Today I let one of my co-workers in on my Optifast secret. I asked her not to tell anyone else right now, and I am sure that she will honor my wish.
Previously at work I had been known for bringing yummy dishes for lunch that I had either made myself or were made by friends in my "Supper Swap" group. My friend at work noticed that I haven't been bringing those lately and asked me about it while I was holding my commuter coffee mug with Optifast chocolate shake inside. I opened the lid and let her see. She wrinkled her nose in distaste, and I said, "But it's good...it's CHOCOLATE!" and took a sip. I meant it! It's not jambalaya, but it really is good.
She didn't lecture me about starving, or making myself sick, or anything like that. Since it's medically supervised, I think that people are more willing to accept. She did ask, "Don't you get hungry?"
The answer is no. I don't really get physically hungry. The Optifast products contain enough protein to be filling. I haven't experienced headaches, or lightheadedness, or any of those other side effects. Sometimes when I think I'm hungry, I drink some water, and the "hunger" goes away.
Emotionally hungry...now, that's another story. Food to me means love, caring, friendship, creativity, sharing...all those wonderful things that make life worth living. And from here on in, I will need to find other ways to retain those qualities in my life. Instead, food has to mean nourishment for my body. Overeating is not love, it's self-hate, because I've made myself fat and have endangered my life.
The train has pulled into the station. Now is the time to do the emotional work necessary to break this cycle of food addiction and begin life anew.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Week 2, Day 3: The Minefield
Today was a true test of my commitment to the MWM plan. I went out to my car at 6:45 a.m. to find my right rear tire flat as a board. And I had a 7:15 a.m. meeting with my boss! I went back inside and dialed emergency road service on one phone and tried to reach my boss on the other phone. (Thank God I have two phones!) I got through to emergency road service after 35 minutes on hold, but never did reach my boss. Later he told me that his cell phone "died" a couple of weeks ago and he hasn't gotten around to getting another one. :-/
At any rate, thanks to the nice tow truck driver who inflated my tire for me (there was a nail in it) I got to the repair shop and to work just before 10:00 a.m.
However, while all this was going on, my lunch shake (chocolate, no less) exploded in my purse which made a big mess and wasted 160 precious calories. Fortunately I had an "emergency" shaker and packet of shake mix in my desk that I could call on in such a situation.
Of course, there were the usual goodies in the break room, or as I now call it, "the Minefield":
The bagels and cream cheese smelled so good! I thought momentarily of just taking one bite, then stopped myself. I realized how much all of us depend on food to make us happy. I went into the restroom for a few minutes and did a breathing exercise to center myself, and tried to think of other ways to relieve stress besides eating. I need to have some tricks up my sleeve to make this work.
It's so easy to stay on the plan when my life is running smoothly. When there are bumps in the road it's a lot harder. If anyone out there is reading, I invite you to suggest some ways you handle stress without involving food or alcohol.
At any rate, thanks to the nice tow truck driver who inflated my tire for me (there was a nail in it) I got to the repair shop and to work just before 10:00 a.m.
However, while all this was going on, my lunch shake (chocolate, no less) exploded in my purse which made a big mess and wasted 160 precious calories. Fortunately I had an "emergency" shaker and packet of shake mix in my desk that I could call on in such a situation.
Of course, there were the usual goodies in the break room, or as I now call it, "the Minefield":
The bagels and cream cheese smelled so good! I thought momentarily of just taking one bite, then stopped myself. I realized how much all of us depend on food to make us happy. I went into the restroom for a few minutes and did a breathing exercise to center myself, and tried to think of other ways to relieve stress besides eating. I need to have some tricks up my sleeve to make this work.
It's so easy to stay on the plan when my life is running smoothly. When there are bumps in the road it's a lot harder. If anyone out there is reading, I invite you to suggest some ways you handle stress without involving food or alcohol.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Week 2, Day 1: Three pounds down, ?? to go...
I went to the MWM meeting last night. Our regular group leader was absent, and another group leader took her place for the evening. J sat in a chair at the front of the room and spoke calmly about challenges we were having on the program. Apparently one or two people were not pleased at their weigh-in. We don't talk in the meetings about how much weight everyone has lost.
I lost three pounds. I had been hoping for more, and I think that some folks lost more than I did, but I have to remind myself that it's not a contest.
Some of the challenges: Feeling hungry, being tempted by the sight and smell of others' food, preparing food for other family members that the program participant can't eat, "missing chewing", the abundance of sweet and shortage of savory meal replacement.
We discussed ways of making the meals more palatable and interesting. At least, as interesting as powdered shakes and soups can be! Popular ideas were: Adding coffee and ice to the powdered shakes and blending them to make iced lattes and mochas, mixing the vanilla shake with Crystal Light to add fruity flavoring, putting Italian seasoning and/or hot sauce into the tomato soup, and adding curry spices, onion powder, etc. to the chicken soup.
Last night I was jonesing for spicy food and added chipotle pepper to my chicken soup. I like spicy, but that was spicy squared! I ate it, but I'm not sure I'll do that combination again.
Some side effects reported: Constipation and/or diarrhea, dry mouth, headaches, fatigue, needing to urinate frequently (which is not surprising for the amount of liquid we are ingesting). The only side effects I've experienced, besides the obvious, is that my lips are very dry and I need to apply Blistex frequently. I don't know if that is a result of the program or the weather.
I did a blood draw for the meeting with the physician next week. My blood pressure is also still registering over 150, so it is likely that he will prescribe blood pressure meds. It's not what I want - more meds - but I guess that's better than having a stroke. Hopefully the meds will be temporary and maybe I won't need them when the weight is off.
Our fill-in group leader, J, also worked with us on some breathing techniques for stress reduction, and talked about mindful eating. I was glad of that, because it is an area of interest to me. I really think that eating too quickly and mindlessly is a key component to why I am fat today.
Oh! Here's what I didn't eat today...
Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. It is the owner of the company's birthday and his assistant baked him this cake. I didn't touch a crumb. I can appreciate its beauty and significance, but that doesn't mean I have to eat any of it.
I do need to work on drinking all my water. Today our office converted from Verizon phone and internet to Comcast, and I was busy with the coordination of switching over five phone lines and a bunch of equipment. I was so swamped that I forgot to drink all my water, which is not helping me reach my goal. I need to get better at that.
I lost three pounds. I had been hoping for more, and I think that some folks lost more than I did, but I have to remind myself that it's not a contest.
Some of the challenges: Feeling hungry, being tempted by the sight and smell of others' food, preparing food for other family members that the program participant can't eat, "missing chewing", the abundance of sweet and shortage of savory meal replacement.
We discussed ways of making the meals more palatable and interesting. At least, as interesting as powdered shakes and soups can be! Popular ideas were: Adding coffee and ice to the powdered shakes and blending them to make iced lattes and mochas, mixing the vanilla shake with Crystal Light to add fruity flavoring, putting Italian seasoning and/or hot sauce into the tomato soup, and adding curry spices, onion powder, etc. to the chicken soup.
Last night I was jonesing for spicy food and added chipotle pepper to my chicken soup. I like spicy, but that was spicy squared! I ate it, but I'm not sure I'll do that combination again.
Some side effects reported: Constipation and/or diarrhea, dry mouth, headaches, fatigue, needing to urinate frequently (which is not surprising for the amount of liquid we are ingesting). The only side effects I've experienced, besides the obvious, is that my lips are very dry and I need to apply Blistex frequently. I don't know if that is a result of the program or the weather.
I did a blood draw for the meeting with the physician next week. My blood pressure is also still registering over 150, so it is likely that he will prescribe blood pressure meds. It's not what I want - more meds - but I guess that's better than having a stroke. Hopefully the meds will be temporary and maybe I won't need them when the weight is off.
Our fill-in group leader, J, also worked with us on some breathing techniques for stress reduction, and talked about mindful eating. I was glad of that, because it is an area of interest to me. I really think that eating too quickly and mindlessly is a key component to why I am fat today.
Oh! Here's what I didn't eat today...
Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. It is the owner of the company's birthday and his assistant baked him this cake. I didn't touch a crumb. I can appreciate its beauty and significance, but that doesn't mean I have to eat any of it.
I do need to work on drinking all my water. Today our office converted from Verizon phone and internet to Comcast, and I was busy with the coordination of switching over five phone lines and a bunch of equipment. I was so swamped that I forgot to drink all my water, which is not helping me reach my goal. I need to get better at that.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Week 1, Day 5: Hors d'oeuvres in my dreams!
Well, I had my first dream (that I remember, anyway) about the MWM plan. I was at a party and platters of hors d'oeuvres were being passed around. I was standing around chatting with people and when someone offered me the platter I took one without thinking. (It was a shrimp-and-crab something or other.) I had a bite in my mouth but hadn't swallowed yet. Panicked, I looked around for a napkin so I could spit it out. I was so mortified as people stared at me like I was some kind of freak.
Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!
I was pondering the dream today and it occurred to me how often I would eat something without thinking. And if I gobbled it quickly, I didn't even enjoy it. That will be one of my goals: to eat slowly and mindfully.
A few days ago I posted about lumpy soup. We are told not to shake our soups. Well, I have found that stirring rapidly with a wire whisk (the "balloon" type, not the "spring" type) gets out most of the lumps. A couple of small lumps can remain, but the texture is vastly improved. Here is tonight's bowl of chicken soup, doctored up with dried rosemary, garlic powder and black pepper.
Mmmm...yumm! Seriously, it's not too bad. The tomato soup is also really good with a pinch of oregano and a dash of Sriracha Sauce. You know...Rooster Sauce! If you are from California, you know what I'm talkin' about!
Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!
I was pondering the dream today and it occurred to me how often I would eat something without thinking. And if I gobbled it quickly, I didn't even enjoy it. That will be one of my goals: to eat slowly and mindfully.
A few days ago I posted about lumpy soup. We are told not to shake our soups. Well, I have found that stirring rapidly with a wire whisk (the "balloon" type, not the "spring" type) gets out most of the lumps. A couple of small lumps can remain, but the texture is vastly improved. Here is tonight's bowl of chicken soup, doctored up with dried rosemary, garlic powder and black pepper.
Mmmm...yumm! Seriously, it's not too bad. The tomato soup is also really good with a pinch of oregano and a dash of Sriracha Sauce. You know...Rooster Sauce! If you are from California, you know what I'm talkin' about!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Week 1, Day 4: Random Musings
So far, things are going fairly well. I have had some urges to eat "regular food" but nothing overwhelming. I am finding that these urges are either triggered by: 1) stress/frustration or 2) some sort of exotic cuisine is available and I know I can't taste it.
Yesterday I had a somewhat stressful afternoon at work, and while driving home I passed by Jack-In-The-Box and thought "stuffed jalapeños". But I quickly let the thought go and by the time I had gone half a mile, the jalapeños were forgotten.
Today, one of our customers who is originally from Turkey, brought some delicious-looking Turkish goodies to our office. There were some tasty looking rolled balls on a platter on the table and I was told there were more treats in the refrigerator. (I didn't even open the fridge. Fortunately I had already taken my shake out.) Then one of my coworkers told me, with a sparkle in her eyes, "Next week she's bringing baklava!"
Now, folks, before MWM this would have sent me into a foodie feeding frenzy. Now I practice acknowledging the food, appreciating the care and effort that went into preparing and presenting it, but accepting that it's just not for me right now.
I haven't told anyone at work about the plan yet. I am waiting for a while, until my weight loss becomes noticeable. I just don't want to explain and defend my choice, and listen to how someone's best friend's cousin's next door neighbor !DIED! because she did a VCL weight loss program. I want to keep it quiet and get my sea legs first.
Speaking of weight loss, I got on my bathroom scale and it shows that I have lost five pounds. I won't get too excited about it, since the scale at Kaiser is what counts (and is probably more accurate). But I feel differently than last week.
Another thing I have noticed is that water consumption is key to feeling full. Yesterday (the day I was jonesing for stuffed jalapeños) I slacked on drinking as much water. Today I did my full 64 ounce jug at work, and will drink a bunch more tonight. And I didn't feel hungry. The temptation of the Turkish food was not hunger...it was more of an emotional craving based in curiosity.
I am hoping that the MWM plan at Kaiser will teach me to use these tools automatically in my life outside of the program. That is what I'm working toward.
Yesterday I had a somewhat stressful afternoon at work, and while driving home I passed by Jack-In-The-Box and thought "stuffed jalapeños". But I quickly let the thought go and by the time I had gone half a mile, the jalapeños were forgotten.
Today, one of our customers who is originally from Turkey, brought some delicious-looking Turkish goodies to our office. There were some tasty looking rolled balls on a platter on the table and I was told there were more treats in the refrigerator. (I didn't even open the fridge. Fortunately I had already taken my shake out.) Then one of my coworkers told me, with a sparkle in her eyes, "Next week she's bringing baklava!"
Now, folks, before MWM this would have sent me into a foodie feeding frenzy. Now I practice acknowledging the food, appreciating the care and effort that went into preparing and presenting it, but accepting that it's just not for me right now.
I haven't told anyone at work about the plan yet. I am waiting for a while, until my weight loss becomes noticeable. I just don't want to explain and defend my choice, and listen to how someone's best friend's cousin's next door neighbor !DIED! because she did a VCL weight loss program. I want to keep it quiet and get my sea legs first.
Speaking of weight loss, I got on my bathroom scale and it shows that I have lost five pounds. I won't get too excited about it, since the scale at Kaiser is what counts (and is probably more accurate). But I feel differently than last week.
Another thing I have noticed is that water consumption is key to feeling full. Yesterday (the day I was jonesing for stuffed jalapeños) I slacked on drinking as much water. Today I did my full 64 ounce jug at work, and will drink a bunch more tonight. And I didn't feel hungry. The temptation of the Turkish food was not hunger...it was more of an emotional craving based in curiosity.
I am hoping that the MWM plan at Kaiser will teach me to use these tools automatically in my life outside of the program. That is what I'm working toward.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Day Two on the Plan, or Food Meditation
Well, I started my plan yesterday morning. Very early yesterday morning, as I was so excited that I woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep.
Had a chocolate shake for breakfast, and blending with water and ice in a high-speed blender gives it a really nice "frosty" consistency. I enjoyed it very much. I think I can handle this "diet"!
The vanilla shake is good too, but not as yummy as chocolate. However, vanilla has the advantage of being very versatile, since we can use non-caloric flavorings to jazz it up a little. I would like to try a little orange extract sometime.
The bars are yummy! I had mint chocolate yesterday and peanut today, and they are as good as candy bars. Between the bars and the shakes, I'm certainly not jonesing for sweets. :)
The soups are interesting. I had chicken yesterday (jazzed up with dried rosemary, garlic powder and pepper) and tomato today (with a dash of hot sauce and some oregano). They taste really good (especially when they are the only savory thing I've eaten all day) but the consistency is a bit strange. Lumps develop and are very hard to break up. The package admonishes against "shaking" the soup, and since I only have a week's supply at a time, I don't want to risk ruining a serving.
Yesterday I was feeling pretty wiped by mid-afternoon and that concerned me a little. However, I now attribute that to lack of sleep, since today I feel pretty good.
One thing I noticed....I was watching TV last evening and saw a commercial for some kind of food. The food looked tasty, but I was able to look at it and think, "that looks good" without going into paroxyms of craving. Kind of like Buddhist meditation, where a thought can pop up, and the meditator just recognizes it and lets it go.
I released the thought so completely that ten minutes later I wouldn't have been able to tell you what the commercial was for. I still can't remember. I know, it doesn't sound like much, but it's a huge milestone for me!
Had a chocolate shake for breakfast, and blending with water and ice in a high-speed blender gives it a really nice "frosty" consistency. I enjoyed it very much. I think I can handle this "diet"!
The vanilla shake is good too, but not as yummy as chocolate. However, vanilla has the advantage of being very versatile, since we can use non-caloric flavorings to jazz it up a little. I would like to try a little orange extract sometime.
The bars are yummy! I had mint chocolate yesterday and peanut today, and they are as good as candy bars. Between the bars and the shakes, I'm certainly not jonesing for sweets. :)
The soups are interesting. I had chicken yesterday (jazzed up with dried rosemary, garlic powder and pepper) and tomato today (with a dash of hot sauce and some oregano). They taste really good (especially when they are the only savory thing I've eaten all day) but the consistency is a bit strange. Lumps develop and are very hard to break up. The package admonishes against "shaking" the soup, and since I only have a week's supply at a time, I don't want to risk ruining a serving.
Yesterday I was feeling pretty wiped by mid-afternoon and that concerned me a little. However, I now attribute that to lack of sleep, since today I feel pretty good.
One thing I noticed....I was watching TV last evening and saw a commercial for some kind of food. The food looked tasty, but I was able to look at it and think, "that looks good" without going into paroxyms of craving. Kind of like Buddhist meditation, where a thought can pop up, and the meditator just recognizes it and lets it go.
I released the thought so completely that ten minutes later I wouldn't have been able to tell you what the commercial was for. I still can't remember. I know, it doesn't sound like much, but it's a huge milestone for me!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Excited and scared at the same time...
My cohort of twenty fellow Optifasters met this evening. The group was very quiet when we met for the first time last week, but tonight most everyone was talking.
We have a lot in common. We all want to change our lives, inside and out. Most of us have been on "diets" before and are ready for a permanent lifestyle change.
We received our first order of product today. Here is mine:
Chocolate and vanilla shake powder, chicken soup and tomato soup mix, and an assortment of bars, in flavors like berry, peanut butter, chocolate mint, cinnamon, etc.
My "prescription" that the doctor ordered is for five products, which are 160 calories each. (Don't get out your calculators...that's 800 calories a day.) This is the smallest prescription on the Kaiser Medical Weight Management program. Some of my co-Cohorters (or CoCos for short) are prescribed more products per day. The doctors base this on gender, weight, BMI and probably other factors.
Our group leader advised us to purchase one additional product per day, as if we get desperate we are supposed to have an extra product rather than go off plan and eat food. I got an second box of vanilla shake powder, because if I need an extra item I want to make sure it's not a favorite, to help keep me honest. :) Optifast also offers ready-to-drink shakes in cartons, but since I have a Vitamix blender, I can blend my own with ice. To keep things discreet at the office I will put my shake in a thermal mug with a lid so it just looks like coffee.
I'm not embarrassed about Optifast, but I want to keep it on the down low at work for awhile.
We are given certain parameters when ordering. At least four items must be liquids. No more than two bars per day. Those with high blood pressure can only have one soup per day.
Since I get five products and have high blood pressure, that means: three shakes, one soup, one bar per day.
We also have to drink a minimum of three quarts of water per day, and preferably five quarts. Gulp! Fortunately I don't mind drinking plain water. Some of my CoCos were suggesting ways to flavor the water to make it more drinkable. Flavoring the water or the liquid meals is permitted, as long as the flavorings are non-caloric.
I have a filtered pitcher and bought a couple of big non-BPA water bottles to carry with me to work, so I don't have to buy those expensive "designer" waters.
It always cracks me up how Americans complain about the cost of gas, but don't mind spending $10 per gallon for water. And all that plastic in the landfills! (shudder) But I digress.
I ate my last "real" food tonight...my friend Tony's Cincinnati Chili. Mmmm...was it ever delicious. Now I am satisfied and ready to start. Someone on the Kaiser staff took our "before" photos tonight, and I'm eager to find my "after".
We have a lot in common. We all want to change our lives, inside and out. Most of us have been on "diets" before and are ready for a permanent lifestyle change.
We received our first order of product today. Here is mine:
Chocolate and vanilla shake powder, chicken soup and tomato soup mix, and an assortment of bars, in flavors like berry, peanut butter, chocolate mint, cinnamon, etc.
My "prescription" that the doctor ordered is for five products, which are 160 calories each. (Don't get out your calculators...that's 800 calories a day.) This is the smallest prescription on the Kaiser Medical Weight Management program. Some of my co-Cohorters (or CoCos for short) are prescribed more products per day. The doctors base this on gender, weight, BMI and probably other factors.
Our group leader advised us to purchase one additional product per day, as if we get desperate we are supposed to have an extra product rather than go off plan and eat food. I got an second box of vanilla shake powder, because if I need an extra item I want to make sure it's not a favorite, to help keep me honest. :) Optifast also offers ready-to-drink shakes in cartons, but since I have a Vitamix blender, I can blend my own with ice. To keep things discreet at the office I will put my shake in a thermal mug with a lid so it just looks like coffee.
I'm not embarrassed about Optifast, but I want to keep it on the down low at work for awhile.
We are given certain parameters when ordering. At least four items must be liquids. No more than two bars per day. Those with high blood pressure can only have one soup per day.
Since I get five products and have high blood pressure, that means: three shakes, one soup, one bar per day.
We also have to drink a minimum of three quarts of water per day, and preferably five quarts. Gulp! Fortunately I don't mind drinking plain water. Some of my CoCos were suggesting ways to flavor the water to make it more drinkable. Flavoring the water or the liquid meals is permitted, as long as the flavorings are non-caloric.
I have a filtered pitcher and bought a couple of big non-BPA water bottles to carry with me to work, so I don't have to buy those expensive "designer" waters.
It always cracks me up how Americans complain about the cost of gas, but don't mind spending $10 per gallon for water. And all that plastic in the landfills! (shudder) But I digress.
I ate my last "real" food tonight...my friend Tony's Cincinnati Chili. Mmmm...was it ever delicious. Now I am satisfied and ready to start. Someone on the Kaiser staff took our "before" photos tonight, and I'm eager to find my "after".
Sunday, January 19, 2014
The big day approaches...
I haven't always been big. I was an average-sized baby (weighing in at 7 lbs, 5 ounces at birth) and a small-to-average-sized kid. In high school, at 5'5" tall, I weighed between 120-125 lbs, which was considered normal at that time (these days I'd be considered a stick figure compared to many teens today). In my twenties I was very active -- didn't own a television and for many years didn't own a car, so I either walked or rode my bike, or took public transportation everywhere. These were the 1970s and 80's, so no Internet, either!
Got married in my later twenties. My marriage quickly became very unhappy and and I began emotionally eating. The pounds started to pile on!! My then-husband berated me for being heavy and berated me more when I tried to lose. Divorced a few years later and in the process lost two fat asses!! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Seriously, I lost 80 pounds in what I described as my "Divorce Diet"-- eating little, exercising much. It's true that walking and running relieves stress! And I wanted to look good because I was still young and thought I didn't want to be single forever.
That was twenty years ago. The weight started to slowly and insidiously creep back on. I've lost some pounds and summarily gained them back during these intervening years. I'm still unmarried (contentedly so) and I like to cook for myself and others. My leisure pursuits mostly involve handcrafts; which, while satisfying and produce beautiful results, aren't known for their calorie-burning properties. My job is a highly responsible one and can be stressful. Our clients will often bring us delicious goodies to show their appreciation, which festoon the break room. I have a hard time resisting, especially when the workday is hectic and pressure-filled.
So here I am...60 pounds overweight, with crazy high blood pressure (191/112 at the very highest; 171/108 a week later), and hypothyroidism (for which I take medication). I'm not diabetic (yet) but Type 2 diabetes is in my family. No longer am I so motivated to look hot in a mini-skirt. I'm more concerned about being able to move my body freely and keep serious illness at bay, and do whatever is in my power to help myself live a long and enjoyable life.
The Kaiser Medical Weight Management (MWM) program (you need not be a Kaiser member to join -- it's a fee-for-service program that costs the same whether you belong to Kaiser or not) is physician-supervised and consists of three phases: Active Weight Loss, Transition, and Maintenance. On Active Weight Loss, no "regular" food is eaten, just Optifast products, for 15 weeks, and exercise is introduced a couple of weeks into the program. In Transition, patients are weaned off the Optifast products one at a time, and food is reintroduced. Maintenance is about maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits, hopefully for a lifetime. The entire program lasts for about a year and a half, and "graduates" are allowed to attend weekly meetings as long as they want.
What attracted me to the program is the educational component. I can lose weight. I've proven that fact over and over! My challenge is to break the bad eating habits permanently and get to the crux of why I overeat, so I can stop the behavior and maintain a healthy weight for life.
Before being admitted to the MWM program I had to do fasting blood tests, an EKG, and be evaluated by a Kaiser physician. My first meeting with my group (Kaiser calls them "Cohorts") was last week, where we privately weighed in and had blood pressure taken. We taste-tested some of the product (not haute cuisine, but not terrible, either...the only thing that grossed me out was the strawberry shake).
I can do this!! :)
We met our group leader, N, a peppy, energetic, and slender young lady with a degree in Nutritional Science. N said that if we cheat and eat food or drink alcohol on the Active Weight Loss phase, they will know about it because it will show up in our blood tests! Also, if we suddenly eat fatty foods after having consumed only Optifast product, we put ourselves at risk for gallstones.
No sneaking through the drive-thru at Mickey D's for even a small order of fries!! ;)
Beginning this week, I am embarking on a new way of life.
To those who are still with me at this point...thank you for reading! I'll try to be more concise in future postings. I receive my first order of product this week, and I'll blog about how things are going.
Got married in my later twenties. My marriage quickly became very unhappy and and I began emotionally eating. The pounds started to pile on!! My then-husband berated me for being heavy and berated me more when I tried to lose. Divorced a few years later and in the process lost two fat asses!! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Seriously, I lost 80 pounds in what I described as my "Divorce Diet"-- eating little, exercising much. It's true that walking and running relieves stress! And I wanted to look good because I was still young and thought I didn't want to be single forever.
That was twenty years ago. The weight started to slowly and insidiously creep back on. I've lost some pounds and summarily gained them back during these intervening years. I'm still unmarried (contentedly so) and I like to cook for myself and others. My leisure pursuits mostly involve handcrafts; which, while satisfying and produce beautiful results, aren't known for their calorie-burning properties. My job is a highly responsible one and can be stressful. Our clients will often bring us delicious goodies to show their appreciation, which festoon the break room. I have a hard time resisting, especially when the workday is hectic and pressure-filled.
So here I am...60 pounds overweight, with crazy high blood pressure (191/112 at the very highest; 171/108 a week later), and hypothyroidism (for which I take medication). I'm not diabetic (yet) but Type 2 diabetes is in my family. No longer am I so motivated to look hot in a mini-skirt. I'm more concerned about being able to move my body freely and keep serious illness at bay, and do whatever is in my power to help myself live a long and enjoyable life.
The Kaiser Medical Weight Management (MWM) program (you need not be a Kaiser member to join -- it's a fee-for-service program that costs the same whether you belong to Kaiser or not) is physician-supervised and consists of three phases: Active Weight Loss, Transition, and Maintenance. On Active Weight Loss, no "regular" food is eaten, just Optifast products, for 15 weeks, and exercise is introduced a couple of weeks into the program. In Transition, patients are weaned off the Optifast products one at a time, and food is reintroduced. Maintenance is about maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits, hopefully for a lifetime. The entire program lasts for about a year and a half, and "graduates" are allowed to attend weekly meetings as long as they want.
What attracted me to the program is the educational component. I can lose weight. I've proven that fact over and over! My challenge is to break the bad eating habits permanently and get to the crux of why I overeat, so I can stop the behavior and maintain a healthy weight for life.
Before being admitted to the MWM program I had to do fasting blood tests, an EKG, and be evaluated by a Kaiser physician. My first meeting with my group (Kaiser calls them "Cohorts") was last week, where we privately weighed in and had blood pressure taken. We taste-tested some of the product (not haute cuisine, but not terrible, either...the only thing that grossed me out was the strawberry shake).
I can do this!! :)
We met our group leader, N, a peppy, energetic, and slender young lady with a degree in Nutritional Science. N said that if we cheat and eat food or drink alcohol on the Active Weight Loss phase, they will know about it because it will show up in our blood tests! Also, if we suddenly eat fatty foods after having consumed only Optifast product, we put ourselves at risk for gallstones.
No sneaking through the drive-thru at Mickey D's for even a small order of fries!! ;)
Beginning this week, I am embarking on a new way of life.
To those who are still with me at this point...thank you for reading! I'll try to be more concise in future postings. I receive my first order of product this week, and I'll blog about how things are going.
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