Cancer Survivor, writing about Health and Fitness as you age

My dad is staying with me for the next few months and in the few weeks that he has been at home, I've noticed a few things about him that heralds the aging parent. We don't have a spare bedroom, so we've invested in a bed and a privacy screen and installed him in the "game room" space outside my sons' bedrooms. I thought I'd recount some of our conversations. "You know Daddy, ah tink we should get ah little privacy screen to put up by yuh bed. Yuh know, so anybody comin' up de steps doh see you on your bed, an' give you a little privacy." "Nah, what ah go do wit dat? Ah doh need no privacy screen. Why was'e yuh money? If ah want someting like dat, ah go put ah box or someting or tie ah piece ah sheet across if ah want some privacy." It went on like this for a few days and I ignored him and got a 4-panel folding privacy screen. The evening it was delivered and I set it up, my dad said this: "Yuh know, de sc...

When I started writing this post, I had no clue what age was referred to in the phrase "women of a certain age". My thinking was that if I began viewing myself as a woman of a certain age, then in all likelihood, that was what I was.  It amused me to put as the heading of my post the French phrase, although what I mean is the English version. (If you're confused but interested, read this: http://www.nytimes.com/1995/a-woman-of-a-certain-age ) So what has brought me to this sad but inevitable slide of time? My weight.  (Big shocker I'm sure.) There was a time when I ate pretty much what I wanted and stayed within a certain weight range.  That time is no more. It pains me to admit that in the last 4 years or so, my metabolism has slowed so the same food is causing somewhat unattractive results on my petite frame. Throughout my adult life I have resisted any semblance of dieting, trying to eat well, have junk in moderation and get exercise as best I can. Now, as of ...