I was not always in the healthy shape that I enjoy today. Two years ago I weighed far too much for my height and frame. At 230 pounds (104.5 kg), I was about 30 percent overweight. I never did any exercise, and I ate all sorts of junk food when I was not even hungry. Things are different today. I’m more careful about my diet and I try to keep active. I weigh 177 pounds (80 kg), and I feel many years younger. [Essay main idea sentence] When people ask me how I got so trim and healthy, I tell them my three most important rules. My first rule for keeping fit is to eat a small breakfast. That keeps my stomach small, and I don’t get so hungry at lunch time. Naturally, the breakfast has to be nutritious. I drink a glass of grapefruit juice and a glass of vegetable juice after I wake up in the morning, and if I get hungry before lunch, I drink a cup of tea. These liquids hold me until noon.
Second, I walk as much as possible. Researchers say there is no better exercise than that. Jogging may be popular with many people, but few of them keep it up; what’s more, jogging is sometimes harmful to the knees. Walking, on the other hand, is gentle on the knees and a good aerobic exercise for the heart. For every mile, you can burn approximately a hundred calories when you walk. Walking makes me feel good. Finally, and most important, I never eat within four hours of going to sleep. Eating prior to sleeping is a sure way to gain weight. In fact, that has been one of my main