Weight-loss story has moral
October 27, 2004
By Karen Shideler
WICHITA, Kan. - Once upon a time, not so long ago, Walt Johnson weighed 243.5 pounds.
That, Walt thought, "wouldn't be so bad if I were 7 feet tall." But he is no big Papa Bear. He is a 5-foot-8-inch man, "so that is not so good."
Late last year, Walt decided to take action, even though some people might think a man who just turned 70 doesn't need to care about how much he weighs.
His food had been neither too hot nor too cold, but there had been way too much of it. He decided it would be just right to eat a regular breakfast and lunch but have only tea and fruit for dinner. (But he also decided he could splurge every once in a while.)
He huffed, and he puffed, as he started going to the YMCA more often. Instead of working out haphazardly three times a week, he started going six days a week.
Instead of just working on weight machines to keep his upper body strong enough to power his wheelchair, he started swimming, too. It was the aerobic activity that seemed to make the most sense for a man who lost a leg in 1990 because of circulation problems and now wanted to make his body a more efficient bellows.
Walt started writing things down, too, because, he says, "I believe in keeping score."
He could see in his notebook how much he was eating, how long he was on the weight machines and how far he was swimming.
He started noticing that he was just as satisfied when he had two pieces of light toast for breakfast as when he had two biscuits. He noticed that a little butter had the exact same taste as more. He noticed he enjoyed sugar-free Crystal Light as much as orange juice.
He started noticing how much weight he was losing.
Alas, as Walt lost weight, he changed. His clothes no longer fit, and his wife had to take them in -- more than once. He was wearing clothes he hadn't been able to get into for 10 years. "I look altogether different," he says.
Well, what do you expect? Just like that fabled fox who kept jumping at the grapes, Walt has been after it for nine months now. But Walt didn't declare the grapes sour. In fact, he might have had some for dinner recently.
Walt has lost 50 pounds. He'd like to lose about 40 more.
And so. we come to the end of our story, but not really.
Walt looks around at the North Y -- he's been going there and to the East branch for five or six years now -- and he sees others in the same weight boat.
"I hate the word 'diet,' because it's a temporary thing," he said.
"Diet" is something that foolish hare would have dashed into. Walt wishes people would be like that old tortoise, who just kept plugging along, keeping his eye on the goal.
After all, Walt says, "If I can do this, anybody could."
Lessons from Walt's story
Do your homework. Figure out what your weight should be based on your height and age.
Make small changes that you can live with.
Find exercise that's appropriate for your life style and that you enjoy enough to stick with.
Keep track of what you're doing.
Set goals. Recognize your accomplishments.
Source:http://newsok.com
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