[Vegas69]

It's been approx. 6 months since I started down this road to a healthier lifestyle. I weighed in at 169.4 lbs this morning. I don't recall being this light but maybe once since my Junior year in high school.

The consistency of my excercise program and diet has my metabolism in high gear. I'm talking consistency like the sun rising here.... I'm eating 6-7 times a day. Of course my snacks are almost always fruit, veggies, nuts, or yogurt. I drink beer on Friday/Saturday nights and eat Pizaa 1-2 times a week. Usually with whole grain crust. I have greek yogurt and granola nearly every night. What I'm trying to say is I'm eating a good amount of food and maintaining my weight.

Tracking your diet is crucial to begin with. You must educate yourself on calorie intake and the make up of foods. You also need to determine at what daily calorie intake you can lose a reasonable amount of weight. The goal here is of course to lose the weight, but you also need the skill to keep it off for life and that's through education. I'm on my 3rd health and nutrition book in 6 months. Skip the fad diets that rob your body of the nutrients it needs. Skipping meals and starving yourself are the worst thing you can do. Find a diet you can stick to for life that works for you body.

You must find a work out program you can stick to religously. Going to the gym for an hour and a half 6 days a week or running 5 miles a day isn't it for 99% of us. You WILL QUIT. My workouts for 6 months are only a half hour. I either run for 30 minutes or do high intensity weights. Now, I run a pretty good pace and burn nearly 500 calories and usually do a dozen excercises with sets of 3 in those 30 minutes. You have to make the time count.

It's really not that difficult if you want it bad enough. It does take time as it won't happen overnight. The more out of shape you are, the longer it will take to achieve your ideal weight. Like I was telling my broker yesterday, it's like building a business, you wouldn't open the doors and give up after 2 weeks. You must put the time and effort into the change. It's just like compound interest, the longer you stay consistent, the greater benefit you will begin to see.

Lastly, don't discount finding a great doctor. Get your butt in and get a physical including an extensive blood profile. I've found that regardless of diet, my body doesn't absorb enough B12 and I still struggle with low HDL. You may need to supplement to complete the puzzle.

"If you wish to find, you must search. Rarely does a good idea interrupt you"
-Jim Rohn