Weight Loss Information

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.


MORE RESOURCES:

Canada.com

Weight loss a phone call away, study finds
Reuters - 4 hours ago
"We actually found significant weight loss with phone counseling which hasn't been seen in other research," said Marieke Van Wier, a researcher at VU ...
Weight Loss Interventions by Phone or E-Mail Seen Effective MedPage Today
all 8 news articles


dBTechno

Orexigen drug shows 9.3 pct weight loss, shrs fall
Reuters - Jan 8, 2009
The US Food and Drug Administration has said obesity drugs need to demonstrate weight loss at least 5 percentage points above that seen with a dummy pill. ...
Orexigen Falls After Weight-Loss Pill Fails to Meet FDA Goal Bloomberg
Orexigen Says Weight Loss Drug Contrave Meets Goals in Trial eFluxMedia
Orexigen claims weight-loss pill is effective The Money Times
San Diego Union Tribune - TheStreet.com
all 59 news articles


eFluxMedia

US expanding list of illegal weight-loss drugs
Dallas Morning News, TX - Jan 8, 2009
More than 70 weight loss pills sold in the US as dietary supplements contain drugs that aren't disclosed on the labels and can harm consumers, ...
FDA Expands Warning on Weight Loss Pills Natural Products Marketplace
Weight loss pill warning WSLS.com
FDA sends out more diet pill alerts; criminal charges possible USA Today
Newsinferno.com - WSET
all 22 news articles


Reality TV Magazine

National weight loss challenge to help local food bank
Muncie Star Press, IN - 16 hours ago
Viewers that night learned about the show's collaboration with General Mills and national food banks to sponsor a weight loss and fundraising effort to ...
Weight loss program benefits Winchester News Gazette
Be Valley’s biggest loser Youngstown Vindicator
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI FOOD BANK, FEEDING AMERICA, GENERAL MILLS AND ... Southeast Missourian
Trading Markets (press release) - Muncie Star Press
all 16 news articles


Shape up! 6 secrets of weight-loss success
MSNBC - Jan 8, 2009
A November 2008 study published in the "International Journal of Obesity" demonstrated that weight-loss programs can even have a ripple effect; ...


ABC News

Steve Jobs' weight loss may be linked to his earlier cancer ...
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Jan 5, 2009
But they said pancreatic surgery patients sometimes do suffer such weight loss and have been been successfully treated with oral supplements. ...
Video: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance AssociatedPress
Apple's Steve Jobs blames 'hormone imbalance' for weight loss Computerworld
Jobs: Hormone imbalance causing weight loss CNNMoney.com
Bloomberg - Taipei Times
all 2,819 news articles


Better Business Bureau warns about fraudulent weight-loss endorsements
Anderson Independent Mail, SC - 21 hours ago
The Better Business Bureau is warning customers of online ads relying on celebrity endorsements to sell acai berry-related weight loss products. ...
Call 4 Action: Marketing Of 'Weight Loss' Berry Drawing Fire MSNBC
BBB warning consumers of weight-loss scams Columbus Dispatch
BBB warns of acai berry weight-loss scam WalletPop
Fort Worth Star Telegram - Natural Products Industry Insider
all 86 news articles


New weight-loss program at Dogma Athletica in Edwards
Vail Daily News, CO - 7 hours ago
The comprehensive program focuses on nutrition, lifestyle and health and addresses weight loss, blood sugar balance and its relationship to mood and hormone ...


New Weight Loss Scam Operating In The Area
Indiana's NewsCenter, IN - 2 hours ago
The weight loss-product maker claims it has the endorsement of OPRAH Winfrey, and charges customers each month despite the offer of a "free trial".


Weight Loss Secrets
News Channel 7, SC - 8 hours ago
Now, local experts offer some weight loss secrets that will help you melt the pounds away. When you are trying to lose weight, experts like Cindy Thomas say ...

Weight-Loss - Google News

home | site map
© 2006