I have been thinking for quite some time blogging about what has helped me successfully maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am not sure why.
So about me. I was pretty skinny when thru my teens. I stayed pretty active, liked bicycling; however, I was not in anyway an athletic person. In fact, my only blemish on my report cards in middle and high school was my C's in P.E.
It wasn't until my sophomore year in high school that I had any glimmer of liking running. This was at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington. This is the French castle high school that was featured in the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You." The funny thing is that this school wasn't known for its sports program. Until 1984 hadn't won a single football game since 1968. It was known more for its academics, its arts program, and its award winning orchestra.
This is where I learned about trail running. We would do this once a week and then were given the option on Friday's to choose an activity. I typically chose running. I liked that it wasn't boring. That the terrain was constantly changing and that some thought had to go on every foot placement. Running through the autumn leaves or the moss and Washington drizzle was extremely peaceful.
As a junior and senior we were not required to take P.E, and while I enjoyed it for the first time they year prior, I opted for the school newspaper.
In my twenties I was back to riding my bicycle. But this was only when it wasn't raining, in Washington, the rain capital of the world. This meant bicycle riding from May through October. This also meant weight swings of 35 pounds, in about 185 in the summer and 220 in the winter. This and unhealthy eating habits finally caught up with me. I stopped bicycling regularly by the time I was 28 and the weight kept building.
In 1999 we moved to the Bay Area. Perfect climate, close to Napa, the Sierra's, Monterey, near the ocean. We did a lot of exploring. A lot of eating out. We probably ate at a restaurant at least once a week. We would eat fast food at least every other day for convenience. The one of our favorite meals was cheesy hasbrown hamburger helper.
I topped out at 285 when my first daughter was born. This was 2002 I was able to bring down and maintain my weight to 262 pounds. We joked back then that our daughters first words were Taco Bell and "Jumbo Jack, two tacos, and a large diet coke easy ice,". That should have been the biggest clue to how unhealthy and unbalanced our choices had become.
I would go on diets, primarily the high protein diets. Most of the time I would loose 20 to 30 pounds, but once I reached a goal, I would pop right back up. I tried Weight Watchers with my wife. In fact we both were battling our weight. I walked the hills in San Francisco. We would walk around a local reservoir.
But we would always gain back our weight.....
What would finally do it?
So about me. I was pretty skinny when thru my teens. I stayed pretty active, liked bicycling; however, I was not in anyway an athletic person. In fact, my only blemish on my report cards in middle and high school was my C's in P.E.
It wasn't until my sophomore year in high school that I had any glimmer of liking running. This was at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington. This is the French castle high school that was featured in the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You." The funny thing is that this school wasn't known for its sports program. Until 1984 hadn't won a single football game since 1968. It was known more for its academics, its arts program, and its award winning orchestra.
This is where I learned about trail running. We would do this once a week and then were given the option on Friday's to choose an activity. I typically chose running. I liked that it wasn't boring. That the terrain was constantly changing and that some thought had to go on every foot placement. Running through the autumn leaves or the moss and Washington drizzle was extremely peaceful.
As a junior and senior we were not required to take P.E, and while I enjoyed it for the first time they year prior, I opted for the school newspaper.
In my twenties I was back to riding my bicycle. But this was only when it wasn't raining, in Washington, the rain capital of the world. This meant bicycle riding from May through October. This also meant weight swings of 35 pounds, in about 185 in the summer and 220 in the winter. This and unhealthy eating habits finally caught up with me. I stopped bicycling regularly by the time I was 28 and the weight kept building.
In 1999 we moved to the Bay Area. Perfect climate, close to Napa, the Sierra's, Monterey, near the ocean. We did a lot of exploring. A lot of eating out. We probably ate at a restaurant at least once a week. We would eat fast food at least every other day for convenience. The one of our favorite meals was cheesy hasbrown hamburger helper.
I topped out at 285 when my first daughter was born. This was 2002 I was able to bring down and maintain my weight to 262 pounds. We joked back then that our daughters first words were Taco Bell and "Jumbo Jack, two tacos, and a large diet coke easy ice,". That should have been the biggest clue to how unhealthy and unbalanced our choices had become.
I would go on diets, primarily the high protein diets. Most of the time I would loose 20 to 30 pounds, but once I reached a goal, I would pop right back up. I tried Weight Watchers with my wife. In fact we both were battling our weight. I walked the hills in San Francisco. We would walk around a local reservoir.
But we would always gain back our weight.....
What would finally do it?
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