For the first time in my 52 years, I'm on a diet. And it's working. I've gone from tipping the scales at nearly 180 pounds down to about 165. I'm shooting for about 155. That's the target I worked out with my nutritionist. It's age and size appropriate for me as well as reasonably paced—that is, not losing too much too fast.
Why now? Lots of reasons. The particular trigger was my doctor telling me my triglycerides were too high. What does that mean? Apparently triglycerides are associated with a higher risk of heart disease. Go here for a good summary.
Ok, I'm motivated!
So, my diet went from (basically) lots of meat & potatoes, fruits, frozen dinners and sweets to no sweets, no frozen dinners, plenty of veges, some fruit, fish (particularly salmon), rice, Cherrios (apparently low sugar) and mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks (e.g., cheese and crackers).
Technically, cutting out alcohol was supposed to help but I drink very little anyway—e.g., one beer and I'm done. So, that suggestion was already in place.
The snacks were a surprise to me. Since college, I disciplined myself to eat no more than 3 times per day. So, now I'm eating smaller portions 5 times a day. Again, to my surprise, it's working!
As part of this, I'm also working out, more regularly than ever before. My usual pattern is to be up at 4:30 AM to give myself at least 30 minutes to wake up since I don't drink coffee. Then, I'm off to the gym to warm-up, stretch, get an aerobic and anaerobic workout, cool down, and stretch some more.
My goal is not to be skinny but to build strength and stamina. That's easier when I don't have to carry around too much bulk on my small frame. And the purpose of those physical attributes is to support my higher value—a clear, sharp mind. That value is easier to maintain when my body is fit and healthy.
Mind-body harmony—it's a good thing.
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You get up at 4:30 without any coffee. Whatever you ARE drinking, send some my way!
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