Looking for a Smaller Me

I hate diets.  Diet is a four letter word that should be included in a list of profanity.

I hate "The Biggest Loser" because I believe it promotes extreme weight loss and exercise - for example penalizing contestants because they "only" lost 1-2 pounds in a week.

I hate "Dr Oz" because his show promotes health information, lifestyle changes, and weight loss plans that are inaccurate and often sensationalistic.

And most of all I hate the incessant blare of commercials for supplements that claim to help people lose weight fast.  With the suggestion that diet and exercise should be included shown in very small letters at the bottom of the screen that are lost in the sensationalistic language used and the usual fake testimonials.

It really takes a major life change to lose weight in a healthy manner.

I'm not preaching at all.  I'm the last person who should say "this is how to do it."  There is no one way to lose weight - it differs with the person.  I know some people would look at my diet now and say I'm doing it all wrong.  Well, let's see.

In January 2014 I hit my all time high weight of 255 pounds.  Yes, 255 pounds.  I really wasn't surprised - I knew how my clothes felt.  I knew how I felt.  My body mass index (BMI) was 49.  19 points above the start of the obese range.

My before picture taken during an art show in late 2013

I had officially crossed the threshold and become a diabetic - something I've been flirting with for years.  My A1C (a 3 month measurement of your body's blood sugar) was now well over 8%.  And I was being threatened with insulin - can you say panic?

I was ordered to start testing my blood sugar twice daily, and put on diabetes medication, 1000MG twice a day.   Dr. G said it would be a good idea to lose weight, but I'm not sure she thought I'd do it.  I think she was expecting me to keep the weight on or not lose very much. That's the case with most of her patients who are diabetic and obese.

But that wasn't going to happen as far as I was concerned.

My first step was to stop my addiction to Mountain Dew - cold turkey.  It was easier to do than I thought.  I still drink some soda but only if I am at a restaurant, and even then I rarely drink all of it.  I regard it as a treat.

I ended my love affair with jelly or chocolate frosted donuts from Dunkin and bagels from Au Bon Pain.   That was harder because I do love jelly donuts, and the Au Bon Pain bagels are divine.

I reluctantly let go of my passion for cookie dough ice cream.  That was difficult.  

And I knew I had to stop those heaping bowls of pasta.  THAT WAS HARDEST.

Instead, I've cut portions, found substitutes, increased my intake of fruits and vegetables, and was encouraged by the dietician I started visiting to eat small, small meals during the day to keep my blood sugar from tanking and to prevent cravings from overpowering me.  Gretchen, my dietician, is a refreshing change from a previous Food Nazi who insisted on 3 squares and a snack daily and an intake of only 1400 calories from the beginning.

And walked.  I walk a lot anyway since I don't drive and use public transportation.  Often I walk to and from downtown Pawtucket from my house rather than take the bus.  I often get off several stops before or after my usual stop.  I belong to the Y but I'm not very good about going there.

And I drink water - that's been hard to get used to because I never liked it much.

I haven't given up sweets - I keep OJ in the fridge, both to satisfy my sweet tooth and to guard against low blood sugar.  I have dark chocolate in the fridge - for the same reasons.  I eat a piece of chocolate every couple of days.  There's fruit too.  But I've found I can't easily eat that luscious slice of lemon or strawberry cake from Gregg's (huge). Way too much sugar and I feel its effects, even if I only eat a little at a time.

I should note here that I'm unable to use artificial sweeteners or eat any foods with them.

And I HAVE to repeat that this is NOT EASY.  Not only is losing weight hard normally, but I have a binging disorder that has to be controlled.  I have had to try retraining my brain to not convince my body that it needs food and lots of it.  The brain is one's worst enemy.  I am learning slowly when my body really needs fuel and when it's my brain talking.

So what's the result of all of this?

I am happy to report that at my last PCP visit, on May 27, that I've dropped 37 pounds since January 25, to 218 pounds.  I've been tracking the weight loss, and it's not as rapid as it looks.  I've averaged a loss of about 8 pounds monthly which is optimal.

My A1C has dropped to 5.5%.  In non-diabetic range.

My diabetes medication is now cut in half.

I still have to test my blood sugar, but that's a tiny price to pay.

My PCP and her staff were so delighted that several stopped in to congratulate me, and the nurse practitioner in charge of chronic illness management wants to use my efforts as inspiration for others.  They'll probably hate me.

I'm not preaching, really.  I'm simply relating my own journey.  I may celebrate this with a cupcake - small.  Definitely with icing.  And hopefully sprinkles (we call them jimmies in Rhode Island).  And I'm not yet ready to go shopping for clothes.  I'd like to wait til 200 before I do that.

I don't really have an 'after' picture that's full body and that shows the weight loss to full effect.  My clothes are too baggy to really see it anyway.  But here's a recent photo of me with the lovely Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, taken at an event honoring my sister-in-law (they're friends).  Maybe you'll see the weight loss in my face.  At least I can share a selfie with a celebrity.

Lin and Michelle Kwan, April 26, 2014

Just don't hate me for losing weight.

later,
lin