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    Debt
    Start (11/1/07): $51,100
    Current Debt: $41,341
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    Start 12/29/07: 245 lbs
    Current Weight: 227 lbs
    Target Weight: 185 lbs
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    • « Black Friday | Main | Why Do I Drink? »

    8 Weeks to Optimum Health

    By Jay | November 24, 2007

    I have been dieting intermittently for the past few months, and managed to lose almost 15 lbs, mostly by lowering carbs and exercising more. But over the past couple weeks I’ve been spending more time at my desk and hence not moving around as much. That, plus lots of holiday goodies that people bring in, and a large Thanksgiving dinner, made me nervous to get on the scale at the gym today — and for good reason. I gained almost 5 lb.

    This has been a pattern of mine in the past, to go all out with exercise and dieting in a ways that are not sustainable. Then, after achieving a goal, I would get lazy, start putting a few pounds on, and soon enough I would be back where I started.

    Over the last few months I’ve been realizing that health isn’t just about exercise and dieting, it’s about making a lifestyle change. My job involves a lot of sitting at a computer. I like a lot of things about my job, but healthy it is not. And I see the negative health impacts on me AND my co-workers, with our spreading hips and sore backs. That’s something about my life that I would like to change. And then there’s my diet. It’s normally pretty good, but I do take shortcuts occasionally, like a slice of pizza when I’m on the run. I drink coffee. I drink alcohol. I do have a sweet tooth. At 25 I could get away with these things; at 44 it’s not so easy. So I am aware that to be really healthy, I need to make some lifestyle changes, and I’ve spent some time mulling over what they should be.

    Today I came across a book by Dr. Andrew Weil, called 8 Weeks to Optimum Health. In it, Dr. Weil writes about the benefits of eating a vegetarian diet, with some fish. I’ve always felt better when I ate a mostly vegetarian diet. I’ll probably always eat some meat, but I know I’d do better with less than I eat now. He also writes about the health risks of stress. My Investment Banking job involves a LOT of stress. He writes about the benefits of eating organic produce. I find organic produce very expensive, but if I were to re-arrange my finances — stop eating out, spend less on good wine, do away with my weekly massage, I’m sure I’d be able to afford to buy organic.

    The book has eight different chapters, one per weekly “step.” I’m going to do this program, so will report in as I progress along the steps.

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    Topics: Diet, Fitness, Heath |

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