Weight loss: the Beginning of the End

I caught sight of myself in a full body mirror at the weekend and it was a shock to the system an that's when I new I needes to do something so tomorrow is my d day

The day I had a blood pressure reading through the roof and a blood sugar reading in the pre-diabetic range. I called a wellness coordinator who recommended MFP and I began logging immediately. I started walking to a more a distant subway stop before getting on to ride home that same evening.

When I realized I was within 10 pounds of weighing 1/8th of a ton was the day I came here.

When it finally sunk in (after about a decade of the combo) that being very active/athletic and eating "healthy foods" was not having much impact on my high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides; my doctor was getting more insistent about starting on statins. What sealed the deal was the pathology report after they removed my gallbladder: It was an ugly cholesterolized, inflamed thing; had actual holes in it - condition called adenomymatosis, which had been causing GERD, heartburn (no stones or sludge, though).

Weight loss via calorie management was the key, for me. The blood pressure and blood lipids improved substantially when I was only part way through weight loss, eating generally the same foods as before (different portions/proportions/frequencies) and doing pretty much the same amount of the same exercises. All the numbers have been good since, as well as a healthy body weight bringing other benefits I hadn't anticipated.

I was discussing my aches and pains with my doctor when I admitted I would feel better if I lost weight. That day I weighed 215. A year later, I weigh 146, nearly 20 pounds less than my wedding weight, which I'd thought was pretty good (wedding weight was 164). I'd been looking into diet programs and thought I could do well on Keto, so I committed to my doctor that I'd give it a try. Since I would see my doctor in a relatively short time, I felt committed and just kept going. I didn't start using MFP until February of 2021, but watched a TON of Keto-type videos on YouTube. Since joining MFP I've gained many supportive friends who've motivated me, kept me on track, and cared and encouraged me when I struggled. At first I allowed myself one cheat day a week, but when weight loss slowed, I cut the cheat day out. A few months into the Keto lifestyle, I ran out of bipolar meds and since I'd heard of people who were on Keto who'd been able to do without these meds, I thought I'd give it a try, but made sure I had enough meds on hand in case I noticed any mood issues. I consulted with my GP and she was supportive of my efforts. While taking the meds, I'd noticed dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, hand tremors, and weakness, so I was pleased when I found no mood issues. Today I'm still off all bipolar meds and feeling great.

The other day a dear friend asked me why I (finally) decided to lose the weight. The question perplexed me. My response was "I was fat." Fat people know they're fat. I thought about being obese all the time. When I met a new person, I always thought they were thinking about my weight. I felt overlooked, as though people only saw me as a fat person (probably because that was how I thought of myself). It was a sad life. Each pound lost made me feel better about myself and today I see myself the same on the inside and the outside. I am a great, active, and loving person. I choose to be happy each day and I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far. I still plan to lose 13 more pounds, but the 13 is not a goal laid in cement. I will lose what I feel is right, maybe less, maybe more. Just playing it by ear. Have a great day, dear MFP-er. God bless you.