Good Day Gentlemen!
I want to share something kinda personal with you all today; not because I have some need to garner attention from strangers or because I’m wanting to elicit sympathy. No it’s more because I know that a lot of divorced dudes in my age range deal with this and because by sharing it with all of you I will be more strongly motivated to fight all the harder.
The battle I am fighting has to do with my health. I’m a big guy – well over six foot and well over 200 pounds and I have the high blood pressure and sleep apnea to prove it! Weight has always been an issue for me – I’m not much of an athlete (which is kinda like saying that Hitler wasn’t much of a humanitarian!!) I’ve always gravitated more towards reading, writing and other sedentary pursuits than I have physical stuff. I also dearly love food! And the combination is starting to really take it’s toll.
I met with a Heart Specialist the other day and he laid it all out pretty straight. Basic facts are I need to loose about a hundred pounds, get some exercise, eat better and get that blood pressure down (it’s about 140/90). If I don’t then I’m going to die, simple as that. Either a heart attack, a stroke or I just won’t wake up one morning. I’ve been ignoring my health far too long and now it’s down to the wire.
Now this just isn’t something I know much about – I have the book knowledge but not the experience and so I’m going to be learning this by trial and error. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions I certainly welcome them and I will promise to give updates on my progress from time to time (and I’ll probably ask for advice along the way as well).
Men, I have three kids, two grandchildren and a lot of friends and family whom I love and care about very much. I don’t want to end up missing out on getting to be a part of their lives. Already my poor physical condition gets in the way of going hiking and doing other fun stuff with them – Guess I’m really letting it rob me of some really wonderful times. It is long past time to turn this around.
Thanks for listening to me
Be Well
Bill
This is the Web Dude.
My wife and I have been doing Nutrisystem for about 5-6 weeks and love it! She’s lost 22 lbs and I’ve lost 20 and both of us feel great! You tend to eat smaller meals more often and a lot of fruits and vegetables with their food along with it.
Their food is a bit pricey but we found great deals on eBay and Craigslist (people who started and stopped, but still had all the food). And, with a few exceptions, the food has been very good!
Hey there Web Dude!! Thanks for the tip – I’ve thought about some of those planned meal programs but the cost and the lack of info on them has kept me away. Never thought about E-Bay or Craigslist . . .great idea.
I’m going to seem like an expert, but I’m not. I’m just on the same road, but my mile marker is a bit higher.
But I thought of a few more things:
Water is extremely important for weight loss, yet no one really talks about it. You should have 32 oz of water a day. And just water — that doesn’t count soda, coffee, juice, etc. Just water. When you first start drinking that much, you will find that you are visiting the men’s room an awful lot! And then it gets better. The trick it to make it habitual. Buy a water bottle that holds 32 oz, fill it up at the beginning of the day and carry it with you.
A lot of people skip or skimp on breakfast, saying “It’s not for me.” Yet it’s really is the most important meal of the day! I’ve never been a big breakfast eater myself, but with Nutrisystem I’ve had what seems like huge breakfasts! I’ve found that I’m less hungry for lunch or dinner and, therefore, eat much less.
Yogurt is also very important too. Recent studies have shown that dairy is very important to a diet and yogurt is like a concentrated dairy serving. Yogurt also contains important enzymes that you need to keep your digestion system regulated. I typically eat 1-2 servings of yogurt a day (for breakfast and then as a morning snack with an apple or some other fruit).
Thanks Mike -you are dead-on with these suggestions! (I know because my doc is telling me the same thing). Hey if you’d like to write up a post for us on what you’ve found helpful in the weight loss we’d sure love to put it up on the blog!