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Sports View

By GARY ARRINGTON Sports writer

Once again I have to suck it up and admit that my way might not have been the best way. I also have to admit that I needed the assistance of my wife, which must be against the guy’s code of ethics or something like that. But then when the desired results start to happen, how can I possibly be disappointed. I can’t.
I am back to that weight thing. I am back to that evil little secret, but if you ever saw me you know that it was no secret, that I was still slightly over the government recommended weight allowance. Okay it was not slightly, it was a lot.
Being of the age that I am, I went to the doctor for a physical. Their scales do not lie or at least that is what they tell me. I weighed 284 pounds. There were people on the Biggest Loser that did not weight that much and they looked awful. I went to the mirror more than once to justify my excuses but I never really convinced myself that I was right. So now here is the story.
I hate to admit that I was wrong but wrong is what I was. I always hated scales, probably because then you had to be responsible for what they said. But now I realize that in order to measure what it is you are doing, in this case weight loss, you had to have a measuring device, a scale.
So a scale we have. Next I charted goals of where I wanted to be and how quickly I wanted to get there. And finally, on my bathroom wall right next to the mirror, I put up a picture of me in all my glory lying on a beach. I think I look like a beached whale, now that I really look at the picture. And then came the final two pieces of the equation if I really wanted to be successful.
First I got a support group, starting with my wife. And to be completely honest, my wife actually started this mess first. If you cannot beat them, join them and so I did. Whoever lives with you has to buy into the project. I also have friends that help along the way with their encouragement and competition. Finally you have to have a commitment to changing your ways because in order to be successful, major change is necessary.
I have had a lifestyle change, which is probably the hardest thing that I have ever done. Different foods, different eating patterns, daily exercise, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, no soda, lots of water and the list could go on and on but those are the major items. No more chocolate donuts, no Hostess pies, no french fries, almost no fast foods. Walking, treadmills, racquetball, basketball or anything that makes you sweat and almost everyday, sometimes twice.
It is work, it was work and has it worked, it sure has. I have lost more than 60 pounds and I figure that within the next two months I will be where I want to end up. And that may produce the next chapter of life, staying there. But that will be then not now. And what do I get for the effort. A good feeling inside knowing that I have worked to improve my quality of life, to fend off possible diabetes and joint problems, to continue enjoying life to the fullest. And how about you? Can you do it? Do you care? My answer is “life is better.” Do it, you can.

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