Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

It has been so hot in Connecticut, I'm sure I don't need to remind you that you need to drink more to cool off. The heat causes us to sweat more and we lose a lot of water in this heat.

But how much of what you're drinking is actually water? Soda and beer do not count. It's best not to get your calories from your drinks. There is so much empty calories in soda, it can really pack on the pounds. Diet soda isn't much better… some research shows that diet soda drinkers might actually hurt their metabolism and increase risk of obesity and diabetes.

I must have heard it a thousand times... "You must feel a lot better!"

After losing 130 pounds, I didn't really think much about it, but yes, I do feel a lot better. I no longer have knee problems, I don't wake up with nocturnal leg pains and I don't suffer from headaches. I never realized when I was obese that being fat really does hurt physically (and of course emotionally too).

My body fat percentage has been fluctuating for a while now. A few months ago, it was 18.6, now it's about 20. According to experts, my body fat percentage should be below 18.

The strength training is working slowly, although the results are not as fast as they were with weight loss. I still like cardio more than the weights. I now have a personal trainer to go over the basics with the strength training. Hopefully I will learn enough as I only signed up for a few sessions.

I still find it hard to believe that people think of me as "slim". I know I'm not fat anymore but somehow, hearing names like "Hey Slim", or "wow, you're skinny", I think to myself, they can't be talking about me!

It's hard to get used to it. Most people were kind over the years and never really came right out and said I was fat back when I was obese. There were different things I would hear like "you're a big guy, you're gonna need a car with more room" (car salesman) or "Are you sure you're not diabetic?" (eye doctor).

In a recent post I mentioned a pivotal "moment of clarity" most people experience when they resolve themselves to lose weight.  Mine was somewhat embarrassing to say the least. However... as clear as that moment was... it came with another reinforcing experience that definitely sealed the deal with my need to live a more healthy lifestyle and to achieve a healthier weight.

Often for work I would travel to Boston, MA.  One of my offices was there since the product management team was run from that location.  I would travel there 2 to 3 times every other  week.  I would take the long drive from Bristol Connecticut to one of the outer lying towns near Boston and take the T rail into the city. I would get off at Government Center station and walk 4 blocks to the office.