You're Never Too Old To Start Diet and Exercise Program

Think you're too old to start an exercise program or eat right? Take a clue from sixty-something-year-old James P. Sargen, the CEO of TriActive America at http://www.triactiveamerica.com

"Over the years, I exercised occasionally. I rode my exercise bike, did sit-ups, and sometimes even took the stairs instead of using the elevator," says Sargen. "But I never exercised seriously or with intensity until my doctor informed me that I was a type 2 diabetic. My symptoms: a dry mouth, lack of energy and stomach aches."

When he received the news, Sargen describes himself as "shocked, even though my mother had been a type 1 diabetic, and my uncle suffered from adult onset diabetes. I didn't think that I could tolerate daily insulin shots or daily blood samples."

But the key prescription from his doctor surprised him: "My doctor told me to use common sense. That involved increasing the intensity and pace of exercise so that it became a part of my lifestyle. He also instructed me to modify my diet. The diet and exercise prescription was reinforced with one pill."

Today, Sargen's blood sugar is controlled, not due to a "magic pill" but the result of a combination of a better diet and a significant increase in exercise. "My weight used to be 230. I now weigh 190 pounds and, at more than 6 feet tall, I look much sleeker and trim in my 34-inch pants. Most important, I feel younger, and I have the energy to match that youthful feeling."

Sargen recalls being young and limiting himself by negative thinking. When his mother noted that practice, she told him to change his attitude. "Today is the first day of the rest of your life," she would remind me. I would wince, that instinctive response of all children to their parents' reprimands and chidings, but once I overcame that response, I recognized the truth of her comment."