Rest Pays Off

Took a break from working out for several days, and ate a little more each day than I had been for some weeks. Today ran a 40 minute run at 6.5 mph- 5.34 miles, about a 9:13 minute per mile pace. I may have done that running on the National Mall with friends in recent years, but I don't recall doing this on the treadmill where I can verify the speed since some time in 2002 or 2003. For the first time in almost a month, I was limited by stamina and energy rather than tweaky leg muscles. I walked one mile before and one mile after to warm up and cool down at a 3.6 mph 16:15 minute/mile pace.

I would like for weigh in on Monday to tell me I am down 30 lbs. from 1 January. I think I have a good chance of meeting that goal, in spite of some hurdles between now and then.

It is hard to take a break from a fitness regimen, especially when one has fallen off the horse so many years in a row. The fear is, once you get out of your groove, will you stop working out all together? A legitimate concern, but it seems that people get stuck on a weight plateau unless they shake up the routine in some way. I have had trouble losing any more weight after an initial fast drop of 20 lbs or so. I may not have been eating enough. You have to make sure your body is getting proper nutrition and rest. This may mean taking a break for a few days. Just get back on the horse and don't give up.

**************By the way, big disclaimer here: We are not fitness or health professionals. We don't endorse our regimen for anyone else. Work out and diet at your own risk. See your doctor, priest, pharmacist, bookie, trainer, astrologer, or whoever you look to for guidance to make sure you are ready for an exercise program, and that you are eating and exercising safely. Educate yourself on the risks associated with changing your fitness and diet routine. Using the internet, it is easy to check out good programs, and people who can help you choose a wise program for you, and also easy to debunk expensive and sometimes dangerous false solutions-- diet pills, fads, magic patches that purify you through your feet, for crying out loud, cleansing potions, etc...Before you spend money on a quick fix that promises a lot and seems to good to be true, check out government and medical information to see what you are getting into. If it seems too good to be true, then it usually is.************************

I have never used a diet product that actually worked, and I have tried various ones over the years. What HAS worked, though it is not a popular answer, is: expend more calories than you take in. Eat in moderation, eat a variety of healthy foods, eat more fruit and vegetables than meats and breads, and don't deprive yourself of foods you like-- just make them an occasional treat in a modest portions, not binge eating due to frustration or depression. Find an exercise partner, or several, who will walk, bike, jog, work out, play tennis or racquetball, or whatever activities you can do over a period of time and not lose interest.

Small victories add up to a very happy level of fitness over a period of time. I knew I was on my way to an even uglier weight than I had already attained. This didn't happen overnight, but each year, I weighed a little more. I am changing that. I am not where I want to be, but I am successfully, safely, methodically dropping in weight to a more healthy, comfortable level, and it feels great.