Guys and gals, I'm 41 years old now, and I feel better than I have felt in 15 years.I'm going to share a few secrets of how I accomplished getting into top shape, and how I continue to struggle against weight gain. 

I personally hit my weight pinnacle when I was 30. I am only 5' 9-1/2", and my ideal weight is supposed to be 160 pounds. But by 30, I was tipping the scale at 225 pounds. I tried for 5 years to loose weight and get in shape, and to no avail Thanks to an office contest with a large winning pot, I decided to take things to the extreme to get the weight off once and for all.

I decided to try the Adkins diet. This is the worst diet known to man, and I don't mean for health reasons. I did happen to lose 24 pounds, but it was not fun. The diet made me sick, tired, and depressed. I lasted 6 weeks, and had to stop. Instead of going back to my regular way of eating, I 'stepped' my way out of the diet. I lost another 25 pounds over the next 5 years by excercising and watching what I eat, and I felt great.

2 years ago, I quit my job and went full time into entrepreneurship with 3 businesses. The stress was tremendous. No longer able to take the time to go to the gym on a regular basis, I started to gain wieght. I put on 30 pounds. I'm on my way down, but this time I have decided that I must do this on my own without a gym membership OR a personal trainer first. Only after I conquer this on my own will I seek help or spend money trying to get back in shape. Until then, this is what I have been doing that not only WORKS, but does not cost me one dime, or take more than 5 minutes out of my schedule at any given time. Here they are:

1. Park at the farthest point of the lot when you go shopping - instead of circling the parking lot when you go to Walmart or your favorite grocery store, park out in no-man's land and walk. Look at it as your special walking time. Start by walking, and then over time, work your way up to brisk walking and even a quick run. A quick run can get your heart rate going, and it is a short enough distance that you won't risk damaging your knees. You will be surprised at how much excercise you get and how many miles you pile up over time just by doing this trick.

2. Never take an elevator if you are going up less than 4 flights - you can take the stairs, and make it a habit. Even if it is one flight of stairs, make it a habit. I once had a friend at work who had me start with 6 flights of stairclimbing, and I ended up going 14 stories, two climbs at a time on break every day.

3. Do pushups every single day - when I started losing weight, I had to do 'girl' pushups (from your knees instead of on your toes). After one month, I was able to do 10 full pushups. I now do 50 pushups a day minimum, and have done a maximum of 75 in one sitting. Even if you only do 5 at a time, you must start somewhere. I usually do my pushups at work at a specific time, right there in my cublicle. I get a good pectoral workout, triceps, and even my abs. You will be surpised how much you feel the work going on in your abdominal area by doing pushups.

4. Get a large handy bag and do curls - I take a promotional handy bag that I use to pack big thick notebooks of regulations on my site assistance visits for my job, and I throw in a coupel of phone books. This makes it heavy enough that I can grab the bag handles and do a series of arm curls and work out my bicepts. I also do a series of arm flys, lifting the bag with my arms straight out front and to the side. You can use your purse, your briefcase, or an over-the-shoulder bag. Or, as I do, just a cheap promotional handy bag with heavy straps. This will work wonders, and it only takes about 3 minutes to do, again, while you are at work or at home watching the television set.

5. Take a quick sprint or brisk walk for cardiovascular development - I will take a fast sprint for one or two blocks, and get my heart rate moving high for a good cardio workout. You dont' have to run. A brisk walk will do wonders. The main point here is that you are doing something a step higher than your normal walk, with the idea to get the heart rate up higher. Distance is not the goal. Just a quick hit for a few minutes is better than what you are doing now as a couch potatoe!

6. Drink more water, and eat more fiber - if you at least drink as much water as you do soda pop, coffee, and fruit juice (which is as bad as pop in most cases), you will put a major dent in your caloric daily intake. Also try to balance out your eating with as much fiber as regular food. If you must have pizza and ice cream, try eating an equal volume of healthy green leafy vegetables BEFORE you eat the good stuff. This will also take a serious chunk out of your caloric intake because you won't be able to eat as much of the unhealthy food. After time, you will find yourself not craving the junk food as much as you do the vegetables and water.

All of these things done together will add up and make a noticable difference in your life. The bottom line is you must change your daily routine and form a new habit. Project in your mind the image that you would like to be, and see yourself as that image no matter what. Get a copy of a health magazine and read the articles on a regular basis. The more you innundate your mind with positive information about being in shape, the more your subconscious mind will work for you and force the new belief to become a physical reality.

Trust me, it works. I'm 41, and I am aging in reverse!