[Groesbeck Hurricane]

OK, I restarted in my early 50's. My Wife, 40, also started same time frame. She has been MORE effective than I!!!

Starting out, cut out ALL carbonated beverages. Just because it says diet does not mean it is good for you, in fact, all carbonated beverages are really NOT very good for you. Wife lost two sizes after doing this.

I started by trying to cut down on my food intake. I did not worry too much about calories, just cut down to about a pound a meal, did not count things like celery and watermelon as weight. Removed breads and fried foods. Meat serving closer to 4oz. I lost some size over time, about 2 inches.

Work outs started as walking going from three to twelve miles per day in one session. Started jogging for part of it. Found park with lots of hills to go up and down, run up, walk or jog down. Mix with rowing. Started doing push-ups, the old airborne pushups (your burpies), and sit-ups.

Look up planks. Work up in five second intervals. Do side planks. Great for your middle section! My co-worker here can do planks for up to three minutes. He is a demon!!!!

Wife started doing lunges at the track. Worked up to 1/8 mile lunging, 1/4 mile jog. Moved up to weights with lunges. She also rows twice per day from 3 to 5 kms. She also walks through the local parks with the dogs.

I went to barbells. Also look into holding the barbells out to your sides and in front of you for several seconds at a time. Use low weights, trust me. These get heavier than you think!!!! We have weights with handholds in them made by Iron Grip.

Wife went from a 16 to an 8 in about one year! She dropped a lot of weight, then started putting on more weight as she dropped from 12 to 8, muscle weighs more than fat! She is at her goal.

In the year I have lost about three inches or so, I am dropping below 35" waste (sp ;-) hoping for 34". I have dropped from 225 to 200, up to 208 over the past six to eight weeks. I am 5'11" and not that big of a build.

My current routine shifts day to day. My co-workers and I do stretching in the AM, then I do either a 5K row (from 20 to 23 minutes for me to complete on toughest setting) or 5K walking/jogging uphill on a treadmill at a 10 to 15% grade (this takes a bit more time). I then hit the weights focusing on 20 to 30 pounds for my arms/chest and 50 to 60 pounds on my legs. I focus on multiple reps not tonnage.

During the day we do four sets of 40+ each pushups, one set of 200 arm rotations, lifting barbells, and stretching. Airbornes are thrown in once or twice per day.

My knee was bothering me with the 3 to 5 mile runs in the morning so I have had to give that up. The ground here is just too darn hard and my other choice is running on roads, blacktop is only slightly softer ;-).

I will go back to the local parks when I return home.

My goal: 34" waist, I do not care how much I weigh. Wife's goal was size 6, I am more than happy with size 8, healthy, and still able to put up with my **** and work!!!!!