We have had a lot of family
time recently. Thanksgiving, Wedding extravaganza, Christmas and the actually
wedding was all in the past few months. I am not complaining. It’s a special
time and it’s been fun. A year ago during Christmas I shared with my family
that I was going to have weight loss surgery. Many folks do not
share because of the “back lash” or lack of support but, I felt that this
battle needed my family's support and I didn’t want to mislead anyone. My
family was supportive but, my brother will tell you he was apprehensive. I
shared with him that losing weight is a journey that lots of people take- some
of us will succeed and some will fail. All of us will take different roads to
get our results. No road is “easy”. My brother was 298 pounds last Christmas.
He really didn’t have room to judge and he knew it. Being fat sucks.
So, he left that Christmas and made some decisions. He started working out,
changed his eating and got with his PCP to help create a plan for him to lose
weight. I think he wanted to show me he could do it. He did it. He lost over 75
pounds. He looks fantastic.
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| My Brother Kyle and I lost a combine total of 170 pounds in 2013! |
The New Year is a time when lots of people make goals and jump on the bandwagon
to lose weight. I support getting healthy. Some people need medication; some
people need weight watchers, some people need to get moving and some people
need surgery. I support it all. My life has greatly improved..
Everyone says I
look better but, more than anything I feel so much better. I was in bad shape a
year ago. I was weighing in at over 350 pounds. My feet hurt so bad- I was
sick on antibiotics 3 times last November and December. My breathing was
labored and I was developing asthma. I had no energy and felt exhausted much of
the time. My life was leaving me in the dust. I was really too fat to work out. Let's be honest I had a big amount of weight to lose!
Today, I do not diet. I had a lifestyle change. I did use phentermine for 6 months and
lost 13 pounds. I know many people who lost weight with phentermine, hormone
injections or shakes. I think I would have been more successful had I done a few
things differently. Weight loss plans like weight watchers are proven to be a
great tool. Working out is also a great tool. All these things are tools. Tools
to help you be healthy and feel better. These tools do not work if you don’t
make a decision to eat better.
My brother and my family are supportive. I am blessed without a doubt! They
know that losing weight is hard and it's challenging. It's a mental game as much as a
physical game. I didn’t just have a surgery and lose weight. Therapy along with
working out and some other life styles changes was important key to my
success.
You can have a getting healthy story like Kyle and I have by next Christmas.
It’s not going to be easy but, I promise you it will be worth it. I guess it’s
only fitting that my brother gave me scales for Christmas. He knows I will not
be offended and use the precious gift. It’s all fancy and tells me I have not
drinking enough water. Ha!
Losing weight isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would be doing
it. The most important thing you can do for yourself today is to live a
healthy, active lifestyle. Remember, weight loss is not a race but a
marathon. Our bodies, our minds, our lives are meant to
be filled with balance. Learn from us and get motivated to change your lifestyle in the New Year. Cheers to 2014 and to your life being better.
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