May 16, 2008 01:00 am
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For a long time, I was never sure exactly how much I weighed because I refused to keep scales in my house.
I suppose you could call that a form of denial. If I didn’t have a convenient way to measure my weight, that meant I didn’t have to think about or worry about it as much.
Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak.
That changed several months ago when I made the decision that it was finally time to for me to get healthy and get control of my weight, which I have struggled with my entire life.
I went out and purchased a bathroom scale, and now, I step on it nearly every morning.
I have to tell you, I really don’t mind doing so, either.
It’s been pretty cool watching the number that appears in the display window get smaller just abut every time I weigh myself.
When (not if) I shed three more pounds, I will have made it halfway to my weight-loss goal of 100 pounds.
I’m also far enough below the 300-plus pound mark where I started that I believe I can state with confidence that I will never weigh 300 pounds again.
That’s a great feeling. And, therein lies the reason why I decided, at the age of 47, that it was time for me to start taking better care of myself.
How many 60-something 300-pound guys do you know of? There aren’t many, that’s for sure.
I also have no desire to spend my twilight years riddled with weight-related health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, etc.
In other words, I don’t want to have to paddle to the finish.
Obviously, there are certain factors governing our longevity that we have little to no control over. One never knows when one will be stricken with a life-threatening disease.
Still, I figure that my odds of living for a long, long time increase exponentially if I’m in halfway decent physical condition.
After all, it’s a proven scientific fact that a healthy diet and exercise help ward off just about every known type of cancer.
When people ask me how I’ve managed to lose weight, my answer is simple — diet and exercise. That often leads them to inquire: “Well, what kind of diet are you on?”
That one’s a little tougher to answer. What I usually tell them is that it’s a low-calorie-and-health-foods diet.
That might sound flip, but it’s true.
If it isn’t nourishing, I don’t eat it. Simple as that.
I also try to limit my caloric intake to between 1,500 and 2,000 a day. Sometimes, I fall short of that goal, but I don’t get bent out of shape about it. I just try to do better the next time I sit down down to eat.
I also eat three snacks a day, which keeps me from being so hungry at mealtimes. And, I work out at the gym three times a week.
I don’t want to make it sound as though I’ve done this alone. I’ve had plenty of support from my wife and family. And, I’ve had help from others, which I can’t really go into here without turning this column into an advertisement. I’d be more than happy to talk about it with anyone who wants to contact me personally, though.
I hope my talking about my weight loss hasn’t come off as boastful. That certainly wasn’t my intent. What I hope to do is provide encouragement and motivation for others who are wrestling with the same issues as me.
You can do it, no matter how often you tell yourself that you can’t.
I told myself for years that I couldn’t, too.
KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.
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