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May's Editor's Note
I Found My Knees, No Really I Did!
I have been complimented on my weight loss a lot lately. Believe it or not I have about 60 more pounds to go and from there we will see. One of the first questions asked of me is, why am I losing weight? Let me give the short answer: For me! Back in October I went to the doctor after having some blood work done and my numbers were ridiculous which included an elevated blood pressure. Now, while the Nurse Practitioner was talking to me, my eyes were filled with tears and in my head I kept saying, ‘How did I get to this point?’ This was my mantra the whole time I was in the office and then she said no we weren’t waiting until January 2010 to start the weight management program, we were going to start it immediately. What should have been a 30-minute office visit took 2 hours. She said some things to me in the appointment that caught me up short and scared the shit out of me. So after running the necessary tests I began the program, which includes an appetite suppressant, a lower caloric diet and a directive to put some exercise in my life. It took me 4 days to begin the program, but when I did, I took it like I do a lot of things in my overachieving world, I made it a challenge. I didn’t really discuss things with anyone, but I made the conscious effort to do better. It ain’t been easy. The beginning I had to make a meal plan and count calories. OMG! Do you know that my daily caloric intake had to be almost 3000 calories some days? No human being needs that many calories to sustain. Once you begin to see how many calories a particular fast food item has, you start really side-eyeing yourself. Then I started to reduce the starches and sugars from my diet. I started to look closely at the carbohydrates in food items and tried to limit those intakes as well. I had to let go of my beloved yeast rolls, bread and all things sugary. Hard as I make it sound, it really wasn’t that difficult once I set my mind to do it. What helped me to lose weight initially was the scared straight approach from the Nurse Practitioner, then it was my need to compete with myself and finally I had to believe I could do this. I have been down this road before and I knew what to do, but I needed to know I could do. My first weigh in I had lost 20 pounds. A solid 20 pounds. The next weigh in I had lost 15 pounds and so on. Then I had one where I only lost 8 pounds and the following month I lost 15, by increasing my workout regimen. Even when we were on the cruise I lost 2 pounds. I am conscious of what I put in my mouth, but I also don’t deprive myself of food just because it will hurt my diet. I do things in moderation and I do portion control. So if I want a cheeseburger, I get it, but I know I will need to adjust my calorie intact and increase my exercise. I still partake in wine and a dessert, but not every day. I eat bread, but I tend to stick to whole wheat and multi-grain. I don’t drink my beloved Pepsi anymore, but that is not say I want have some one-day, but I don’t have to have it. What has been the hardest part of this whole lifestyle change? Exercising and plateaus. I curse the damn trainer in Sports Active on a regular basis. I had a plateau after the cruise and I knew I had to do something so I increased my calories and increased my exercise. Believe it or not I am currently doing the walk two minutes; jog one-minute routine on the treadmill. Let me tell you it is hard but my legs, butt and overall feelings love it. I have had a minor medical setback. They changed my blood pressure meds in October and I noticed thinning with my locks and when I started losing locks on a regular basis I went into a hell-no rant and when I went in for my Drs. Appointment I made them change it and knock on wood no more losing of locks. The other was the loss of potassium. The Nurse Practitioner kept asking me was I having cramps and such and I wasn’t, but because my numbers were ridiculous, she put me on some potassium supplements. Why the hell do I now suffer from leg cramps, although light ones, they are cramps nonetheless? Other than those drawbacks, I feel better and look better. Although I am comfortable in my skin at any size, I know that in order to continue to take care of my aunt, I had to first take care of myself. It doesn’t hurt that I have a little swagger in my walk with the loss of weight, but most of all I love being able to finally see my knees. They were none existent for a minute there, but they are back in all their glory. There is nothing like being healthy and putting forth the effort to do so. Imani!
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