Retirement was not as much fun as he hoped, said Bobby Jones, who began to feel the effects of the weight he gained when he became less active.
“I was loafing quite a bit and gained weight. I got where I couldn’t hardly get up and down out of my chair, but when I realized I couldn’t get up from the seat in my boat, I knew it was time to do something,” Jones said.
Jones, 67, retired from Kennametal three years ago. At 6 feet 3 inches, he is a tall man, but when he reached 340 pounds, his body resisted. He said he has often walked and enjoyed walking on the city’s walking trail at the City Park, but he knew he had to do more. So, Jones went to a nutritionist at the Veterans Administration Hospital, a privilege he earned when he served in the U.S. Navy in 1965-1966.
“I didn’t realize how many carbs and vegetables you need.
Basically, I’ve left off most of the breads and most of the sweets,” he said. “I’ve walked off and on ever since I was 55, but without this nutritionist, I wouldn’t have
BY ANNETTE BEARD
Times editor [email protected]lost the weight.”
Jones has lost 102 pounds and been able to decrease his medications including blood pressure pills.
“I hardly ever miss a day unless I’m going fishing early in the morning,” Jones said.
“There are about six or seven who walk it every day. We alwayssay ‘hi.’ I enjoy the people.
There’s a guy out there in his 80s who can outwalk me,” he said.
Jones’ home is adjacent to the park so it’s very convenient for him.
“That was just cow pasture when I moved out there. This was a dirt road.”
Jones varies his walking time depending on the temperature of the day, saying he walks earlier in the day during the summer, but on very cold days waits until the day warms up a bit.
“I walk for at least an hour each day, it depends on how long we stop andtalk when I meet people.”
His lifestyle change has had an affect on his family, he said, explaining that his oldest son and his son’s wife have lost a lot of weight.
“It shows people what they can do if they really want to. It’s really not a diet, it’s a way of life,” Jones said.
“This park is really appreciated,” he said, complimenting the city workers who maintain the park and the trail which is about 7/10ths of a mile long. “It really looks nice and they keep it nice.”
News, Pages 1 on 11/14/2012