Hey you old dogs (off topic)

[Matt Meiser]

Yeah, the doctor I was seeing at the time I did it left town for a job closer to home. Told my new doctor and she about panicked worried what was wrong that was causing me to lose weight.

[Mike Henderson]

I hated sports and exercise as a kid but until college stayed thin. Once I hit college my eating habits got worse and I put on the "freshman 15" and never stopped slowly gaining. I finally decided about 2-1/2 years ago I needed to get serious before I reached that point. I changed my diet, tracking what I ate and eating more fresh foods and a lot less packaged food. I started walking on a treadmill. Over time I couldn't keep my heart rate up by walking so I started doing run intervals. Then I had to start running the whole time. One day I went outside and ran and never went back. I'm down about 80lb, ran over 1000 miles last year, and have run almost 1200 miles this year. already. 2 weeks ago I added a swim day for cross training. In mid-October I'm running my first marathon.

I found out I actually enjoy running and especially with a great group of "running friends" I met about a year ago. We now do a weekly Wednesday night run, nothing too terribly hard, and then go out to dinner together. Sometimes, for example on a nasty winter morning at 6AM or Monday when my schedule meant I had to do my 10 mile run at lunch time, in the sun, at 80-something, I question what the heck I'm doing but I feel really good about myself after I'm done and that's a great way to start my day.

Best of wishes for your marathon. I did a number of them when I was younger, including Boston. The great thing about marathon training is that you can eat anything - and as much as you can eat - and not put on weight.

Just remember that in a marathon, the halfway point is at the 20 mile mark.

Mike

[Mark Blatter]

Right after I turned 40 I realized that it was getting harder to pull up my legs to tie my shoes. I started stretching every day and it made a world of difference. That was 17 years ago. I was at about 220 at the time and my weight slowing creeped up as it does for most. Then in 2009 we did a week long cruise and all I did was eat. By the time I got off the ship, I had gained at least five, if not more like ten pounds. I hit a high of 241 in 2011. I started walking and cutting back a bit on eating, then got more serious about it in 2013. Today I weighed in at 210, for a 31 lb loss. I am doing 3.5 miles a day running. Feel better than I have in a long time. Many guys my age that I know cannot run because they played football in high school or college. I was never interested, so have knees in good shape thankfully.

[Brent Cutshall]

Then 14 years ago I bought a farm

JKJ

Got a little worried when I saw that .

[John K Jordan]

Got a little worried when I saw that .

Ha!

I actually bought a house with some land and overgrown fields and made myself a farm - it had a 80-100 year old barn hidden in the overgrowth and in bad shape. I rebuilt the old barn and some other falling down buildings, cleared and cleaned up the land, put in fencing, gates, access roads, landscaping, orchard, pond, water lines, power, shop, and animal shelters. Good clean fun, and it keeps me off the streets at night.

JKJ

[Michael Weber]

I walked religiously for 15 years. 5 miles a day on weekdays and up to 10 miles a day on weekends. The walking was fast, just under 5 mph and year around in all weather conditions. As I was told, one of the young guards at the front gate to the plant I worked at and walked around at noon commented "That old man can walk faster than I can run". Went from 210 to 150 over that time but had an almost addiction to what turned out to be a particularly bad food for cardiovascular health. Results at the end of that period 7 years ago was an emergency quadruple bypass operation. So it's more than aerobic exercise. Watch what you eat and not too much of any one food.

[Brian Elfert]

When I visit my family, they will drive to the store, then drive around for five minutes looking for a parking spot close to the store, and then after they shop at that store, they will drive to the next store, which is literally in the SAME shopping center!!! ... then they go to some restaurant and eat three servings of food each.

When I go to the doctor for a physical, he always comments when taking my resting and active heart rate- "Do you work out?" I always reply, "No, I have a daughter."

I went to a shopping center today and decided I should walk over to the other store from where I was parked at one store. I need the exercise and it seems silly to start the car and drive a half block. I know many would have moved the car.

My diet is horrible and my life is too sedentary. I was shocked at the doctor yesterday that my BP was 114/70 and heart rate was 55.

[John K Jordan]

...I need the exercise and it seems silly to start the car and drive a half block. I know many would have moved the car.

I've seen a neighbor down the road more than once get in their car, back out and stop at the mailbox, then drive back to the house and take the mail in. The their mailbox is probably 100 ft from the house. I couldn't believe it. This was a young person who has two apparently good legs.

JKJ

[Jim Andrew]

A few weeks ago, there was a short article on the news with a health tip. They said there is nothing better for your health than to run for 5 minutes a day. I started doing just that, and was getting able to run a little longer when I had to have a surgical procedure, and need to start up again now that I am no longer feeling any affects of the surgery.

[lowell holmes]

I forgot that I started this string. I'm glad I found it today. My cel phone has a pedometer on it. This morning I walked 1.35 miles at 2.3 mph. It took 35.13 minutes. I burned 133 kcal.

I'm pleased that so many of you responded.

[Jim Creech]

Does running late count as exercise? My weight is down somewhat because of the chemo and radiation but I am still rather lethargic. Dr's. say it will be another 6 months before I feel like my old self again. Even at that the only thing that made me move fast was a pretty girl or a jealous husband. Those days are over as well I'm afraid.

[Mike Null]

I am nearing 81 and have something ailing me much of the time. I used to be a heavy smoker but quit almost 40 years ago. I gained weight and maintained it. On a recent Dr. visit, he advised me that my sugar was high and that I had to address it immediately. Besides cutting down on my sugar intake I began drinking a lot of water. I had no idea the benefits of drinking so much water. I have lost weight, my digestion and indigestion are much improved and my sugar is down. I believe in excercise and walking but my will power is not so good. I also have the Silver Sneakers plan and love it.

My dad was a 2 pack a day smoker, coffee drinker, and reader. He would read for 2 or 3 hours every evening--no exercise. He died at 42 after his first heart attack.

[John K Jordan]

... Besides cutting down on my sugar intake I began drinking a lot of water. I had no idea the benefits of drinking so much water....

Excellent!

When I was working on clearing this farm I lost about 30 lbs, some from the exercise but probably a lot due to changing my diet - I was working outside for so much of the day I was away from sugary snacks. Whenever I got hungry I drank water instead of eating peach cobbler. I drank a lot of water (and still do). After a while I found the water took away the immediate desire to eat something I didn't need.

JKJ

[Steven Kliebert]

So what can i say now.