Why am I doing this?

Several months ago, for a case of gout, I went to the doctor. When the doctor checked my blood pressure, she was alarmed at the numbers she saw. She voiced her concern that my blood pressure was approaching stroke range. I was told that I needed to lose some weight and change my diet......I was not convinced.

Taking the prescibed medicine, I thought, would be good enough. However, there was a voice in the back of my mind which kept telling me that I needed to listen to what the doctor had told me. You see, my grandfather also had high blood pressure, and he experienced his first (of 3) heart attacks when he was 36 years old. I am 39 years old. I am the father of three beautiful children and am lucky enough to be married to the greatest woman in the world. I want to be around for a long time in order to share in the experiences of my children; their joys, triumphs, tears and their love. The road I was headed down would not allow me to experience these things......something needed to be done.

For my birthday my wife had bought me a Jawbone UP band to track my daily activities to help with my health. MFP, as you are all probably well aware, can be linked to the UP to further help with diet and exercise and such. Finally, I broke down and started with my lifestyle change.

I have lost around 29 pounds and am eating healthy. I feel great! Who would have ever thought that a proper diet and exercise would make you feel so good? This program, MFP and the UP band, are helping to keep me on track. It has sparked a determination in me to finish the course in a healthy way. Thank you MFP for the tools necessary to accomplish this.