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The first thing a serious, experienced dieter must consider is: will this weight loss plan fit into my normal daily life. Most serious plans try to do this but over the long haul they fail for many of us. Ultimately, we all want to eat the way we were raised or the way we have changed in our own adult lives. Some of us have managed to become great cooks, but not necessarily healthy cooks. Ever watch the Food Network? Some of those shows provide all the information one needs to prepare the body for a heart attack.
But even some of the highly praised weight loss plans have flaws for some of us. One of the world’s most famous and successful weight loss plans did not work for me at all. I gained 8 pounds the first week I tried it. When I went for my weekly weigh-in the very kind consultant did not scold me but suggested perhaps I had questions about the plan and she went over it with me later in the session. She was not convinced I understood the plan, she explained it was a learning curve; I was to give her a call if I had questions. She asked if I had measuring tools with easy to read numbering and that perhaps I wasn’t measuring properly.
Because she was so sweet and caring I didn’t pound her head into the giant scale with my tubby foot but the bottom line was--I did it all absolutely according to “plan” and gained 8 pounds. After three weeks I gave up because though I didn’t gain more weight I didn’t lose anything either. My consultant was sorry to hear I was quitting but encouraged me to continue on my own. I don’t think she got it. I could not lose on this plan and had to try something else. Many years later I did try the plan again because it had changed. I gained 5 pounds that time.
That’s because many heavy people, contrary to what we see on TV, do not eat the amount of food you think they do. I know some people deserve their fat bodies but many just eat too much for their bodies, but---not for yours. I have worked with countless people over the years who eat the most unbelievably poor diets and eat all day and snack and go out to eat constantly and are fast food fiends. Their idea of exercise is to walk to lunch at Burger King instead of driving. Yet, these people were not heavy. I on the other hand would bring my little diet bag to work and very rarely ate out because of the weight gain issue but it didn’t matter. I was the heavy one and the others were not. Disheartening? Yep.
[During my long dieting career and many failures I found Fen-phen. Fen-phen was an anti-obesity medication (an anorectic) which consisted of two drugs: fenfluramine and phentermine. Fenfluramine, and later, a related drug, dexfenfluramine, were, sadly, shown to cause potentially fatal pulmonary hypertension and heart valve problems, which eventually led to their withdrawal from the weight loss market. Phentermine was not shown to cause harmful effects but I think the combination with fenfluramine is what caused the problem.
I took this combination and had weekly check-ups to make sure I was okay and I was more than okay. I felt the best I have felt in years, slept like a baby, and lost over 60 pounds. My Type II diabetes was g-o-n-e. I was never hungry. I had to remind myself to eat. I was always surprised to see it was lunchtime and I would pull out my very small simple meal and could not finish it. I had so much energy I danced through every day.
Yeah, I know, it was speed. It was speed marketed and prescribed by doctors as a weight loss method. You know, if your doctor prescribes it it has to be good; right? Ugh. At any rate, my doctor took me off the Fen-phen when the news about the heart valve issue hit the fan, but I was devastated. It is the only period in my entire life where I never felt hunger and slept well. There is still controversy over its use and apparently it can be found in other countries. I won’t try it again because of the “speed” factor and related health issues and my age and because I know I can feel better by eating better and being active. I mention it only because it was an extreme option to losing weight and like I said in the beginning, I’ve really tried them all.]
Sadly, each time a weight loss plan fails it’s very hard to get started with another. But over time I did—again and again. Some plans were great and I lost weight but only with suffering and deprivation. Sticking to various plans during birthdays, Christmas, family gatherings, going out to lunch and ordering lettuce, is all about suffering. Many weight loss entities suggest how to eat out but if you are going to a restaurant that specializes in Italian food and all your friends are digging into the house special it is agony to substitute your plan’s suggestions for dining out. Sure, it can be done but it is not fun and it is usually not satisfying. And let me point out again that Type II diabetics are usually hungry all the time, even after eating, unless we eat simple carbohydrates (which make us feel great but are deadly for Type II folks).
However, on many occasions I have been strong and have ordered a simple salad with dressing on the side. To add insult to injury, sometimes in group situations the bill is split evenly and I end up paying $25 for lettuce with the nearly untouched dressing on the side.
And so here I am today and I’m doing okay. I’m very active with my little business (which requires more physical activity than I thought it would) and with my treadmill, dog walking and gardening. I eat simple foods prepared at home (brown rice and whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruit), and I’m slowly, again, losing weight. [As of this writing, week three, 12 pounds]. It’s May and when the holidays come around I will no doubt gain a sizable amount back but I hope not. I made it through my birthday without a weight gain and I’m planning on being careful with subsequent events and holidays. When the weather is bad my treadmill is a deluxe model and has built in programs to challenge me. I have everything I need, and know everything I need to know, to lose weight and stay healthy. Can I do it? Sure. I have before.
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