Ahhhhh, youth.  I remember those care-free days when I was in my early twenties.  Days when I could eat whatever I wanted with seemingly no consequences.  I’d get two quarter-pounders with cheese from ‘McDonald’s’, wash that down with three slices of pizza from ‘Papa John’s’, and still never move an inch in my waistline.  You know, back in the days when – as a younger man – I had the metabolism of a blast furnace.

Alas, those days are over.  Now in my mid-50’s (and with a job that generally has me sitting all day), those pounds had slowly been creeping up over the years.  I was developing the classic “Dad bod”, where my mid-section was giving me that wonderful “muffin top” figure, I had bigger “love handles” that a Chinese vase,  and I was getting embarrassed by my own reflection in the mirror.  For the first time in my life, I consistently weighed over 200 pounds, and was closing in on 210.

With retirement in my future, it was time to take some steps to get back into “fighting” shape, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy.  To paraphrase comedian Bill Burr – “have you ever tried to gain weight?  It’s certainly not hard – just lie on the couch and pour bags of snacks down your throat while watching TV.”

To that end, both my wife and I made a commitment earlier this year to change our lifestyles a bit and try to eliminate some of those excess pounds, not only for our own self-esteem, but for our overall general health.  We’re coming up on our 25^th wedding anniversary, and it sure would be nice to be healthy and active for another twenty-five years.  Here’s how we’re doing it.

Watch The Calories

On the advice of a nutritionist, we’re working off of a 1,700-calorie diet each day (for all of you math nerds, a pound of weight is around 2,000 calories).  While it took some getting used to the limitations (as we didn’t check on our calories too much in the past), once we started looking at it in greater detail, it has not been hard to make the adjustments to get under that daily threshold.  With a little research and planning, healthy and satisfying meals are not difficult to make for 500 calories or less, and when one factors in breakfast, lunch, and a few snacks, pretty soon keeping under 1,700 calories has become second nature.  It’s all about choices, and substituting bad ones (say, a bag of chips) for a healthier alternative (carrot sticks with hummus, for example) makes all the difference.     

Eliminate the “Late Night” Snacking

I have to admit, this one was my “Achilles heel”, and I still struggle with it.  If I sit down to watch something on TV, its almost second nature to mindlessly snack on something while viewing my favorite show or movie.  I also try to follow the rules of “intermittent fasting”, which means I only eat during an 8-hour window each day (and fast the remainder of the 24-hour cycle).  For me, that time frame for chowing down is 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM.

Drink More Water

Everyone reads about this one, and it does make a difference.  Many times, we think we’re hungry, but in fact, all we need is a glass of water to satisfy that temporary craving.  In addition, more water helps to flush out the system.  How many extra glasses a day?  Well, even though experts may say eight or more, I find that two or three really does help.

Get Some ZZZZZZZs

Yes, most of us aren’t sleeping enough.  Studies show that adults should aim for about seven hours of sleep a night.  While some folks may need less, the body does need time to rest, repair, and renew each night.  I used to be a “night owl” back in the day, but these days, I’m generally in bed long before the 11:00 PM news every night (and instead am an early-riser now).  Also?  Afternoon naps.  As any toddler will tell you, 30-60 minutes in the afternoon does a world of wonders.  Saturdays and Sundays were tailor-made for naps (especially if it’s raining).  I cannot tell you how much I enjoy a quick afternoon snooze.   

Exercise – It Has To Be Done

Yes, in order to successfully take off that annoying extra weight (and keep it off), it’s important to get and remain active.  That doesn’t mean an expensive gym membership or plunking down hundreds of dollars on a weight bar for the basement.  My wife and I simply try to walk more each week, aiming for an additional 2,000 steps each day (about a mile).  I have a step counter which helps keep track.  We take laps of the local elementary school, which is right by my home.  It’s well-lit, paved, and easy to navigate, with four laps adding up to our daily total.  A short after-dinner walk each night helps to ensure that we are making these extra steps a healthy habit.  In addition, I’ve looked up several exercises (using just my own body weight for resistance) and have incorporated various styles of push-ups into my weekly regimen three times a week.  I started slow, only being able to complete a few each session, but as my strength has increased, so have my reps.

So, are we seeing results?  Absolutely, I’ve dropped twenty-two pounds thus far, and my wife has lost even more, but it has taken time.  We’re currently on our 18^th week of this regimen, and we aim for one to two pounds of weight loss each week.  That’s a healthy goal, and yes, there are some weeks where we don’t lose anything (but we’re not gaining, either).  It’s a journey and a process.  My overall fitness level is far and above what it’s been in a long time, so I can’t begin to tell you how much better I feel, both physically and in my outlook for the years to come.

It’s never too late to lose a few pounds and get back into a simple exercise routine – no matter if you’re thirty or seventy, it just takes the commitment and a good mindset to make healthier choices a part of your daily regimen.  You can do it!