My first ever blog, maybe my last, but who knows. Deciding what to blog about was the biggest challenge. Do I chronicle the landscape redo at the house, do I share my fun woodworking experiments building a door and, more recently a raised vegetable planter, perhaps list my ever expanding list of ailments as I get more advanced in years, or get out my frustrations with work and church?
I decided instead to talk about the lifestyle changes I have been making towards a longer and healthier life. I've been eating like a horse and lifting weights for a few years, vainly attempting to bulk up and look like a twenty something somebody. Sure, I got some huge guns out of it, great shoulders, legs and back, but I also got a 36" waist and was carrying around 215lbs, way too much of it on my midsection. Having to move to a 36" size jeans really made me think about what I was doing, along with my cholesterol levels and increased blood pressure. Something finally popped in my brain and I started down a new road.
Forget the big bulging biceps, I am now serious about an strong and healthy heart.
Being desk bound at work, the first step was to get up and move. I started taking a walk around the block at work on a morning break, then added one for the afternoon break. This was painful to start, I even went to a footy doctor as the shin pain was so bad. He told me to suck it up, there was nothing wrong. So back out I went, adding hikes, and walking for 20 - 3o minutes each lunch time also. Well low and behold, I started dropping almost 2lbs a week. Getting caught up in the frenzy, Lana and I made some changes to our diet (much to the disappointment of the kids) and went to what might be close to a Mediterranean diet. Healthy grains, lots of fruit and veg, no potatoes or rice, and more healthy and lean meats and fish.
Last weigh in was 190.7lbs, that's over 20lbs lost over the past 3 months and the size 36 are falling off me! My blood pressure is improved as is my stamina and endurance for distance walking. Trying to get running but my shins kill me still. The next step might be a bicycle, but summer is here so adding swimming will hopefully drop the next 5lbs. At 185, I'll go back to the weights and work on getting super toned.
More to follow.
