Published in the Orlando Sentinel – A Better You 2.21.16
Like most people I have had a love-hate relationship with exercise. I would start exercise campaigns with good intentions, going to the gym regularly and then get sidetracked. When I did find my way back to the gym, it seemed I needed to exercise to be able to exercise regularly and hard enough to build muscle and lose fat.
Several months ago I had an epiphany; my health status was changing and not for the better. I had gained weight, and my blood pressure had nudged up into the 130s over the high 80s. My hemoglobin A1C (a lab test that estimates average blood sugar over the last 8 -12 weeks) had entered the pre-diabetic range. The final straw was when taking a picture with friends one “friend” tapped me on the belly and told me to “suck it in”. We all laughed, but the comment stuck squarely in my brain.
So I decided…things had to change. I looked to my brother, Tony Horton of P90X fame (I do have six biologic brothers, but none of them are named Tony) for a home workout program that would whip me into shape. I rearranged my garage, put down rubber mats and bought a pull-up bar, yoga block and weight bench off Amazon. I relocated my adjustable dumb bells that had been decorating the floor of my den to the garage and hung a TV on the wall. Using my body composition analyzer at my office, I established my baseline weight, percentage body fat, muscle mass and visceral fat. Visceral fat is deep fat around the intestines and organs and is linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. I even took before pictures as the P90X manual recommends.
I changed the way I eat – more vegetables (spinach, kale, spinach, kale) and protein, fewer carbohydrates. I also checked my hormone levels and found my testosterone level low and my estrogen level higher than it should be. I began supplementing with testosterone and progesterone, and quickly my energy level increased and my sleep pattern improved. I began the P90X workouts on November 30th and still get to the gym a few nights a week. I have had a couple of small setbacks – some shoulder pain that improved with exercises and some knee pain that resolved with stretching before running. But now I look forward to my exercise sessions and plan to run the Gate River Run, a 15K in Jacksonville in March. The last time I ran the River Run was 20 years ago.
Well, working out has paid off! I have lost 20 pounds and the love handles. My percentage body fat fell from 20% to 16% and my waist size is down from 34 to 31. I can do those wide grip pull ups that I couldn’t do even as a kid and knock out sets of pushups. My blood pressure and fasting blood sugars are down as well. I feel more energetic and really like it when people notice the changes in my appearance.
So what was different this time? I think having a defined exercise schedule and routine made a big difference. To be successful with weight loss you have to want it…badly…and understand that it takes real work to reach your goals. Maybe P90X is not right for you, but there are other individual programs as well as group exercise classes that help you track your progress and stay motivated for success. Everyone, regardless of age, can eat healthily and exercise more. The result can be….A Better You!
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