Antwain Booth's Blog

• If Sharon & Shirley can do it, So can you!

  Posted by Antwain Booth October 20, 2011 - Filed in Health / Fitness

      I've been thinking about all the people who are taking part in a Healthy Competition game some friends have setup called Little Healthy Competition (LittleHealthyCompetition.com). I was thinking particularly about those who don’t have as much time or aren’t quite in the best of shape, etc. I hope that everyone gets something out of this game in a positive way that they can take with them to lead better, healthier lives. It brought me to think about my mom Sharon and my aunt on my dad’s side, Shirley who have made this transition slowly..but surely they are on their way!

   

          These two woman, who I love dearly, have expertly put up with all the craziness my family, my brother & me, and my cousins have brought on them over the years. Let’s just say for me especially, they refer to my 18-20 period as the time that Antwain lost his ___ mind. (insert expletive as needed!) But more importantly, they both have been through some very difficult challenges in their lives. So you can say they were at one point beaten down by all that life had to offer. I wish I had a better picture to post. My mom Sharon, with the glasses on trying to be cool! That’s my aunt Shirley and my youngest nephew with the big head (a family trait!)

  

   

         There has been a lot of loss and stressful situations for them and the family but for this post, we will just focus on a select recent few. My mom Sharon, went through an extremely tough divorce a few years ago that, lets just say, left her battered and bruised emotionally and physically. My aunt Shirley, fairly recently, lost a father and before that a fiancé about a month before the wedding. This also includes for both of them: money issues, separation from certain members of the family, and health problems.

   

          I had come to regarded them both as two of the most unhealthiest people I knew when I got older, around 24 or so, when I started changing my habits. I would always come in town and fuss at them constantly about their eating habits, smoking cigarettes, not exercising, and overall lack of seeming to want to live life. These were two women, who when we were growing up, made the absolute most of so little that it was depressing to see them in this state year after year and continuing to get worse. Some situations, such as the severity of my mom’s marriage and something’s with my aunt, I didn’t realize during these times. Then came my aunt’s heart attack that she was very lucky to overcome and my mom’s cancer scare. These incidents not too far apart really made me want to step up my yelling at them. But I soon realized that wasn’t the way to go.

   

           I came in town for a funeral of a friend who passed away, this has unfortunately been a far too frequent occasion for me. This time it really made me think about Sharon and Shirley. My mom (Sharon) was staying with them at the time after she left her ex-husband. I came home after the funeral, and just started crying. At first they thought that it was because of my friend, and it was a lot, but I told them both that I just wasn’t prepared to go to their funeral, which I feared might be coming up sooner than later. They didn’t do the usual “yes Antwain, we will change, etc.” but they both said, “I don’t know where to start, what do I do?!” I finally saw the opportunity. The skies opened up, the heavens parted, lol!

   

         So, I gave it some thought and here is what I came up with for both of them. Cut back on the smoking from a full pack to a half a pack. Cut back on fried foods some. Try and eat some grilled foods and a little more vegetables. Try to walk a little everyday. Also, most importantly, please let the past be the past and live for your family today. My goal was to not overwhelm them like I had been doing the past years. But to make it simple by starting off with little changes so that they can see immediate results. Needless to say, this has went better than expected!

   

         They both have lost weight, in my mom’s case a good deal of weight. Shirley quit smoking, and my mom has cut back to half a pack (this is a big achievement trust me). They eat a bit healthier now. They actually do go for walks now and actually go a little longer than just down the road. A really good thing that has happened as well is that they are living life again. I’m so proud of them. They have a more positive outlook on things now. They still have a ways to go, trust me on that! Also, as weird as this seems for me to say this without getting kinda sick, their love lives seem to have improved. My mom does have “Let’s get it on” by Marvin Gay on the voicemail now for an example! (google it!)

  

   

               So my point for posting this blog is to let everyone know that you don’t have to do 1,000 pounds on the bench, run 8 miles a day, and eat only carrots! That’s not it at all. The goal is to start with the little things. Changing little daily habits which can lead to amazing results and you won’t get as overwhelmed than trying to immediately start going full throttle. Don’t get discouraged that you may have to build yourself up slowly but consistently. The goal is to lead a better, healthier lifestyle. Not become the next Miss or Mr. Olympia! You just have to be like my mom and my aunt. If Sharon and Shirley can do it, so can you!

   

               I will leave you with this tidbit. One of the last times I was home. My mom (Sharon) and I went out to eat. There aren’t a lot of options back in S.W VA so we went to a buffet. I was impressed that, without me prodding, she ate a lot of vegetables and salads and avoided the unhealthy foods. After we were done, I went outside. This guy outside asked me if my sister was single. I was thinking he was talking about my cousin Chasity who was like my sister growing up and I told him that “I think she’s a little young for you man.” He was like “Oh, I thought she was a little older than you.” I was like, “Who are you thinking about?” He said “that nice looking lady right there.” It then hit me he was talking about Sharon, my mom! I was blown away. I knew she had lost weight, etc. but now she looks like my sister?! Wow! Well, I was like “she has a boyfriend man, I’m sorry.” I told her about it and she said, “that happens more now son!”

   ~ Antwain Booth

  

  Submitted this to the Little Healthy Competition (LittleHealthyCompetition.com) game site -10/4