Dog food is bad for your health...

Over the past several months I have worked hard to drop a few pounds and get into better shape. I wasn't what I would call obese, but I was packing 220 pounds around on my 6 foot frame. I wasn't in very good shape for someone that wants to retire in a few years and enjoy it when he does. I was having a hallway discussion with a coworker that had lost some weight and he said he figured he had been walking around with the equivalent of a 30 pound bag of dog food draped over his shoulders. It was that visual that got me off my dormant duff and gave me the incentive to start investing some time into my health. With me, it was and is all about making a commitment to exercise and then having the integrity to keep that commitment. I hear people say they have integrity, but then they don't act with integrity when it comes to commitments they make to themselves. I had a treadmill sitting in my basement collecting dust and just waiting for me to make a date with it. I started out walking a mile 3 days a week. Walking, not running. Running beats my knees up too much. I gradually increased to 5 days per week and am now up to 3 miles per workout. Every now and then I go for 5. I walk at between 4 and 4.5 miles per hour and raise the incline from 3 to 4 degrees as I walk. For me the key is to sweat. If I sweat I feel good when I'm done. I have also tried to be more aware of what I eat. I try to stay away from junk food. I can't say that I have been on a diet, but I try to watch my portions. I eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast and have found myself looking at the labels on the food that I buy at the grocery. I don't deprive myself of anything, but I just don't go overboard. If I want chocolate, I eat chocolate. I just don't over do it. You are what you eat. I am currently fluctuating between 190 and 195 pounds. I want to get down to 185, but I seem to have reached a plateau. I feel good. No, I feel great. I actually had to go out an buy new pants with a smaller waist size. Wow! That felt really good and it only cost 1 bag of dog food! I want to retire, but I want to retire healthy. Investing for retirement is not just about the money. Investing in you health now will give you a better chance to enjoy that money when you get to the finish line. Start walking now for a better tomorrow.