Let’s get this out there from the very beginning. This series of blog posts are not intended to tell you how you should achieve your fitness goals. They are to share how I have made some significant strides in the right direction. Something clicked with me last year. I had gone to the doctor in December of 2009 and was literally in the worst shape of my life. My blood pressure was okay, because I took medication. My cholesterol was okay because it’s never been an issue. Both of these conditions are hereditary, one bad, one good. The one thing that was discovered was how close I was to becoming a diabetic. This set off some alarms in my head.

I was about to turn 51 at that time. My mother, who was a Type 2 diabetic, became very ill in May of 1981…she was 53. She died two and a half years later, when she was 55. My being borderline diabetic was not exactly an epiphany, because it took from late December to late March for me to start making changes. No one ever accused me of being the sharpest knife in the drawer, but finally it did click. Make sure you see your doctor before you GOYA(Get Off Your Apathy)(Click).

As I said yesterday, the first steps were literally baby steps. I went from a couch potato to a very consistent walker in a matter of a couple of weeks. I started very slowly because I didn’t want to do anything that would prevent my long term potential for success. Think tortoise and the hare and I was the tortoise. You should be the tortoise too. The problem is, we live in a society of hares.

Everyone wants it yesterday and they want it to be easy. Well, what I’ve done is simple, but it’s not easy. I have chosen to workout at home. I have some dumbells, some resistance bands and an adjustable bench. A couple of months ago, I did get a stability ball for certain exercises. I also do lots of push-ups. All in all, not very elaborate or super expensive. There came a point when my wife wanted to join a 24/7 gym. It was only $10/month for me so I joined. I never went. I had discovered something that worked for me and that’s very, very important. Find what works for you. I had been a member of World Gym in Marietta back in the late 90′s and loved it. This time however, it was not for me.

The combination of walking usually from 3-4 miles a day through September was sufficient. I lost 40 pounds by July but hit a snag because of my unstructured eating. More about that in my next post. In the fall, I discovered something very unexpected…YOGA.

I first discovered FitTV and the Yoga programs they offered. I also found something on Comcast cable. I never really used the On Demand feature until last fall and discovered the SPORTS AND FITNESS heading and EXERCISE TV, There are tons of free exercise videos including a Yoga/Pilates section. If you are a guy, don’t scoff. I am only talking about the physical nature of yoga, not spiritual. I have never been in the Lotus position doing the proverbial “ohmmmmmm”.

I’m talking about two different aspects of yoga that can’t be overlooked or denied. First, as a beginner, at the very least it helps your flexibility, which is crucial in whatever activities you engage in. If you choose to go further and do “Flow” or Vinyasa Yoga, it WILL kick your skeptical hind parts. It’s unbelievable. I maintained my 40 pound weight loss through the winter doing nothing but yoga, and no other aerobic exercise.

As the spring approached, I was talking on Twitter about my progress and some frustrations about my eating. A lady in South Carolina, we’ll call her Christy, suggested a book, THE FOUR HOUR BODY. Now Christy is a natural, female body builder and fitness competitor. That is a very unusual and extreme lifestyle for most people, but they do know what works in terms of weight loss and building muscle, so it got my attention. The book has some very unusual ideas in it, but the basic eating program makes sense. But that blog about how we eat is for next time.