David’s journey to improved health: my goals

In 4 months, I will have my 55th birthday and a few days later, my first marriage on one or my daughters.  So while I am not a bad weight or in bad shape, I have decided to use these occasions as motivation to get in better shape.  I does not hurt that my lovely wife is doing much of the same things.

My general goals (I will get more specific later):

  • Get to a good weight for me in a enduring, healthful way
  • Improve my all-around physical condition (including endurance/cardio-vascular health, strength, flexibility, and balance)

My writing here will help me achieve these goals by solidifying and extending what I have learned and done in the past.  In particular, I will review two books:

  • Eat, Drink and Be Healthy by Walter C. Willett and
  • The No Sweat Exercise Plan by Harvey Simon

As I write, I will try to keep it short and practical, sharing:

  • What I am learning
  • What I/we are doing, practical stuff to eat well and get in shape.
  • Good recipes and meal plans

My weight goal – While, there will be more detail on this later, I would like to share here at the beginning my weight goal and in my weekly update, I share of my progress (or lack thereof). I will not express it in pounds but a better (though not perfect) measure: the body-mass index (BMI).

Americans are told a normal BMI is 18.5 to 25. Maybe, but normal in the U.S. is healthy. As we will see, after BMIs of 21 or so, the risk of diabetes and other diseases escalates. When I started this diet a couple of weeks ago, I had a BMI of 25. Normal. And yet, I knew that is not healthy, not a good weight for me, even at 55. I have set my goal at a BMI of 22.  For me, one BMI is about 7.5 pounds. So dropping 3 BMI points is about 20 pounds.

So, I will be back next weekend, with an update on my progress and what I am doing to get to a very good weight and improved conditioning for not only my 55th birthday and daughter’s wedding, but life.

Next week: the math of weight loss; my breakfast routine.

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