Fat 2 Fit: Dennis Babson: Nothing Tastes as Good as Being Thin Feels!
Surprisingly simple changes can help you increase your metabolism and drop pounds in a safe manner. For this successful pound dropper, walks, yard work, and less television have worked wonders.
By: Carole Carson | Source: AARP.org | 2008-09-29
Dennis Babson, 63, of Grass Valley, Calif., describes his fitness journey and the reactions of people around him:
"In my early 20s, I reached 265 pounds on my 6-foot- 3-inch frame and stayed around there for many years. Like my car's license plate reads, I was a BIG GUY. In 1979, I lost weight with the help of Weight Watchers®, only to put it back on. Six years later, I repeated the pattern. Realizing I needed a maintenance program, I once again rejoined. This time after I reached my goal, I became a lifetime member. I've lost more than 65 pounds and have kept it off more than three years.
"My weight directly correlates to my exercise and eating patterns," he related. "My workouts are mainly walks in the area. Summers provide the added benefit of plenty of yard work. Sweat is a good thing. I don't own a riding lawnmower or a hammock. I have no idea what's on television past 7 p.m., and I gave away my gas barbeque grill.
"The responses I get to the new me vary.
- My son, after examining the refrigerator: 'You never have anything good to eat around here.'
- People I haven't seen in a while ask: 'Do you feel okay?' sounding as though they think I have a terminal illness.
- My doctor, after he read my test results: 'You scored better than I!'
"I've moved to a pleasant diet of a wide variety of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. I find serenity in chopping, slicing, or dicing something," he said. "My mantra? 'Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.'"
Thanks, Dennis, for demonstrating to us what's possible for the rest of us to achieve.
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