In Chapter Three, I briefly glossed over the training I did to prepare for my endurance events while I discussed my weight loss. I want to devote more time to exercise and life strategies for maintaining and losing weight. I made a very important statement that your activity needs to be sustainable if you are going to maintain your weight loss.

First of all, the activity you choose to maintain your physical conditioning should be something you enjoy doing. If you hate doing it, you will not be able to make it a long-term part of your life. It also needs to be something you can do when away from home, or at the very least, a backup activity to maintain your condition. It takes time to build up your metabolic rate, but it can slow down quickly. In my personal experience, less than a month is all you need to slow down your metabolic rate, but it will take many times longer than that to get it back up. You must keep this in mind when you are taking into account your caloric intake. If you don’t, you will either lose a lot of weight quickly or you will gain a lot of weight quickly. I have done both.

Physical conditioning can be pretty addictive. There is nothing like getting a runner’s high. Mine used to kick in around the three-to-four-mile mark. I felt like I was floating on a cloud. Also, there is nothing quite like being in top physical condition. I am not trying to brag, but there is nothing that can compare to it. To think that I gave it all up for “Psycho Bitch”. It took me three to four years to reach my current level. I could run 15 to 20 miles at a pop without even thinking about it. I could run at a 6-minute mile pace all day long. Of all the things I’ve given up, that lifestyle is one I regret the most. I went over six years without so much as getting a cold. The problem was that I just wasn’t born with the physical gifts to go professional. That is the only way that you can devote the amount of time I did every week and still maintain a relationship. Luckily for you and even me, you don’t have to work out that much to maintain a healthy weight and physical condition.

You can work out four to five hours a week, including cardio, and keep yourself in peak condition. You just have to train smartly. The biggest challenge is to reach a point where you genuinely miss the exercise if you don’t do it. If you get to this point, you are golden. It becomes like a drug for you. People that have never attained this level of commitment will not understand it. However, those who do or have developed unhealthy addictions will also know what I am talking about. For those who find a partner who has the same commitment to health, you truly have found a treasure. Don’t lose that person. They are worth their weight in gold. For example, my second ex-wife and I had scuba diving in common. Once we divorced, my scuba diving activities slowed down to a crawl. My new wife has no interest in learning and has an aversion to water. We, however, do have other activities that we enjoy in common, like hiking and backpacking.

If you have children, they are easily moldable and will learn to love the activities that you like doing just because they want to spend time with you. This is a great way to build enduring relationships with them and also to foster a healthy lifestyle for them. If your kids are younger, some of the gyms even provide daycare while you are working out. Let’s get real, guys, they are screaming for your patronage.

There are even options for home gyms. I have owned my own a few times. Now, due to space limitations, I no longer have the room for a full gym. I plan to set up a heavy punching bag in the next few months. You would be amazed at how effective a 30-minute workout punching a power bag can be. You will be lucky if you can even manage five minutes at first before you melt away. It combines strength and cardio training into one. Not to mention the self-defense benefits you will get from it. The key to physical conditioning is cross-training. Don’t forget to make it fun. If you do the same exercise every day, your body will not respond after a while. It will become complacent. You will not make any gains. Mix cardio with weight conditioning. Swimming is excellent if your joints can’t handle the impact of running. Walking is also OK. That is right where I am right now. My surgeon said no heavy workouts for at least three months after my surgery. I am telling you one thing…that just writing this book is getting me pumped up about starting my exercise regimen again.

Unfortunately, most of us have to work, so our physical conditioning has to be scheduled around our careers. I have worked nights most of my adult life, so having plenty of daylight was never a problem. However, most major cities have 24-hour gyms, so no matter what your schedule, you can get a workout in. Many chain gyms even have heated pools. Frankly, there is no better cardio workout than swimming. Runners and bikers, trust me on this one, no matter how good of shape you are in, swimming will kick your ass at first.

Eat healthy, while you may be able to get away with eating crappy, high-calorie food if you work out, are you doing yourself any good? You only get one body, take care of it. Please don’t make the same mistakes that I have made. Hopefully you will learn from mine.