New to the site

stevean

Hi-
I'm new here. My friend Paul pointed me to this site a couple days ago. This looks like the right kind of thing for me.

Back in the '80s, I was in the Army and in great shape. I even ran the Marine Corps Marathon twice ('86 & 87).
I got out of the Army in 1990, and I basically gained a few lbs every year since then. I'm a software engineer which means a lot of sitting all day, with little exercise. I also tore a tendon in my knee a few years ago and that made it even worse. I recently got on the scale and saw that I am up to about 275, and I feel awful. I'm on BP and cholesterol meds, my knees hurt all the time, and I'm now getting varicose veins in my legs. My dad was a type II diabetic, and I don't want to go there. The way I am right now, I know that I will.

The office I work at always has snacks out for the taking. A few are healty (fruits and nuts), but most are just junk (candy, slim jims, chips, cookies, etc). I have vowed to avoid the junk food at work now, and as a result have lost a few pounds over the last couple of weeks. I've also begun walking at lunch (there's route near my office that takes me 1.5 miles one way, I can do 3 miles during lunch time), every day, though it's sometimes de-motivating to deal with all the rain up here in Seattle. As I get back in shape, hopefully the walks will turn into jogs and then runs.

My goal is to drop the 101 lbs I've gained over the last 22 years, get off the meds, and be able to run another marathon within a year or 2. I have a wife and 3 daughters and want to be around for them.

Wish me luck!