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.
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