Walking: Its Never Too Late to Lose Weight!

How did a thin person like me become overweight? My mother had probable Alzheimer's disease and I was her caregiver for nine years. During this time she lost the ability to read, understand television, converse with others, and the ability to speak. Eating was the only thing that gave her pleasure.

To give her some quality of life I took her out to lunch every Wednesday and cooked a gourmet meal for her every Sunday. Slowly but surely, I put on extra pounds. Though I had to buy larger clothes, I wasn't aware of my weight gain, and continued to think of myself as thin.

Looking back, I realize I was so busy caring for my mother that I forgot to take care of myself. After she died I still didn't take care of myself because I was grieving. But the day came when I stepped out of the shower, looked in the mirror, and gasped.

Who was this person?

When I went for my annual physical exam my doctor told me that tests showed a slight increase in my blood sugar level. She cautioned me about becoming a late onset diabetic and said I could avoid this by shedding a few pounds. "The next time you see me I'll be thinner," I declared.

I bought some walking shoes, a pedometer, and jined a health club. In the evenings I walked in my neighborhood. A year and a half later I was back to my college weight and clothing size. My blood sugar was normal, I had renewed energy, and could out-walk people half my age. Now my goal is to maintain a healthy weight.

I walk 10,000 steps a day, which is about fve miles. On snowy or rainy days I walk around the center island in my kitchen, inside at a local mall, or every grocery store aisle. Instead of piling thngs on the bottom step to take upstairs, I look for excuses to climb stairs.

Sometimes I don't get in 10,000 steps a day and when this happens I don't punish myself. I just walk more the next day.

In addition to my daily walking. I cut my protein intake, ate more fruit, vegetables, and fiber, and cut portion sizes. I'm 5' 5 1/2" inches tall, flucuate between 115-117 pounds, and have a Body Mass Index (weight adjusted for sex, height, and age) of 19 - an excellent number.

Daily walks help me to prevent diabetes, maintain a normal blood pressure, reduce the risks of heart attack and colon cancer, and slow bone loss. Walking can do the same for you. If you haven't been physically active lately, get a medical checkup before you start walking. No matter how old you are, it's never too late to lose the weight!

Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson. To learn more about her work go to www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 26 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. A member of Mayo Clinic's Action on Obestity Task Force, she continues to write health recourses for chidlren and adults. Her latest book, Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief, co-authored by Dr. Lois Krahn, is available on amazon.com by entering the title or her name. Hodgson is hard at work on her next book, Doctor in the House: An Inside Look at Medical Marriage.

---

Weight Loss for Good: The Cold Hard Truth!

Twenty years of health club consulting, 50,000 hours of paid... Read More

Why Are There Different Diet Types?

Diet is a dreadful word for most of us because... Read More

Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson #3

Whew! So how did you do on that last lesson?... Read More

Secrets of Gastric Bypass Surgery: Lose Weight Without Surgery

There's more to gastric bypass than surgery and rapid massive... Read More

Negative Calorie Effect in Foods

Negative Calorie Effect in FoodsWhatever food we... Read More

Do You Jiggle When You Walk?

Today I stopped by my favorite coffee shop in Berkeley,... Read More

Eat Fat to Burn Fat

For about 50 years now, Americans have been eating low... Read More

Anti-aging: Is It Really Possible?

Although it is obviously not possible to turn the clock... Read More

Taking Control of Your Subconscious for Permanent Weight Loss

From the moment of birth your first emotional experiences establish... Read More

A Before and After Look at Tummy Tucks

If you have a protruding abdomen, loose skin as a... Read More

Food Intolerance and Low Carb Diets

Food intolerance is a pharmacological reaction to the consumption of... Read More

Weight Loss Secrets -- It?s About Perspectives!

Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More

Diet Tactics You Must Know To Lose Fat?

This article is about making long-term changes in the foods... Read More

Mexican Living: Too Dang Fat!

I thought I could avoid this when we moved to... Read More

Weight Loss: Goal-Setting for Success

If you were going to travel to the other side... Read More

Weight Loss and Diet Programs - The Real Skinny on What Works Best!

Have you ever wondered with all the weight loss programs... Read More

6 Simple Steps To LifeLong Weight Loss

If You are sick of losing the same weight over... Read More

How to Spot False Weight Loss And Diet Advertising Claims

Flip through a magazine, scan a newspaper, or channel surf... Read More

WLS Patients Take Too Long to Order Food: What?s That About?

Families who dine out with their loved ones who've had... Read More

The Mysterious Dr. Atkins Death

Dr. Atkins death was unexpected. On 8 April 2003, he... Read More

Weight Loss With Ionamin: Gentle Plan, Mighty Results

You know you have will-power. You can change a diaper... Read More

Top 5 Weight Loss Strategies From A Top Level Personal Trainer

You are ready to shed those energy draining, body crippling,... Read More

Loose 10 Pounds by Drinking Water?

Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of... Read More

Motivation and Dieting - Whats the Missing Link?

If you are like everyone else who has hit rock... Read More

Why Diets Are A Waste Of Time & Money - What You Can Do Instead

A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More

Weight Loss Forums: Top 5 Reasons To Join An Online Weight Loss Support Group

You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More

NotOneOunce -- Junk at the Office

After the post-Halloween sugar surge, everyone coaches you to get... Read More

Have You Tried These Weight Loss Tips?

The following are weight loss tips that you can start... Read More

Today?s Diets ? What?s Hot!

For the person who wants to shed a few pounds... Read More

The Diet Demons

As the dieting phenomenon grows, with a new "diet guru"... Read More

No Low Carb Diet Progress? Sleep In To Get Thin!

If your low carb diet is going nowhere, maybe its... Read More

The Hated Cellulite Cure That Works

Cellulite is not a medical condition or an aesthetic mutiny... Read More

The Truth About Fat

Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More