A bit of history

Thought it might help others to understand what I am attempting to do by relating some of my personal medical and fitness history.

I was a cross country athlete in High School and had some moderate success. Nobody could call me slow as a snail, but I wasn't a top athlete either.

After I left High School I joined the Coast Guard and my activities slowed down greatly. Not a lot a long distance runner can do on a ship that is only 248 ft. in length.

I left the Coast Guard after 4 years and went into the restaurant business. A couple years as a waiter/bus person and then studied Food Science Management at West Seattle Community College.

Cooking had a lot of activity but it was not geared for stamina. I spent about 17 years working as a cook. The last 7 years in a five star hotel/restaurant in Coconut Grove Florida.

I left the hotel and went to work as a purchasing agent and store room clerk. I suffered a back injury on the job and needed to change careers. At the time networking and computer type jobs were extremely high demand. I chose that field and received training at the MEED program (Microcomputer Education for the Employment of the Disabled) at what was then Miami Dade Community College, I believe that now the name is Miami Dade College.

Because of the back injury and my now sedentary job (was working at a call center) I began gaining weight. Gaining weight most often begins slowly and escalates. At least, this has been my own personal experience and the experience related by others.

I still have two rods and 4 screws holding my back steady. The back injury was a blown disc at the l5-s1 level. A laminectomy was performed, taking some bone from my hip to fuse the vertebrae. I do occasionally have back pain which in the past has limited my activity as well.

At any rate, I am determined to release fat till my BMI (Body mass index) is within acceptable range.