I didn't start having a weight problem until I hit my mid-30s. I did fairly well during both pregnancies and actually only gained 12 pounds while pregnant with my second child. Once I hit my mid-30s, things changed. I got very lazy and didn't take care of myself. I never exercised and ate a lot of fatty foods. Soon, the weight began to creep up on me until one day I realized it was too late … I was overweight.
My employer offered a "wellness exam" each year. After my exam, I received a notice stating I was considered obese. My lab work also showed I was high risk for heart disease and I was borderline diabetic. My company offered a program to help employees who were overweight, get down to a healthy weight. I decided I needed to do something. I was way too young to be this unhealthy--not to mention my husband is diabetic so I see the struggle he goes through each day. I decided to join the weight loss program. The program was for one year. During this year, I was required to meet with a nurse one-on-one for the first four months. I was also required to keep a food diary and share that with her during my visit. My company paid for a portion of the fee. I was required to pay $100 and once the year was up, if I complied with the rules, I'd be reimbursed the $100. I decided to sign up.
I joined the program in July 2006. During those first few months, I did my best to try and lose weight. I began walking on the treadmill but no matter how much I walked, the weight was not coming off. My weekly visits with the nurse showed no improvement whatsoever. I was becoming more and more discouraged and convinced I was going to be overweight for the rest of my life. In November 2006, I was very discouraged and about ready to quit the program when I walked into my boss’s office. I told him that I was not doing well in the program and was ready to give up. I asked him what he suggested on how I could lose the weight. He looked at me straight in the eye and said, “No one can tell you what to do or how you need to do this. It’s up to you to make your mind and want to lose the weight.” Those words “make up your mind” struck me like a ton of bricks. It was one of those “ah ha” moments. I responded to him and said “you’re right, it is up to me.” I walked out of his office and decided at that moment that I was going to put this into overdrive and really focus on losing weight. I knew it was going to be very difficult since the holidays were right around the corner. I also realized that exercise, for some reason, did not help me. I needed to think of another way to lose weight. I remembered how my grandfather lost a lot of weight after his open heart surgery. He stayed with me for five weeks during his recovery and the one thing I noticed he did was eat very little. He lost about 20 pounds in that time. I decided I would focus on my eating habits more than on the exercise at this point.
Portion control has been the biggest key to my weight loss success. I began eating much smaller meals. I did not want to think of myself on a diet so I ate pretty much anything I wanted, focusing very much on portion size. When I started this, I was 204 pounds and in size 18 clothing. By the end of December I had dropped about 15 pounds and in a size 12. As the weight dropped, my confidence rose. My visits with the nurse were very positive. Even though I was eating pretty much everything I wanted, I watched the fat content of the foods. I used one trick for eating out that to this day has helped me tremendously. Whenever I go to a restaurant, I always, always, always ask for a take-out box and divide my meal before I begin eating my meal. I will not touch my food until I get the take-out box and put half of it away. I also gave up regular sodas. Regular Coke was a huge favorite of mine and I used to drink a lot of regular Coke. I started drinking water with all my meals. I drink a glass before, during and after my meal. I still allow myself one coke a week as a reward and so that I don’t feel restricted. Another thing I do is eat a lot of kids meals. If I want a burger, I get a kid's meal burger.
I do have weak moments when I want to eat more than I should but all I need to do is look at my before pictures and remember how unhealthy I felt during that time. My appearance has changed dramatically, and it feels good to know that I was finally able to lose the weight without giving up my favorite foods. I still drink a lot of water and started going to the gym. I work out about three to four times a week, mostly running and weightlifting.
Whenever I have a setback I’m not too hard on myself. I get refocused by remembering back to how I felt when I was overweight. Also by looking at my “before” pictures.
There are several "new you" moments I can think of. First of all, several of my doctors did not recognize me when I’ve gone for visits. They are all very proud of me for doing so well with my weight loss. My friends and family are also very proud of me and say I’m an inspiration to them. I’ve actually motivated a few to lose weight. My biggest accomplishment to date was that I was able to participate in a half-marathon in November of 2008. Running 13.2 miles was a huge step for me considering that just two years ago, I couldn’t even walk one mile. I’m pretty proud of myself. I realize it takes a lot of work, willpower and discipline to lose weight. I will continue to work hard to maintain a healthy weight from now on.
