How's this for a motivator?

Gout!

Hi, I never introduced myself and this is my first post but I've been using MFP for 9 weeks now and log on everyday. Today is a milestone for me. I'm 53 years old and 5'6" tall and weighed 191 on August 9th of this year. That's somewhere around 30lbs overweight.

I got real motivated to change my diet because I got gout and it was real painful in my right foot and I needed to do something about it. Something drastic like change my diet. That wasn't at all easy. I've been a beer drinker for many years. I never wanted to get drunk but just loved beer and liked that buzz it gave me. I drank 2 to 4 six packs a weekend and of course had to have potato chips with it. Obviously it added weight. I'm surprised it didn't add a lot more.

I was working out regularly at the gym and biking during the week but that was like burning the candle at both ends. It wasn't getting me anywhere.

Thanks goodness for gout! Strange thing to say, right? But I'm actually glad I got it. It was the last straw it and it made me get serious about changing my diet and losing weight.

Gout is a build-up of uric acid in the blood and makes crystals that form in joints. It typically ends up gathering in the feet because of gravity and the fact that feet are the extremities that are the furthest away from the heart. In my case it was so painful that I could hardly walk. It's called the rich man's disease because supposedly rich people eat a lot of red meat and drink alcohol a lot. I did that but wish the money was there also. It wasn't.

I went to a doctor and he prescribed medication but all that did was give me insomnia. I gave up on the medication and severely changed my diet instead of taking pills. No more alcohol(not an easy thing to do but I don't really miss it anymore), and healthier food chased the gout away. Hallelujah!

I'm glad the gout happened because as of today, 10/11/10 I've lost 20lbs in 9 weeks.

I don't think I'm doing a perfect diet but I do know that it's working.

Thank you MYFITNESSPAL!

When I hit my goal of losing 30lbs I'll post before and after pictures.