Not Overweight Any More

I've hit a "normal" weight for my height. It's still rather heavy, but it will help me get a better rate on my life insurance and that's a good start.

We went to visit our daughter this last weekend, she is not happy in her job and she just completed her MBA, it was very stressful for her going to school and working full time. She has gained weight since I've last seen her; not as heavy as I was at my heaviest, but I can tell that for her health she really needs to change the way she eats.

The following is an open letter to my daughter about my journey.

My Dear Darling Daughter,

It breaks my heart that you are struggling with your weight the way I did. Please, I beg you make some changes sooner rather than later.

Before I changed the way I eat I was almost 300 pounds. I don't know exactly how heavy I became because I refused to get on a scale, but I do know that the last time I did weigh I was 280; and I also know that I wasn't doing anything that would have helped me lose weight. I was a stroke or heart attack ready to happen.

My cancer can be "blamed" on being overweight; I also was told I was diabetic. My knees and feet were always in pain. I would get cortizone shots in both knees as often as I was allowed; painful shots and the pain they were relieving would go away for awhile and then come back sooner and sooner. It was hard to walk, I was getting winded just going up and down the stairs. I had no energy.

To deal with the stress of my business I would drink a bottle of wine each night. When I was going through the chemo. and I couldn't drink any alcohol, I was eating a lot of chocolate (hits the same pleasure spot). I ate pre-packaged food because it was easy, didn't take long and didn't require me to actually think when I got home from work. Vegetables were flavored with butter. I was counting calories, and eating within the "limits" that I should have been losing, but I wasn't and it wasn't until I read Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live book did I understand why. For more information on Dr. Fuhrman go to www.drfuhrman.com.

I have finally weighed-in this last week just under the "Overweight" mark for my height. My knees (except for the one I injured) are 1000% better, so are my feet. I have so much more energy. I am not diabedic; I will not get cancer again. I love doing exercise (especially yoga when I can). My blood levels are back to normal, my chances of stroke, heart attack, etc. are diminished to almost nothing.

I still have weight to lose; who wants to be at the high end of "normal". My goal is to be in the middle of "normal". It is my goal to be there by the end of this year. I love my new energy, outlook, health. Please join your dad and me in being a healthier,  person.

Love, Mom

Losing Slowly

All last year I was consistant in losing an average 2 lbs a week; I got spoiled. It took forever to lose the December weight (see last post) and from then until now I have managed to lose 4 pounds. BUT, on an up note, I am at a long-time low. I am within 2 pounds of not being overweight for my height. I still want to lose 20+ more pounds from that heading to the middle of the desirable weight area instead of the high end.

My knee is still inflamed and will not straighten all the way. I head to PT twice a week and I believe it is getting better, but I still tend to limp and get really tired if I stand for any length of time. My doctor told me last week that maybe I'll have to talk to the nutritionalist. I don't mind talking to the nutritionalist, but I've done some research on the net and I AM eating an anti-inflamitory diet; so I don't think any of this is my diet, but we'll see. We're heading to our daughter's home this weekend; that might derail my anti-inflamitory diet for a period, but even when I'm away I make the best of choices.

As for the weight-loss challenge for the 1st time in over a year, I'm NOT in 1st place. But we're not quite half way through the challenge. Do you think it's the lack of me being active?

Next time I put words to paper, I will be a normal weight and achieved the first of my big goals.