I think that it only fair to first say how out-of-shape I am, and then I can talk about what I have done. I am grateful to my children for the gentle nudge to do something.
At the first of the May I volunteered to cut down six 25-40 foot high trees at the condos. They had died from some sort of disease. I rented a saw, and started cutting. It went quite fast and I had good help to pick-up and load the trucks. The saw weighed about 10 -15 lbs. After about two hours of cutting, I was pooped. There were times that I couldn't get a breath. I was sore, hurting for a couple of weeks afterwards. Well, two weeks later, Jeri and I helped plant the area that the trees were cut from with flowers. As Jeri and I walked back home, I told her that I thought that I had asthma, since I was wheezing.
I was really concerned that I may have had something more seriously wrong with me, yet knowing that the biggest problem that I had was how much I weighed and how little exercise that I get. I have for the past couple of years slept mostly sitting up in order to breathe at night. It helps me not to snore or to stop breathing (apnea).
Also, I take a pill for blood pressure, and niacin and a small dose aspirin for my HDL (it is low). OK, that's about it and probably too much information to put on a blog.
This week has had challenges with exercising and eating, but I can already feel the good affects of doing it. I have been tired, and wanting to stop; hungry and wanting to eating more. Eventually some of these things feeling will diminish, but I know urges won't. Good feelings, and minimizing some of the unhealthy lifestyle problems will be rewarding.
As I get older, I know it will be harder to be active, so I really need to watch everything that I eat and make exercising more enjoyable. The journey of a 100 years begins with the first step.
An interesting bit of information. To maintain my current weight and inactive lifestyle, it would require 2350 calories each day. To maintain a weight 100 pounds lighter with a moderately active to active lifestyle, to would take 2450 calories each day. I guess what that is saying is that I can eat more once I get to my new weight and lifestyle. (Bruce, just keep it up and we will see when that day comes.)
Bruce (sometimes referred to as Dad, Pops, Grandpa, and PaPa)
2 comments:
daddy, thanks for you efforts and example! i find that i try harder myself because i think about how hard you are trying! love you!
Good for you Bruce! Keep us posted, it's encouraging us too.
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