Ok, so after a couple of fairly significant warnings, I have decided to take my health more seriously. I have spent a lot of my life sitting at a desk, or sitting in the car, or sitting beside a swimming pool, gymnasium etc.. My priorities have been my family, either earning as much as I can, or making sure my wife and children have every opportunity to do everything they want to.. and supporting them all as much as possible. My lowest priority was my own health. I took it for granted. Even when diagnosed as diabetic a decade ago, I pretty much ignored the illness, as it had no significant symptoms in my case.
18 months ago, I had my first heart attack. It was minor - I ended up driving myself to hospital as I was feeling very weird, and came home a week later with a stent and a new load of meds to take. For 3 months after it, I did some exercise, ate healthier... then I let it all slide again. Although I never put the extra stone in weight back on, I stopped exercising and went back to eating junk food 4+ times a week...
6 weeks ago, I had my second heart attack... blue lights and sirens, and 2 more stents.
I am scared. 'Finally', I suppose. All the effort to make the best world I can for my family, and I am on a path that will leave them without a dad at the ages of 12 & 14...? I've seen plenty of motivational posters advising me 'Don't be too busy making a living to live' and ignored them all!
SO, here I am. I have today completed day 1 of week 2 on the C25K podcasts. I am learning about diet and how it impacts my health. I am finding the time to exercise - I do my C25K in the mornings at 6am, and I now walk every lunchtime for 5k. I truly hate the 5 minute warm up 'brisk walk' as it is freezing, and I just want to run to get warm... but I am following the instructions to the letter. I am looking at the Strength and Flexibility series for my off days... I have had to get a lot more organized, and a tiny bit more selfish about my time... (I HAVE to take a lunchbreak now, as I need to do my walk)
I have signed up for a 5k fun run on the 15th March - to give me something to aim for..
Fingers crossed for healthier 2020...with no heart attacks...
Sorry for wall of text.. need someone to talk to...
Written by
layzellm
Graduate
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What a lot you’ve been through, must be scary to face all that. But you have taken the first steps to getting healthier! I too spent a lot of years putting everything and everyone first, it takes its toll. Suddenly my career,what other people think, the house, the minutiae of my (grown up) children’s lives don’t seem as important. I’m broken and only I can fix myself. Though run 1 of week 1 actually felt like it might finish me off! Onwards and upwards, we can do this 👍 Imagine being able to run for 30 minutes...
Thank you for sharing your story and well done you for plucking up the courage and having the determination to put yourself first for a change! As I have learnt to say...if I don't look after myself then no one else will...and for the rest of our family, friends, work colleagues etc. we need to model the model...and make sure we prioritise looking after ourselves, our health and our well-being
Wow, what a story and well done you for (finally) deciding to put yourself first and do something about it, you have all the reasons there to stick at it. I'm certainly no doctor (understatement of the year, I'm an engineer) but one thing I would say is not to set yourself any hard targets, take it gently mate. I probably started out on C25K a bit fitter than you are and simply expected to be running 5k 9 weeks later, then I tried Run 1 Week 1! As I've worked my way to where I am now (essentially only at the end of Week 3) I have changed my outlook completely. I WILL complete the C25K programme, but in my own time. I will only move on a week after I've completed 3 consecutive runs (including compulsory rest days). If I find I can't manage a run, I'll do what I can and consider it a practice (the only failed runs are the ones you don't even start). If I find myself struggling I will drop back a week (ore more if necessary) to further build my stamina and more importantly, re-build my self confidence (for me, I think the challenge is 75% mental and only 25% physical). Listen to your body and don't push too hard, aches are normal, but pain is not. Enjoy the process & post regularly on here, there's a great bunch of people who will applaud you on your good days, and lift you back up on the not so good ones. I put a great positive quote on here a few months ago that I'd heard on TV originally said apparently by Nelson Mandela: You never lose, you either win or you learn.
Crikey, you’ve been through a lot! Take it slow and steady (you’ll hear that a lot), and I’m sure you’ll feel the benefits quite soon. I would agree with Buddy though that you should maybe get your GP’s blessing.
Looking forward to seeing your posts, and your progress 👍😁
Wow! Now that's a story. Glad you are feeling better also glad you are thinking of you now. It's very important for you to br a priority so you can live your life to the max aswell. Well done. But keep following the rules. Jog not run 😊
A whole food plant-based diet is best things you can do right now. If you keep eating meat and fatty foods those stents won't do anything for you. A whole food plant-based diet has been known to reverse heart disease and clean out your arteries. You can do some research if you like and just started with a simple meals. I would also take it slow before you decide to try for a marathon. Your heart needs time to heal.... good luck I'm glad you're taking the first steps
Welcome along ! Thank goodness you’re making these changes. Your family need you far more than your earnings. My husband’s dad died suddenly of a heart attack when he was young and he’s never really got over that shattering loss. Spend time with your kids - even though they’re about to become alien life forms ie teenagers, they’ll be human again in three or four years’ time and glad you were there for them. Happy memories are the greatest gift anyone can give their family. Take care of yourself and have fun doing it x
Thanks for all the responses. For those who mentioned speaking to medical professionals first - I did chat to my cardiologist before I started, and the advice was simply to make sure I warmed up properly, and to avoid going from 0-60mph in an instant. I was advised that my heart muscle needed the exercise, and as long as I start slow - which C25K does, the benefits vastly out weigh the risks.
I am finding the off days really hard at the moment, being a typically impatient man, I want the results now, and my primitive brain is telling me to do something every day. This is certainly the mistake I have made on every previous attempt to get fitter. Impulsively in the past few years I have taken myself off for an impromptu 5k 'run' (Stagger)… and the following week to 10 days have been crippled by muscular pain in my legs... No serious warm ups or stretching of course.. Now, following the plan, I am doing a little bit, every other day and not suffering (yet) any significant aches or pains.
Well done on making these changes, it's never too late. I wish I had started 10 years or more ago, I would be fitness personified, but there's no point looking back.
Five years ago I was 61, around 80kg, type 1 diabetic and recovering from a quadruple heart bypass.
In May 2017 I started C25K took the advice to take it steady and worked through the programme. It’s transformed my life. I’m now 61kg, my diabetes is in remission and at the end of December I ran 10k in under an hour.
Take it steady, there’s years ahead for you to develop pace and stamina, and above all enjoy it.
Hope you find this helpful and your journey is as enjoyable and rewarding as mine has been.
Hi, just reading your post, story not much different to mine, not had the heart attacks luckily, but that is what got my dad, I was told by a nurse in the hospital if I don't change my ways I will go the same way, that was nearly 30 years ago, diagnosed T2 diabetic around 5 years ago lived like a sugar free monk for a couple of years then it started creeping back, last year I was stupid, not like a used to be but bad enough to call myself stupid. Now on W3 and look forward to following your progress, good on you for making the change. See we can be sensible!
Well done for getting started, that is the hardest part. I think every one has voiced enough concern about keeping it steady, so won't go on! But here is a link that might help you. Japanese slow running is really good for joints, your back and your getting your insides working without pushing it too hard and getting yourself in a pickle.
I have currently lost 7.4kg, or 1st 2lbs. My diet is still vastly improved, although there have been the odd day where I have allowed myself a bag of crisps, or even *gasp* a bag of chips one day.
The running has become an important thing in my life. I am getting out of bed earlier, (5:40am) to make sure I can still fit it in every other day.
I am feeling stupidly excited about graduating - not only because of the simple achievement of running for 30 minutes - but mainly about sticking to something, and this being more than another flash in the pan fad/diet/gym membership... It really feels now that these changes in diet and exercise are a part of me now, and I am happy with that.
The C25K system has helped me orgainse my thoughts around health, and the impact is being felt in so much more than just the running.
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