Living a Healthy Life is a committed choice

I used to take pride in having a fast metabolism.  I could eat anything and do almost any physical activity without even breaking a sweat.  I could play an entire basketball game without being substituted.  Having a 28 inch waist line is a good index of my former physical stature.  But age does have its way of catching up on us.  From 110 lbs., I gradually grew to 165-175 lbs.  My weight gain may not be much for some, but for someone whose weighed less than 100 lbs. most of my adult life the extra weight is quite a burden.   I forgot to take care of myself, I stopped exercising, I ate too much and drank too much of the wrong foods.  It wasn't until I reached the age of 30 that I decided that I didn't want to live like this.  I was diagnosed with pre-hypertension and classified as OB2 on my BMI.  At first I thought of it as a funny joke.  I used to tell myself that it's normal for people of my age to feel this way.  But I found out otherwise.  I felt always tired and sluggish.  I experience all sorts of body pain.  Even going through a flight of stairs became more of a challenge than a daily routine.  Pill popping with all sorts of headache and pain reliever became part of my daily routine and no matter how much sleep I have, I still seem to be always tired. Then I would make a life changing decision that would change my life and the way I live for the rest of my life.  The birth of my second child came with additional responsibility.  If I was having trouble raising one child, how much more 2?  Then I made a committed decision not just for myself, but for my family that I would live a healthy life.  But don't get me wrong the results didn't happen overnight.  It took me almost 2 years to reach my ideal body weight.  There was no magic formula, just a series of steps and rules I set for myself to achieve my goals.  Here are some of the steps I took on my way to a Healthy Life:

1.  I cut down on eating processed foods and drinks. If it's stored in a can, it's definitely not for me.
2. I refrain from drinking alcohol and soft drinks...
3.  I reduced my intake of fatty and oily foods. I try to take in more fruits and vegetables than I usually did.
4.  I don't each junk foods...
5.  I reduced the amount of salt and sugar intake from my diet...
6.  I drink plenty of water whenever I can...
7.  I reduced my pork intake, I normally eat fish and chicken...
8.  I go to sleep early before 10 P.M. and wake-up early around 5-6 A.M. the next day...
9. I walk to wherever I want to go, whenever I can...
10.  I try to get some exercise as much as I can...

As you can see the steps I took in living a healthy life are not new.  I didn't force it upon myself to do it all at a time.  Gradual steps I took daily led me to a healthy and fruitful life. The how is no longer important, if you have a strong enough why.   As of my last annual Physical test, I am now within my normal weight of 150-153 lbs. with no signs of hypertension.  I am living proof that change is possible. I was able to do it so can you...