Like many, I have battled weight most of my adult life.
I have had some success with plans like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Physicians Weight Loss, but all were temporary, and the bad habits and weight quickly returned. About 15 years ago, my desire to do the hard work of losing weight ended. I was tired of trying.
In the back of my mind, I always felt that “one day” I would win my weight-loss battle. I had lost my perspective of time, though. Very slowly, my annual check-ups with my physician turned into semi-annual check-ups and then quarterly check-ups as my health continued to decline – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes with painful foot neuropathy. I was content to live with all the medications and the disruptions in my schedule to visit my internist as long as I didn’t have to make any lifestyle sacrifices, especially in regard to food.
My inspiration to start losing weight began in two steps. A seed was planted when a co-worker lost well over 100 pounds on Weigh Station. I had heard about the program before, but here was undeniable proof that the program worked. Soon after, my husband and I got the news that our son and daughter-in-law were expecting our first grandchild. While my 89-year-old dad’s health continued to decline and my mother’s dementia worsened, here was a bright beacon in my life.
In addition to joy, news that I was going to be a grandmother brought back a flood of memories about my own parents’ role in my children’s lives. They had been there every step of the way while my children grew into adults. Now here I was, 56 and with a plethora of health issues, wondering if I would live to see my grandson graduate from school, get married, and have his first child – all those things my parents had enjoyed. I was slowly killing myself with food, and I had to do something about it. At that moment, that little seed that my co-worker’s weight-loss success inspired in me took root. I called Weigh Station and set up an appointment.
The first week of the program was, honestly, terrible. I didn’t feel hungry as much as confused and weak as I adjusted to the program. Since then, though, it’s been smooth sailing. I’ve lost 55 pounds and have reached my personal goal although I would like to lose about 10 more. Even better, I’m off all my diabetes medications and take a quarter of the blood pressure medication I did previously. I still take a low dose of cholesterol medication. (Everyone in my family has blood pressure issues, even those without a weight problem, so I think I’m sentenced to life on these meds.) My blood pressure is normal and my A1C is below normal. My internist practically did a jig he was so excited with my lab results and scheduled me to come back in six months.
Since being on Weigh Station, I have learned to have a better relationship with food. Now I eat to live not live to eat. I don’t feel deprived, and I love the control I have back over my life. About half way through my weight loss, I went through a brief period of grieving, realizing that I would never be able to eat the way I did before, specifically the simple carbs, such as sweets, bread, and pasta, my body always seemed to crave. I’ve tried to make a sport of this and allow myself to have two desserts a year – that’s it! I had one piece of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas – both without the crust – and haven’t had dessert in six months. Oddly, I don’t miss these foods and consider them dangerous trigger foods, at least for me.
Now life is good. No, life is great! Thank you, Weigh Station, for giving me my life back and for the opportunity to see my grandchildren grow up – just like my parents! ~ Penny