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Fit to fight, fit to live

  • Published
  • By Mike Wallace
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFMCNS) --  After Jim Staffan, a member of Air Force Materiel Command's Inspector General Office, passed the half-century mark he decided his once-lean physique was in need of help. He was 51, a smoker and overweight with a 41-inch waist, 25 percent body fat, and elevated cholesterol.

He said he knew he needed to make some changes. But, the impetus for him to start a program occurred when retired Gen. Gregory S. Martin, former AFMC commander, instituted a program to encourage civilian fitness. AFMC, which provides the Air Force with war-fighting capabilities on time and on cost, is headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB.

"The general wanted civilians to get as fit as our military counterparts" Mr. Staffan said. "Imagine - getting paid to get in shape.

"I started on Feb. 26, 2005. I quit smoking, and I attended a health class at the HAWC. There I learned better eating habits. They showed us on a food pyramid what to eat. I also learned what I should weigh."

One of the requirements of the civilian fitness program was to get a doctor's permission. In addition to getting written permission, Mr. Staffan also had an angiogram. It showed evidence of a blockage.

Mr. Staffan said he first began an exercise program on his own, but said he "needed guidance to do it properly.

"I got hold of Reggie (O'Hara, a HAWC exercise physiologist), and he developed an exercise routine for me," he said.

Mr. Staffan began exercising. A Michigan high school athlete, he said he'd stayed fairly active doing household chores, camping, hiking, scuba-diving and fishing, but over the years, he'd accumulated several unwanted pounds.

The first kind of exercise he did was cardiovascular. He took walks, did some machine work, and slowly worked up to entering some base 5k races.

After getting used to the three-times-a-week workout sessions, Mr. Staffan began building his strength using resistance equipment at the Wright Field Fitness Center.

Noting that elevated blood pressure necessitated a slow-progress approach, Mr. Staffan still has lost 47 pounds, decreased his waist size by five inches, has his body fat percentage down to 12, and changed his eating habits to what he calls "portion control."

"I don't eat my steak, plus half my wife's steak, and finish the potatoes too," he said. "I eat as much as I should eat and stop. Also, I can't remember the last time I had ice cream or pizza."

Mr. Staffan still has some weight loss goals, and he said he's confident that he'll eventually achieve them.

"If you lose weight slowly, you'll be more likely to keep it off," he said.

Of the HAWC program that gave him his eating and exercise regimen, Mr. Staffan said, "It changed my life. It's a complete lifestyle change. It's a commitment. It's all about, 'Shut your mouth, and work out.' I look forward to exercise now, and I've cut a lot of things out of my diet. I feel great, and I recommend talking to the people at the HAWC if you need advice about how to start this program."