Jogging to Lose Weight and End Emotional Eating

Yesterday I went jogging. It was the first time in about a year. I had been jogging regularly for many years on a weekly basis and then I stepped off a stool and tore a ligament in my ankle.

The ankle specialist told me that I needed an operation but since I was over 60 he didn't recommend it and simply thought I should get used to the idea of no more jogging.

After all the swelling and pain in the ankle subsided about eight months ago, I'd on occasion try a short run on the ankle and it didn't feel good at all. I thought that maybe the doctor was right--no more jogging.

But lately I noticed my ankle feeling better and my knee on the other leg feeling somewhat painful. I've come to a conclusion (right or wrong) that I need to jog to keep my knees in good shape so yesterday was my maiden day.

I was amazed as to how "out of shape" I had become and I believe my blood pressure is probably telling me a similar story. It' s always been around 120 over 70 tops. Lately in just the last year the diastolic (the lower number) has crept up to 80.

I like to jog at my local high school track--it's cork--and the first quarter mile was really difficult. My knees and ankles had minor pains but I was really huffing and puffing.

I remembered the first time I ever jogged over fifteen years ago when I only was able to make it a half mile and thought that if I even made it a quarter mile it would be ok.

Fortunately the minor pains in my ankle and knees didn't escalate and I found a rhythm and finished a mile--certainly no speed record. Before my ankle injury I usually jogged two miles each week. It's amazing how I took that for granted all those years.

Will I go jogging next week? Don't know yet. Today my ankle is complaining some. I have to see how it recovers, but I feel I will be jogging again in the next few weeks.

It's amazing how good I feel after I jog--totally energized and completely disinterested in food.

But do you need to exercise to lose weight or deal with emotional eating? Not really. But for may other reasons, it's beneficial to exercise.