Simple Steps

When I first began down this path to improve my health and drop some weight, I knew that I needed to do something sustainable. Over the years, I would guess that I've lost and regained hundreds of pounds! I didn't want a diet in the sense that I would stop whatever diet I was on when I reached my goal and once again regain my lost weight.

Over those same years, I have read a number of books on different diets and philosophies of weight management. I follow a number of healthy habit kind of blogs. And I would say that I have a better idea than most people about how different foods, activities, sleep (or lack of it), meds, etc., affect my body. It was time to put that knowledge to good use and lose some weight.

Recently, the receptionist at a doctor's office (she is trying to lose weight) asked me what motivated me to lose 60 pounds since my last annual physical. Thinking back, I guess it was a number of little things.

One thing was that I was struggling with my blood pressure. I noticed that 250 seemed to be the magic number. Above that weight and I would get occasional headaches. When I'd check my BP, it would be high enough that I'd really watch my fat and sodium for a few days and it would drop enough to make me comfortable again. Above 250 I would notice a little less energy. I wouldn't sleep as well. I seemed to be less comfortable--all of the time.
Although I was never tested, I figure I was probably pre-diabetic--or worse.

At almost 53 years old, it occurred to me that I was around the same age as my dad when he had his first heart attack.
...And I was heading down that same road!

Chris (my wife) had already started to lose weight by cutting out starchy carbs. That meant there wasn't any bread or pasta in the house and we limited our use of rice and potatoes. In addition to that, the two biggest little steps that I started on were to quit drinking diet sodas and start drinking more water and tea, and I stopped eating fast food.
No fast food breakfasts.
No fast food burgers.
No fast food fried chicken.
No fast food period.
Not even a fast food salad!

The only drive-thru that I regularly frequented was Starbucks...and I even stopped getting cream in my coffee--most of the time!

It was just those two things--water instead of diet sodas and no fast foods--that got me started.

My suggestion to you would be to do something similar. Pick one or two things that you CAN do and stick to it.

Cut out doughnuts or sweet snacks. Eat an apple instead of a candy bar. Go zero calorie on drinks for a day. Just pick a do-able small step and do it!

It's just one good habit replacing on bad habit. You've got this! What's it going to be?

John <><