Losing it to gain something better...

Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip.
Arnold H. Glasgow

We're working to carry less baggage, so our trip is a grand, very long one!

     A year ago when I retired,  it occurred to me that I could be retired for a long, long time. I wanted to make the most of this precious gift of time, and that meant I had to stay healthy. I was very overweight and was suffering because of it-- my joints were complaining, I had gastric reflux, my blood pressure had been elevated for years. As a nurse I knew I was headed for Type II diabetes, heart disease, and worsening joint issues. I was at a crossroad, and I decided it was time, finally,  to take the issue seriously and lose the weight.

This is me 60 pounds ago modeling a sweater that now is too big for me to wear!

     The problem is, I love to eat. I love sweets and chocolate, and bread. Oh, bread makes the meal, it really does. Crusty, warm bread with butter melting into the little crevices... thick sweet jam over the top. Bread and I go way back...

     Oops... sorry. I got carried away...  The thing is, bread was killing me. So were chocolate and ice cream and pasta and chips and dip and buffalo wings. And when I looked at my beloved husband, they were killing him too. We had a talk.

Here we are, over 100 pounds ago...

     So, we began our Healthy Living adventure. A year later, I can claim some success. I am 60 pounds lighter, my blood pressure has improved to the point that I may soon be able to get off the BP meds, I haven't had any reflux issues in months. My joints still hurt, but only if I overdo some activity. I am sleeping much better too, and have more energy. Lanny has lost over 40 pounds and has equally good physical improvement. And once I get this foot healed up, we plan on adding daily walking to our routine.

     How did we accomplish this? Well, first, we had to be motivated. Both of us knew this was going to be a long road, not a short one. We needed to look at this not as a diet that once we lose the weight we'll be done with it and go back to our old eating ways, but rather as a change in our outlook on food and eating, and a change in our lifestyle. Being retired meant I actually had time to plan meals and cook at home, which was also key.

     I am a card-carrying lifetime member of Weight Watchers, so I was well-acquainted with their system of assigning points to food. We had also tried the Southbeach Diet a couple times. In the reading I have done I learned that protein foods take more calories to digest than are actually in the foods (unless of course they are laden with fat calories as well, such as heavily marbled meats....) Diabetic diets focus on carbohydrate grams. So, the Bertram plan was to eat lean proteins, and limit fats and carbs, as well as keep the total calorie count below 1200 per day. That means low sugar yogurt, or an egg or two for breakfast, lean protein such as a veggie burger on a low cal bun and some raw veggies for lunch, and baked fish plus two veggies for dinner. Fruit was for snacking and dessert. Rice, potatoes, pasta were limited to only a few times per week and in small quantities. Portion control was key. And the support we gave one another was crucial. I also found a couple diet buddies-- my sister and my best friend-- who have given me some wonderful support and kept me going.

     It wasn't easy. We backslid. We hit Christmas and all our work was cast aside for a two week food frenzy that I am still working off the weight gained...  and I still have about 20 pounds to lose to get to my goal weight, so we continue to work at it, knowing it will take more time and effort to get these last pounds off. But here I am a year after I started,  4 dress sizes smaller, and loving how I look and feel!

Here is the new outer me... 4 sizes smaller!

And here is my handsome husband... Wow!!!

     Perhaps this is why yesterday, the first day in 10 weeks I was able to walk around without something heavy and awkward supporting my repaired ankle, I chose to clean out my closet!  I had a huge wardrobe for work-- "professional" jackets, slacks and such-- that I no longer needed and none of which fit. My closet was stuffed with them to the point where it was all getting wrinkled just hanging there. I tried on everything, grinning as pants after pants were found too big. Jacket after jacket hung like a sack off my now slimmer shoulders. It all went into two piles- the consignment shop for the better, less used items and Goodwill for the rest. We took two 30-gallon trash bags stuffed with just slacks to the Goodwill in the afternoon just to get it all out of the way. I have about that much still to go. And an equal amount to take to the consignment shop.

     Despite the bare closet-- I have not spent much money replacing clothing in a smaller size because let's face it-- retirement doesn't require a "wardrobe"-- I have been grinning from ear to ear. This has been a very graphic way to showcase my new outer self. It has shown me how far I have come. And in throwing the old stuff out, I am making a commitment to NEVER GO BACK to the old habits that got me in trouble.

      My grandmother had an old saying "Begun is half done". Getting started with a new lifestyle was the hardest part. Once we got going, it has become almost second nature to us. Not that we don't still feel drawn to unhealthy food or find ourselves taking too large a portion once in awhile... but we are on the road to healthier living. And hopefully we have added not only years to our lives but life to our years. I wish now that I had followed this eating plan years ago... perhaps my back and knee pain wouldn't be an issue...

     The lesson I want to share is that healthy eating is important and it is possible to do. It isn't easy, but the rewards of a healthier body are beyond measure. If you want to look and feel better, think about getting started... and then do it. Find a few buddies to support you too.