Healthy Living

I'll be 66 in a few months. Can't hardly believe it. Where did the time go?

I had become complacent in the last few years of my retirement. I was a genuine couch potato. I didn't eat right either. The bad diet and inactivity caused me to gain weight. A lot of weight. I got up to 240 pounds!  Can you say obese?  

When I hit 240 two months ago, I had a wake-up call. I had to take stock and develop a healthy eating plan and exercise. 

So, my wife and started walking and walking and walking. We made a commitment to walk a mile every day. Fortunately, there are a lot of beautiful places to walk near our home, and we've taken advantage of that. And, we take our Shelties, Lilly and Sophie. (That's Sophie helping me drive.). The weight is coming off by walking and healthy eating.  I did my weekly weigh-in this morning on my bathroom scales. 232.8!  It's coming off ounce by ounce and pound by pound. It's a good feeling of success. 

There is no silver bullet, no magic weight loss pill, or no fad diet. It's consistent meal-by- meal and consistent activity that does it. It's a long process requiring self-discipline. As the Scripture says,  "I don’t know about you, but I’m running (walking) hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping" (1 Corinthians 9:27 MSG).

By walking, I'm getting more exercise than most Americans do (only 30 percent get the recommended half hour of exercise a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). "If your daily strolls add up to a half hour most days of the week, you'll probably add a year or more to your life, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"A walking routine will help lower blood pressure, improve glucose control (which will help stave off diabetes), improve insulin resistance (in a T1 diabetic), prevent heart disease, and tone the buttocks and legs. The more you walk, the stronger your bones will be and the better you'll feel. People who walk five times a week for 30 minutes report that they have more energy, feel healthier, and have more confidence than those who walk infrequently, according to the U.S. Physical Activity Study, a survey conducted by the St. Louis University School of Public Health. Source: http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/walk-way-better-health/page6

So, I signing off. We are going for a two mile walk in the Georgia Wildlife Management Area about 20 miles from our home. It's 1,200 acres with Indian caves, graveled roads, and surrounded by beautiful Clarks Hill Lake, the largest man made made East of the Mississippi. 

Lilly and Sophie are going too. They need to walk and love going on our walking outings.