I don't know why I find it comical, but I do

My mother in law has been on a 'secretive' diet. She hasn't said she is trying to lose weight, but it is obvious she is. Why? She is going home to Croatia for 2 months and is having her 60th high school reunion.

She is about to turn 79 years old and while she had gained a little weight, she was not overweight. She had about 20 extra pounds on her, but that's about it. Heaviest she had ever been as a lifelong thin person, but nothing very out of normal, especially for her age.

Well, she has been dropping weight and her way of doing it is to restrict, not to up her activities. She does walk 'a little' but it is mall walking for the most part with lots of stopping. When she walks to the nearby lake she walks to the dam and back with stopping for a break. That is 1 mile total.

Problem is, usually she eats very little. Now she eats ridiculously little. She probably consumes 700-800 calories a day these days and she is getting dizzy spells. Well duh! She's not eating enough to feed her body.  Why? Vanity.

I about spit out my coffee the other day when she said she wanted to wear a bikini at the beach. She then clarified that she wanted to get a tankini, but lift it up so she can sun her belly and back at the beach. That is soooooo European - bikinis on everyone - thin or fat, old or young. You can tell an American at the beach always - super pale and in one piece or tankini suits. So, then I realized she was dieting to look better in her swimsuit!

But I got to thinking about that... I find it funny that someone who is nearly 80 years old is trying to look good for the beach and look good to "go home". But why is that funny? Shouldn't we always care? Sure, she won't look "good" like she did when she was 20, but she can look better than 90% of the nearly 80 year olds on the beach.

She cares about what she eats too - quality of foods. And not just for controlling her blood pressure or cholesterol, but following trends for eating - like no food coloring, etc. At almost 80 worrying about the effects of food coloring?

I guess I always imagined myself after a certain age, just enjoying anything I wanted to eat or do. Like, "now I'm living on bonus time. I'm going to eat and do whatever I want! My kids are grown. My debts are paid. Now it's ME TIME!" But will I feel that way when I'm older? Or will I think, "I need to eat right and exercise so that I can see my grandbabies grow (if I have them)".

I don't like the idea of having to restrict and watch every mouthful of food I eat well into old age. I also don't like the idea of being immobile and pain.  I don't mind or fear the idea of dying. I just don't want to die a horrible, slow death. I just want to keel over some day when I'm old and tired.  And while I cannot guarantee a painless death, eating right and exercising regularly will most likely keep me healthier longer and in less pain in old age.

Oh well, for now... I need to eat right and exercise as I have a lot of living to do yet! I wonder when I get to 78 if I'll be just like my mother in law or not when I get ready to go to my 60th high school reunion? We'll see.