My weight control journey started in 2009 as a 49-year-old dad after our family went to Europe on vacation to celebrate the high school graduation of our youngest daughter. I saw myself in a photo in front of the Eifel Tower and I felt like the Michelin Man with my fat rolls. I was a robust 187 pounds at 6 feet tall in that photo and decided that the status quo was no longer in the cards.
Upon returning from the trip, I started running again – after a 10-year hiatus – and it was a tedious process to both get back in shape and start losing weight. With a combination of weight training and running the pounds did come off and within one year (August of 2010) I lost 10 pounds; in 2 years (August of 2011) I had lost a total of 20 pounds; and in 3 years (August of 2012) I had lost a total of 30 pounds. By then I was strong, lean and down to 157, which is where I am still at today 12 years later in August of 2024 as I write this blog post.
As a USATF Masters All American running athlete since 2012, it is easier for me to manage my weight after turning 60 years old than it would be for a non-athlete. That said, walking is the best exercise there is and the dedicated walkers in my neighborhood are very lean too. If you don’t enjoy running, walking is a great way to stay fit and manage your weight.
I view managing my weight as an annual battle and a challenge and try to make it fun. I have 15 years of historical data to look back upon – data that I personally keyed into an Excel spreadsheet so I can count on it.
I know that my ideal race weight is about 153 to 155 as that is the best weight for me to maintain the right balance of strength, speed, endurance and flexibility. I feel very good at that weight and I know that my running race times will be optimized providing I stay in that range. Most of my races are in the period from October through early February when I am putting in the most mileage so my weight is at the yearly lows during that time. Summers tend to be brutally hot and humid where I live and I reduce my mileage, especially during July and August.
Along with running, weight training and walking, I try to limit my sugar intake and employ intermittent fasting by not eating between the hours of 6pm and 8am. I discuss this in another blog post I authored, a book review of “Lies I Taught In Medical School” by Robert Lufkin, MD. He taught me about the importance of eating right and eating at the right time. You can read that here.
Finally, I try to get good quality sleep each night. Most nights I get 8 hours or so, and that seems to work out very well for me. With all of the exercise, I sleep good.
Exercise, diet and sleep – my keys to managing my weight and my health year after year. At 64 years old and counting, it is working very well for me.