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Sue started her weight loss program with a strict non-fat low calorie diet. Her program also included walking. An activity which was very difficult for her in the beginning. In Tualatin, Oregon her home town, there is a man-made lake in the center of town. There are paved walkways all around the lake and the distance is almost 1/2 mile. The first few weeks it took all Susan could do to make it around the lake one time. This begin to increase. She can easily do 12 or more laps. Her walking was not restricted to just around the lake. Susan walked in the malls, around a new shopping center. | |
| As her endurance built she and her husband, Rich, begin hiking some of the easier trails on Mount Hood, in beautiful Mount Hood National Forest, however, on their first outing the trail they selected proved to be one of the most difficult on the mountain. Susan could only do about 1/2 mile of the trail as it gained elevation rapidly. Before the summer was over, she made it all the way to the top of that first trail to spectacular Mirror Lake. |  |
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| The photo on the left is Susan. Again, she and Rich spent virtually every weekend from first snow in November to Memorial Day in May at Teacup, a Nordic Ski Trail. At first, in addition to the necessity of having to learn to ski, endurance needed to be built for this most perfect aerobic exercise. Most of the outings were about 1-1/2 hour in duration, covering the "Inner Loop," a distance of 2.8 miles over varying terrain. Before the season ended she completed the outer loop. A distance of more than 6.8 miles | ||
| In addition to weekend outings, Susan swims every morning at 5:30 a.m. Taking her clothing with her, she swims as many laps as possible, then dresses and goes straight to her office. | ||
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The kind of exercise you do doesn't matter..... Start with what YOU CAN DO. The important thing is to do it! Do it regularly and often! If you find it difficult to walk and run short of breath, Susan recommends that you take 25 steps in a single direction, pause until your heart rate levels back to normal and then take the 25 steps back! This is a Start! Do it several times each day! Each time push your limit just a bit further. Obesity is a matter of life and death. Stop and think why it's called "Morbid Obesity." It can and will kill you. Susan has lost two close friends as their obesity hid some life threatening conditions. You can go out and buy thousands of dollars of expensive gym equipment....sooner or later, most likely sooner, it will only be a decorator's item or clutter your garage, basement or attic, or you can do as Susan did, start doing what she calls "Unconscious Exercise" having fun in an activity you enjoy. Let the workout be a by-product of enjoying yourself and having fun. So you can't walk around the block without losing your breath. Then only walk to a corner. Rest a few minutes then walk back. If that's all you can do at a time, it's okay! That's more than you did yesterday! The important thing is doing it. Once you start doing something the sooner you take control of your life. Back when Susan first started walking around the lake people would stare. The snickers could be heard. Everyone would avoid her. Over the months as those same people saw her determination and the pounds beginning to evaporate they begin to encourage and applaud her. People will laugh and snicker, that's their nature if they have never been overweight, but soon they will begin to admire your determination and will. Hundreds have asked Susan how she has lost all that weight. Her reply has always been and will always be" "One Pound at a Time!" IMPORTANT REMINDER (At all times, before starting a cardiovascular exercise, especially if you are more than 50 pounds overweight, consult and work with your physician on a regular basis. Susan works with her physician regularly. Her doctor is amazed and wants to go on Oprah with her!)
If you do plan to hike or ski, don't go alone. Take a friend along and some means of communication Welcome /Thank
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