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within a couple years after my retirement and more laziness, two of my coronary arteries began to clog up. I became lethargic, short of breath and too pooped to do even basic exercise.

Fortunately, I had a savvy cardiologist who dragged me kicking and screaming into the OR, where he cleaned my tubes out and put in two stents to keep the arteries open. He said one artery was 80 percent blocked, and I was only a few weeks away from a major heart attack. After the surgery, on the doctor's advice and my own late-blooming common sense, I went on a strict diet and daily exercise regimen.

Today, I weigh 165 pounds, which is still about ten pounds too heavy for my smallish frame and age (82). I've kept to my diet and exercise religiously, and because I live in the Arizona desert, I can be at the pool or on the road every day of the year. OK, I confess, I sneak in to a buffet once in awhile, a dish of ice cream, a hunk of carrot cake and otherwise cheat a bit, but I believe my regular routine over the years has taken away any compulsive need to overeat.

My entire mentality about food has changed. Instead of eagerly anticipating my next big meal or fatty snack, I look forward to tomorrow's lap swim in the pool or a brisk walk alongside the sagauro cactus-lined neighborhood golf course.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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