Total Weight Lost
I lost 25 lbs with a goal towards 60.
How Long Did it Take?
I started five months ago.
Why I Wanted to Lose Weight
I am 52 years old. Two years ago I had my annual physical. Along with that I had my first colonoscopy. Well, the procedure removed two precancerous polyps. I also was told I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol count. That was my wake up call. I was told to lose 10 percent of my body weight and was given medication to control my high blood pressure.
So I went on a diet and lost 25 pounds. I thought I was well on my way to better health. However, as the months past I gained the weight back and then some. I'm sure this is familiar to many people.
My Exercise and Diet Journey
Like many people I had lost the weight but I never made the diet I was on a part of my lifestyle. Another key point was that I didn't exercise to lose the weight I just dieted.
So I decided to get serious. I went to the library and checked out several books on nutrition. What I learned was eye opening and it changed my life. I learned the proper ratios proteins, carbohydrates, fats, trace minerals, and vitamins my body needed to sustain optimal health.
I used that information along with exercise. I knew I wanted to use walking as a form of exercise. So, I just started taking walks. But I soon discovered that after just walking about a half mile I would have pain in my shins. Was this normal?
So I went online and typed in walking in my search engine and came across this wonderful website. With the guidance of Wendy Bumgardner I learned the pitfalls and how to overcome them in my quest to exercise.
I now walk two miles most days of the week. My legs have better muscle tone, I have better balance, and everyday tasks seem to be easier to do. And, I went from 240 to 215 pounds and I will reach my goal of 180!
Lessons learned
- Use a walking journal. It encourages you to stay with it when you can see in writing the progress you made.
- Don't drink soda pop and high sugar fruit drinks. Try to dink more water.
- Eat more fruit and vegetables.
