16 Sep

2018

Maintaining an acceptable weight has become more challenging for me. The older I get the harder it is to stay in shape. I think most of us have to deal with this issue at some point in life.  Last week I shared the simple solution I used for many years to keep weight off – running. It worked fine for a few decades but over time it became apparent that a simple solution is not always the best answer. This week I am going to continue the story and explain what to do when your simple solution is not working. Bottom line up front – you have to change your approach.

The Keating clan is not known for being slim

I am a Keating. We Keatings are known for a few things – being slim is not one of them. If you look around at our family events Keatings are generally short and stout. We like to eat and drink…kind of like hobbits. It is rare that we skip meals, or turn down an opportunity to raise a glass in celebration. Opa is a good example. He was a great athlete in his younger days but never slim. Over the years he put on more and more weight. The good news is that I have broad shoulders like my dad. The not so good news is that I also have the same genes that prevent me from being slim. In order to maintain an acceptable weight, I have to battle against my natural tendency. In other words, it is easy for me to be overweight if I do not do something about it. Just so it is clear, neither one of you has to worry about your weight right now. Both of you are fine. In fact, you are slimmer than most Keatings which is good news for now. Consider this a cautionary tale about what you may experience further down the road.

My new doctor tried to warn me

In last week’s post, I mentioned that our family doctor warned me in 2013 that I weighed too much. I took his advice to heart and used my well-worn approach to address the situation. I increased my running mileage. All the miles kept me fit and made it easier to deal with the divorce from your mother. Running clears my head and helps me deal with stress. The good news is that I was able to get my weight under 190 pounds by early 2014. In fact, I did really well during my executive physical in 2014 which included a treadmill stress test. My new doctor was encouraging about my fitness, but she warned me about my eating and drinking habits. The bad news is that I ignored her advice because that is what I do. I continued running a lot but did not adjust my eating or drinking habits. Another reality check was coming soon.

The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Proverbs 12:15

2014 ended up being a tough year

In 2014 I was able to keep the weight off by running and playing soccer. Unfortunately, all that wear and tear took a toll on my body. I ended up injuring myself multiple times. As a result, my Army Ten Miler time that year was not good. In fact, it was the worse time I ran ever. I was somewhat embarrassed by my finishing time but chalked it up as a bad year. I also decided that getting my annual physical was not worth it. Two poor judgments on my part.

2015 was a better year but not sustainable

I needed to make a change, but I did not know what to do. Rather than make major adjustments I stayed with the same simple, now stupid solution. I kept running a lot. I would run more than four times a week, usually the same distance at the same speed which makes even less sense. I felt like I was making progress. From a running perspective, I was. My time in the 2015 Army ten miler was much better.

Problems became much more apparent in 2016

Unfortunately, my body paid the price for all this running. Most mornings I did not feel well. My back was tight, my hips hurt, and my ankles were sore on a regular basis. I am not a complete idiot. I did make one adjustment. I stopped playing soccer. I figured that was causing the pain I was experiencing. I was right – it contributed to the problem, but it was not the only reason. In reality, I was grinding my bones and joints into dust. During the fall of 2016, my problems became much more apparent. A few days before the Army ten miler I was reaching low for something in my closet. My back tightened and I rolled over in pain. I could not get up off the floor. After a few minutes, I was able to stand up. My back hurt like hell, and I could not walk normally. It was bad. As a result, I could not run the race. I skipped it. Instead, I spent a few months recovering. I ate and drank as I pleased which added weight. Not good.

My doctor read me the riot act in 2017

I completed my next executive physical in early 2017. My doctor read me the riot act. I was not in a good place. I was overweight. I ate too much. My lab results were bad. It was obvious that I was drinking too much and not taking care of my body properly. Something needed to change. I knew it. She definitely knew. Now it was time to do something about it. She recommended I rethink my whole approach to health, and come up with a better solution. She was right. I needed to think like the Dutch. Sometimes a simple problem requires a sophisticated solution. That was true in my case. Next week, I will describe what I did. It achieved the results I was looking for and seems to still be working to this day.