Self denial meets wake-up call. "Take this pill if you want to extend your life by 15 years" said the hollowed-eyed cardiologist. "For how long?", I sadly asked. "Like all the other Americans, for the rest of your life," he punctuated without the slightest bit of emotion. "It"s your choice."
I sat there depressed. I'm fat, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and facing a lifetime of medication. To add to my misery, my hips and lower back throbbed with a dull ache. I was a mess yet I never saw it coming. When I looked in the mirror, I was physically disgusted with what looked back. I needed to make a change, not tomorrow, not later, but NOW. I bought running shoes, grabbed a free calorie counting app and read all that I could on nutrition and exercise. I'm done with excuses - it's either all in or all out.
That was January 15th, 2012, at 175 lbs. with 26% body fat. Three months later, I dropped 20 lbs; first by walking, then brisk walking, weekend hiking and later light running. Light running twice a week turned to running 10 miles a week and most recently, 1/2 marathons every Saturday morning at sunrise. Weight training and fine tuned macro-diets turned flab to fab where today, I am healthy, rock-fit and stopped taking the pill after the first 6 weeks of exercise. My cholesterol is normal. My blood pressure is normal. My resting heart rate is at athlete level (44 bpm), I have zero back pain, zero joint pain and at 49, I can kick the ass of my former 18 year old self if given the chance.
One last, important thing. I must give GIANT props to my wife's macro-balanced meals. She wouldn't dare let me eat the same food, day in and day out. So with my diet under tight control, I was able to focus on fine tuning my physique with nothing more than a pair of dumbbells and a bench. Within six short months, I invested in an Olympic barbell set and a Rogue rack. I am officially addicted! God Bless you all!