Take Shape For Life... Lowering my Dad's Blood Sugar

I received this email from my dad Monday. I am so proud of him! Dad signed up for Take Shape For Life and began in April. He lost about ten pounds and decided that this plan was working for him and he began to document his weight loss with a monthly photo shoot. So, here is April and May's side by side photo's.

Here is an excerpt from my dad's email.

It is exactly 7 weeks for me.

I am down 31 pounds now since the start. I am crazy happy about that.

That is down 7 pounds from last monday.

My blood glucose was 111 this morning. 8 weeks ago it averaged in the mid 150's every morning.

I am thrilled with both numbers and the progress.

One of my 'BEFORE' pictures. It was taken on my California trip this past June. This is the trip that I got kicked off of the ride because I couldn't buckle the safety harness. It was humiliating. I haven't gained or lost anything since then, so it's a pretty acurate portrayal. I have worse 'BEFORE' pictures-swimsuit!- but I won't post them here. Too embarrassing.

Tuesday October 21, 2008
Today I start my journey to dump these fat rolls that hinder my exuberance. I remember when I was 16 years old, my aunt Carole, God rest her soul, told me that “short of a disaster, Charity, you will always be fat.” I tried to harness my anger over that statement and use it to keep myself thin for many years but eventually I just decided that she was right and quit fighting. Today, I pick up the fight again. I am excited and can’t wait for the pounds to start to drop off. With my previous difficulty losing weight, I wonder if it will work as well as the success stories boast.

Meal 1: 9:30 am Banana Shake-it was good but I think it needs to be colder somehow coffee with splenda
Meal 2: 12:30 pm Cream of Chicken Soup – it was even good but I need to microwave it more than one minute. It needs to be hotter. The top of the soup has yellow on it and it is psyching me into thinking that the soup is buttery

Meal 3: 3:00 pm Peanut butter chocolate bar. Yum.
Meal 4: 6:30 pm Cherry Pomegranate shake-- YUCK
Meal 5: 9:30 pm Hot cocoa. The second packet was good. I tried it once, prepping it like the package said and it all gummed up weird. Second time I shook it in the shaker then poured it into a mug and microwave it and it was yummy.
Lean & Green Meal: Ice berg lettuce, eggs, ranch, celery, cucumber

Wednesday October 22, 2008

I made it through yesterday. It ended with a headache and I was hungry. Not so bad it was intolerable though. I woke up with a headache and cramps. I really just want to lie down until I feel better but Roy will be home soon and he’s already critical of how I spend my time. Kids are whining and need my help with school and I think I’m going to cry. I need to tell myself this is temporary. Go take some Advil and this will be all worth it.

Something I noticed yesterday was time. I found myself wondering what I was going to do with all the time I had. So much time is spent preparing food, going to get food, planning food. I had 15 minutes to spare and drove by a Starbucks. I would’ve filled that time with waiting in line at Starbucks if I wasn’t on this diet. So what do I do with those 15 minutes now? I had so much more time to spend yesterday I didn’t really know what to do with myself. Weird, huh? Tonight will be a test. The kids go to Awanas and I usually go and buy myself a ‘special dinner’ and even a milkshake. I need to get a good book. Maybe I’ll pack my memory verses with me?

11:30 Found out a friend is having surgery today so now I know what I’ll do with my Awanas time tonight. I’ll go visit her in the hospital.

The headache never went away.

Meal 1 9:30 cappuccino – to die for, especially mixed with black coffee. I want another J

Meal 2 12:45 Smores Granola bar

Meal 3 3:00 Blueberry antioxidant shake-better than the cherry pomegranate shake but still not my fave.

Meal 4 6:00 strawberry cream shake it was OK, not as sweet as I’m used to

Meal 5 9:00 maple brown sugar oatmeal. Weird. More like mush but I got used to it and found it filling.

Lean and Green Meal 6 oz grilled chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and salad, 2 T low carb dressing

Snack Garden Vegetable crackers

Commitment 2

The History

In September I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a couple months and I just couldn't believe what I saw, or didn't see. She had lost so much weight I was shocked. I had to ask the requisite question "What are you doing?" and of course she then began to tell me that she lost 40 pounds on Medifast diet. Initially I himmed and hawed about it, chalking it up as another slim-fast or NutriSystem diet that would cost me a fortune but not yield any results. Her results, however, were undeniable.

A friend or two mentioned that if she ate one hamburger she'd 'poof' up again, that those kind of diets never work. Being desperate I began to research this diet anyway. Yes, it was a bit of money and it contained soy. I've never had a great reaction to soy. The thing was that I started running into people who were on this diet everywhere I went. Our home school co-op, church, work, bible study, my Mom's church-you name it. Everyone that I ran into had lost more then 20 pounds and raved about it.

My friends health coach called me around the 14th of October. I felt like I was ready, albeit pessimistic, to take another plunge. Try again. Fail again. At least you could say I kept trying. My order came October 20th and I began immediately the next day.

I began keeping a journal of how I was feeling, what obstacles I expected and what I was eating. I was reading the book "The Secrets Out" every chance I could get. I began to understand the science behind the diet, why this diet is different from Slim Fast or Nutrisystem and my pessimism began to change into optimism. My first week I lost 7 pounds. Tomorrow it'll be two weeks and I can't wait to weigh in again.

The Commitments

Commitment 1: I will comply with the Medifast program and consume only the products allowed until I have reached my goal weight.

Commitment 2: I will make changes in my eating habits and change my old beliefs about dieting.

Commitment 3: I will include a weekly program of exercise and record the activity.

Commitment 4: I will be honest with myself about the troubles I am having and will get the support I need. Whether it is through Medifast, a support group, or a special person, I will be accountable to someone.

The Blog

I am calling this blog "Commitment 2" because that commitment is really what it is all about. Changing my eating habits and my old beliefs about dieting. I don't want to eat one hamburger and 'poof' up again. I want to lose weight and feel good for the rest of my life. I've failed every diet I have ever tried and I want to believe that there is still hope.

I am going to start posting my journal here. I will not be posting my weight or my weight target because that isn't really any of your business. I will include pictures as I go along and also leave a running total of how much weight I lose (or gain... ugh) each week. The plan is to post two days at a time starting with October 21st until I'm up to present.

Why Share All Of This?

Because I need help. Most diets I've tried, I've done 'in the closet' so to speak. If I don't tell anyone I am trying to lose weight, nobody will know when I fail. Since I'm trying to change my old beliefs about dieting, and I anticipate success, I will open my journey up to the masses.

Signing off for now,
Charity