Is an Ounce of Prevention worth a Pound of Cure?

Over the years (since I was 15 years old), I have tried Weight Watchers (many $$ and multiple attempts with ribbons to prove it..hehehe), LA Weight Loss (6 pound loss for $1200), Doctors Diet Program (15 pounds for $300), local diet doc (20 1/2 pound loss for $180 in office visit and prescription co-pays), The Grapefruit Diet, Atkins, Sugar Busters, The Cabbage Soup Diet...need I go on?
In addition to all of the other "diets", I also researched getting Lap Band surgery. I was about 235 pounds (5'4") and miserable. I made it through the physical assessment that confirmed the need, the nutritional counseling, the psychiatric evaluation, 2 mandatory support group meetings, and the liquid diet for 1 month. I lost that 23.5 pounds that was supposedly the only remaining requirement for making it to the surgical table for the banding. What stopped me, you ask?! Blue Cross Blue Shield can take credit for that road block. According to their medical pre-determination department, I wasn't "sick enough" to put the spoken words of my bariatric MD to print.

 NO diabetes, NO high blood pressure, NO chronic illness = NO coverage

Never mind that my health history detailed:

1. reflux/heartburn
2. borderline HTN (BP 124/90)
3. joint pain
4. low back pain
5. foot pain
6. depression (intermittent)
7. Excessive snoring

In hindsight, I probably need to sit down and write them a thank you note for that 2008 decision that someone smarter and wiser than me made on my behalf.

Now, fast forward to October 2010. One of my co-workers, Cathy, called me and said, "I made you (us) an appointment to see a nurse practitioner for weight loss." Some might wonder what business does a "so-called" friend have in recommending a "diet doctor" for me. The truth is...that was exactly what this gal needed... A true friend that invested herself into my overall happiness. She knew that I had struggled for years without any real results; thankfully, she was willing to take that step with me. Long story short, that is where I met Taylor NP (nurse practitioner) and made a commitment to myself to NEVER give up. Taylor NP helped me see that eating better and moving my feet were the only real answers to my life-long struggle with obesity. She had already walked in those "fat girl" shoes, found her own answers, and was simply passing on her "lessons learned" to me (and Cathy). I spent approximately 18 months building a relationship with Taylor NP and turning my life in a different direction than ever before. I used Phentermine and LipoB protein injections per her recommendation for months to help melt off the pounds. But then...last Fall, I slipped off of that wagon. I just became tired and worn thin with "dieting" and decided to "take a break". Within 2-3 months, I found myself in a culvert that was filling with swift moving waters into a sea of chaotic eating and sitting all over again. The truth is...I wasn't trying to eat better...I was wanting that "magic pill" to make my hunger go away and add energy to my body and brain. Miracles happen everyday but I was being more irrational than ever before in asking for a "quick fix" with little to no effort involved on my part. Trust me...I was exercising like crazy but I was eating like crazy as well. In the big picture, my brain was still pretty jacked up. I planned to refocus my time trying to figure a way to spend less money but get the same results as I had gotten from using LipoB Protein injections and Phentermine which didn't seem to work anymore. Bottom line...I was just tired and lacked enough energy to push forward. Despite wanting to cry out loud, I kept smiling on the outside while searching for the right direction on the inside.

The scale told the story:

October 25, 2004 = 185
October 25, 2010 = 249
October 25, 2011 = 198.2
August 10, 2012 = 186.6 (all time low since getting married October 25, 2004)
October 25, 2012 = 191.6
February 15, 2013 = 200.4

Do you see the trend here? Down, down, down then on the way back up again. In just 6 months, I found right at 15 pounds. What happened? Well, I quit moving and started eating. I added LOTS of FroYo and more Mexican food (including Ritas) than you could imagine back in place of that exercising that I so casually left off of my daily routine.

Shew, glad to finally get that off of my chest...now, on to today we go!

February 15, 2013 was the true turning point for me this time. An old friend from high school introduced me to a nutrition system thru Advocare along with an eating plan that was do-able. Yes, I am sure I have used those same words before but I can definitely say that I have a new appreciation for "better" foods. I am sure that the BBQ chicken pizza, FroYo, Mexican tamales and steak quesadillas, and giant margaritas will be back on the tracker on rare occasion at some point. However, I can be certain that I have never felt better eating nutrient dense foods so why would I settle for anything less than feeling this good. Surely, the occasional splurge would not be a problem. In fact, I feel sure that I could love them "like a fat kid loves cake" again with no trouble. What I am trying to say is that ...TODAY...I am making the choice to eat cleaner and move more freely in my clothes. The really cool part of this whole journey is the extra energy that I have found in my brain and in my body. Eating a balanced diet blended with daily mineral supplements are key to my overall wellness. And..with the help of this blog and my multiple accountability partners in my home and work life, I am destined to keep up the good work. My goal is to just continue feeling healthier while melting that fat thru daily exercise and cleaning up my eating habits.

I was going to wait until May 15, 2013 (3 months after starting Advocare products and eating cleaner) to share this history/story with you but like almost everything in my life...I couldn't be patient. I couldn't decide on just the right time to share these skeletons but felt that there would be no better time than the present...Weigh Day Wednesday! This is almost 6 weeks (minus a couple of days) into this journey and I feel stinkin' amazing! I ask you to ask yourself..."What are you doing today to make tomorrow better?" Are you tired of being tired? Are you afraid of gaining more weight? Are you ready for change?

Today's scale results:

Yes! More fluff left behind. Total since 2/25/2013 = - 12.6 pounds

Total since 10/25/2010 = - 61.2 pounds


Now you have heard the down and dirty!

Along with celebrating my own personal happiness (and smiling at the scale this morning), I wanted to share the success of my HS friend that I spoke of earlier. She led me to Advocare as I observed her beat the challenges in her daily life and glow with inner strength at the same time. Not only is she being successful, she is so very encouraging for others to do the same. I am so thankful for Joy and for Advocare as I shed my pounds and gain energy as well. Check out this transformation!