Sharing the Story

So, many of you do not know what I have been doing these past few weeks (okay, 9 weeks to be exact).  I know that I have been different to many of you; challenging plans for meals with more active options and constantly asking many of you to go hiking, or walking, or trampoline jumping, or many other activities.  Through these past 8 weeks I have also realized that there are many people out there, maybe even people that I know, that can benefit from my story.  I have started this blog to share with all of you: my family, my friends, and maybe even a few strangers, what I have been going through in my struggle to lose weight and become a healthier person.  I hope that this will help someone else achieve their goals as well.

When I started this journey (I HATE that word) venture, I thought it would be a piece of cake and that it was most definitely something that I could do alone.  I could not have been more wrong.  I have learned that something so life-changing requires you to have an incredibly strong support system.  People that will be there for you on the hard days; the days you want to eat everything in sight, the days you don't want to exercise, and the days that you want to have a cheeseburger, regardless of how that would set back your goals.  Thats where all of you come in.  While many of you already have been there for me in that aspect, whether you know it or not, I think that just sharing what is going on with all of you out in the big, wide internet will help as well.

Below you will find a picture of me near the beginning of this process.   When I look at this photo, which is bad and grainy to begin with, I can't believe its actually me.  Its like a different person than I would look at in the mirror every morning.  To be completely honest, it kind of disgusts me.  In fact, this picture was taken at the OC Color Run.  When I finished walking the 5K I thought I might pass out.  When I started the program I weighed 275 pounds.  While I don't exactly love sharing my weight with the big, bad internet, this is reality.  Me at the heaviest I will ever be because I am not going back.

April 2012

I started my weight loss program the first week of May.  May 7th to be exact.  The first week alone I lost 7 pounds.  As is the story with most people that are heavy I had tried millions of different diets. If there is a diet or weightless system that has been created, I have probably tried it.  This is the probably the first time I have lost this much weight at the beginning.  Let me tell you, it definitely keeps you motivated.  To be honest,  the first few weeks were relatively easy.  I was losing weight everyday when I weighed in (a first for me) and was pushing through.  For the first time, I could envision the finish line and what my life could be like when I lost all my excess weight.

May 19, 2012

The photo above was taken two weeks into my program.  At this point I had lost 10 pounds.  I was still moving quickly along and it seemed like while I was definitely limiting the content and portion size of my food, it did not really seem to faze me at all.  I had pretty much transitioned seamlessly into this new style of eating.  I also had been starting to exercise more regularly, mostly walking and riding the stationary bike at my house, which gave me more energy.

Fast forward to week 7.  The consistent weight loss that I had experienced for much of the previous six weeks had stopped.  I was still eating according to the plan but it did not seem to be helping.  Talk about frustrating!!  Since I had hit some sort of weight loss plateau, the nurse suggested that I try an alternate menu.  I agreed enthusiastically; anything to get my body back on track, right?  She then explained to me what this menu would entail: seven days of a mostly liquid diet.  Liquid breakfast, liquid lunch, and mercifully, a protein-heavy dinner that was made of real food.  This is where I hit my first real struggle of the program.  The first day was relatively uneventful.  Day 2, however, was when it became unbearable.  My stomach was growling all day; from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to sleep.  Previously, I never really experienced hunger unless it was time for my next meal, so this was uncommon for me and I was unprepared to deal with it.    Suddenly, all the emotion that I had put aside throughout this entire program came to light.  I'm sure that I freaked my family members out a little bit!  All I could think about was wanting to eat a cheeseburger and fries and somehow I could not get past this image in my head.  Once I got pass the first few days it was a breeze though, and I finished the week strong.

July 1, 2012

So here we are now-- the first week of July.  How did it become July already?  Anyway, after almost 9 weeks in the program I have lost a grand total of 27.8 pounds.  The photo above was taken on Sunday and contrary to what my pictures show, I do not walk around with a Hello Kitty head at all times.  Isolated moments, I swear.  There are so many things that have changed for me in the past two months. I have lost almost 30 pounds, which according to my good friend, Google, is either the weight of the human head or a toddler.  I am now imagining having a small toddler strapped to my back.  Anyway.  I have lost two clothing sizes (finally!).  I have a stack of clothing in the corner of my bedroom that no longer fits.  I now want to go hiking, or walking, or trampolining, or play baseball, or soccer, or anything active over going to eat with friends, or watching TV, or sitting around a coffee shop with a friend pondering our lives.  I am learning how to be happy with not only who I am now but also who I would like to become.  I can now see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  

Tomorrow will be July 4th.  While millions of people on America will be barbecuing and eating massive amounts of meat, BBQ sauce, potato chips, deli salads, and cookies, I will be eating my usual meal of chicken and salad.  However, I have reached the point where this no longer bothers me.  I no longer feel that I am "deprived" of certain foods.  I have a goal to meet and missing out on a few cookies and potato chips is worth it to me.  Tomorrow, I will be packing for my trip to Israel.  Tomorrow, I will be taking two pairs of pants that I purchased two weeks ago in anticipation of my trip back to the store because while they fit perfectly then, they are now way too big.  

I started this with 115 pounds to lose which is an entire person or the amount of weight Al Roker lost after his surgery.  This no longer seems unattainable.  As of today I have 87 pounds left to reach my goal.  By next year at this time I should be living at my goal weight.  Crazy, right?