Last summer, I decided it was time to get my weight under control for the first time since my early twenties, so on July 15, I went to my family doctor for a consultation. Of course, he told everything I already knew, but needed to hear: fewer calories, healthier food choices, and exercise–essentially, take in less than you’re putting out. We decided on a caloric intake that would be conducive to weight loss and set up a weight-check schedule for me to follow. Then, I went down the hall to the hospital’s fitness center and stepped up my exercise program, which had been hit-or-miss over the past couple of years.
I began by walking two miles a day on a treadmill, using the various weight machines, and cutting my calories to 1500 per day; soon the weight started coming off. I felt energized, and my walking increased to three miles a day and my weightlifting continued. By Labor Day, I was down 40 lbs. and walking at least three miles a day. When my wife and I returned from a fall break trip to visit family in and around Strasbourg, France, I’d lost 50 lbs. and had missed only one day of walking since July 15.
As of today, I’ve officially met my weight-loss goal, and I’m running three or four miles a every day and lifting weights six days a week (concentrating on different areas on alternating days). I’m officially in maintenance-mode, and I’m enjoying my forties more than ever.
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