Hello From Oregon

[pdxguy]

It always hard for me to write these introductions. I feel lie I'm either blowing my own horn or making excuses but hey, nothing ventured nothing gained. Right?

 

Background

I will be signing up for Medicare in a couple of months so I'll let you figure out my age. My advanced age brings with it the limitation that any form of high impact exercise is out of the question. Between mild arthritis in one knee and an ankle that sounds like rocks in a cement mixer high impact exercise is in the past for me.

 

That said I am an active fitbit user. I actively compete with three to five other fitbit users to see who walks the most. Currently I am walking about 12,000 steps a day, that's five to six miles, and rowing thirty minutes three times a week. This may slow down a bit as we head into winter as it can be rather sloppy in western Oregon during the winter but I plan on maintaining at least 10k steps on average.

 

All this activity is a rather recent change in my lifestyle. For most of my working life I've had sedentary desk jobs. That combined with my motto of "Too Much Good Food, Too Little Time" has lead my to weighing more than I should and having mild high blood pressure.

 

My love of food has always been my Achilles heel. You can't outrun your fork especially when you don't run.

 

Food:

I love to cook and eat. Fortunately, with age has come a little wisdom. While I have always eaten a healthy diet compared to most of my peers, heavy on vegetables, more chicken than beef, I've never paid much attention to portion size and that added weight every year.

 

Currently I am about 60 pounds overweight and lack the endurance to enjoy hiking and bike riding, two activities that gave me much enjoyment in my younger years.

 

Goals:

I have a whole list of things that I am going to be changing over the next year. Having recently retired I have made the decision that my new job is to change my lifestyle from unhealthy to healthy.

 

So here are my health & wellness goals for the next year.

 

1) Lose 60 pounds.

2) Become a weekday vegetarian.

3) Crush my daughter in a bike ride, summer 2014. (Sorry if that sounds harsh but she's thirty and in good physical shape so I think she can probably handle me beating her in a bike ride.)

4) Hike Dog Mountain during the spring wild flower season. Dog Mountain has always eluded me and its about time I conquered it.

 

Long term goal: Walk The Way, not for any religious reason but just for the experience.

 

Well that's about it. If you live in the Beaverton, OR area and want to get together to compare goals and discuss failures and successes I'd be happy to meet you for coffee or a walk at one of TVPR nature parks. Just get in touch with me here on the NF discussion board.

 

Good luck on you goals and may your successes be many.

 

gary

 

 

[Guest Dirty Deads]

Hey fellow PNW'er!  Goals look solid. You'll hit that 60 lbs. in no time. Your daughter will be shocked in 2014 when she can no longer see you ahead of her on your bike. Age be damned, there is nothing you can't do.

[Elastigirl]

welcome from another PNW'er! Also glad to have someone who makes me feel young,  Love your goal of crushing your daughter -always keep your kids guessing, that's my motto.

[hawgsquatch]

^{Welcome from far, far North California. You have some very realistic and attainable goals for life.  I have been trying out meatless Mondays with varying sucess, perhaps you cabn give us some pointers. Welcome to the community and stay weird.}

[Dontstopb3lievin]

Yay!!! It is exciting to see so many people from the GREAT PNW!! I, along with Lord Swoledemort live just across the river from you. So I understand what you are saying about the weather.  Although to some, I can see how saying that you want to crush your daughter may sound harsh, but I think it sounds awesome.  I turned 30 about two weeks ago, and I think it would be awesome if my mom had that mentality. (Dad isn't alive). I also would love to be in shape enough to hike around the area. We live in one of the most beautiful places around, I want to get out and see it more.  Have you ever hiked South Sister in Central Oregon? It is amazing. I want to do it again. Keep us posted on your progress, and I look forward to hearing about your race against your daughter!

[Guest]

Welcome welcome!

When my dad retired, he started a similar pattern to you, took up tennis and ping pong.

Now he's a mean ping pong player 

I do wish you the best of luck! Your goals are great, and I hope you share your wisdom with us