertain terms, he spoke to me.

"Based on your past medical history, if you don't get fit and lose your excess weight, you will get type 2 diabetes".

I was the heaviest he had ever seen me. He thought that this was not the time for diplomacy, but plain, cold, hard truth. I had a choice, I absolutely, had to lose my weight or face this dreaded disease!

This presented several problems. As the mother of two small children, with no outside help at all, I was exhausted! My battle with bone-numbing fatigue was my constant challenge and stumbling block to fitness and to becoming a normal, healthy weight again. My efforts to go to the gym, failed not from a lack of commitment, but from a lack of time, opportunity and energy. My husband's schedule was such that he would come home fairly late, by the time he arrived home, I would be too exhausted to even think of the gym. The times I did go, my energy was seriously flagging. I felt as if I had to pull myself by the roots of my hair out the door and once at the gym, felt as weak as a kitten. This impacted my workout in a negative way and my subsequent lack of weight loss was a point of frustration for me.

Reacting to my afternoon slump, I would reach for the chocolate that would sustain me and give me the necessary pick-me-up to get through my day. This, in effect, was sabotaging me and I felt frustrated in a vicious cycle. My attempt to break this cycle involved me getting up at 5:00 am to head out to the gym. I kept that up for a month. Unfortunately, at 3:00 pm, I was struggling to stay awake as mini-weights attached to my eyelids caused them to droop. This defeated the objective to going.

Placing my kids in the gym daycare presented a whole new host of problems that I will not describe. Suffice it to say, the gym was not feasible option.

My 40th birthday loomed ahead, just days away. I felt I was moving through dark, wet fog that only the brightest sunlight could penetrate. My doctor's words reverberated like warning bells in my head leaving me desperate and miserable. I had a problem, drastic action had to be taken.

The "sunlight" that I needed to break me free from my funk arrived the next week, in the words of my husband. He had a surprise 40th birthday present planned for me: he was sending me to Mexico!

Visions of copious amounts of margaritas, lazily sipped, while on a sun drenched beach floated in front of my eyes, I could almost feel strong fingers massaging away all my stresses and strains with exotic Mexican oils as I availed myself of the Hotel Massage Services. Little Mexican delicacies would be served on silver trays while the intoxicating scent of the local fauna and flora would infuse my senses as I sat, by myself, on the patio, reveling in the almost mind-altering peace that would enfold me.

I could almost feel the salty sea air on my skin, the crashing waves caress my feet as I sat on sand that was as soft as a baby's bottom. The tempting thought of sleeping till noon so tantalized me, I could almost feel my exhausted body going into shock.

Suddenly, I realized that I would return from my vacation with some snapshots, a few memories and it would all be over. Unfortunately, the effects would wear off quickly and I would have nothing to show for it. This was not the right gift for me. I wanted a gift that would keep on giving.

I wanted a treadmill!

This way, I could attempt to get my health back and try to reverse the threat of diabetes. A better 40th birthday present, I could not think of: the gift of health, my health!

My husband immediately got into the spirit of things and helped me look around. We did the research and educated ourselves about what we needed to look for and look out for before buying. I felt angst over what I felt was such a large purchase, so decided to go to a popular fitness store to look at their treadmills in for some price and model comparisons.

I entered the fitness store. After I recovered from the withering glance of the chiseled Adonis sitting like a statue on his muscular behind, I walked towards the treadmill area. His barely-concealed, arrogant amusement at my out-of-shape frame, in his fitness store, suggested he felt I must have walked into the wrong store. The weight reduction clinic was next door. Undeterred, I asked Zeus to show me the selection of treadmills. He walked, with sculpted legs, and gestured, with bulging arms, towards the most expensive treadmill in the store. Unimpressed, I insisted on trying every treadmill in the store. After successfully deflecting his pressure-sales tactics, I left as fast as my aching legs would take me.

On my way home, on impulse, I stopped off at the local mall and entered a department store. There, on a deeply discounted sale, with reasonable and manageable monthly interest-free payments, was the treadmill of my dreams. I bought it immediately.

Upon delivery of the treadmill, I overheard the deliveryman titter with ridicule and disbelief when he saw our small, two-bedroom apartment. His barely-contained snicker exploded into a guffaw when he saw the tiny space I wanted to store the treadmill to go. The whole exercise was pronounced "silly". Yes, it would appear silly to a heavily overweight deliveryman, who, if it were his, would probably end up using it as a storage rack for beer. But to me, my newly assembled treadmill was perfect. I was in love!!

My children were delighted and amazed by this machine they could also use as a trampoline and jungle gym, all in one!

Furthermore, I would wake up in the middle of the night, with a start, thinking I was in the middle of some kind of surreal dream. I didn't immediately recognize this foreign and humongous presence towering over my bed. And then I would remember and smile with pleasure at the knowledge that this was my ally. Not only a machine, this was a powerful tool that I was going to use to regain my health!

I have exercised on the treadmill every day for the past two months. The weight is coming off slowly, but surely. Fear is a good motivator. My level of commitment surprised even me. No matter how I feel, I step on the treadmill and work out. I do experience set-backs but when I do, I "get back on that horsepower" and start again. I still have a long way to go to achieve my normal and healthy weight. But I am at the start of my journey.

As everyone knows, every journey starts with a single step!