The past year and a half has been quite a journey! I went from being the heaviest and least in shape I’ve ever been in my life, to doing a complete 180. I now weigh less than I did when I started working at the supervised apartments where I have one of my relief gigs, 15 YEARS AGO! 😁 See for yourself!
I still remember the moment I decided to take control of my life. I was sitting in the recliner in my living room one day last spring, munching away on Nestlé Crunch Nest Eggs. My mom looked over at me and said, “you’ve GOT to do something about your weight. You’re slowly killing yourself.” I knew she was absolutely right. I had become a blob of a human being. Simply getting up from the chair and walking to the next room left me huffing and puffing. I was too young for this. The thing was, I WANTED to lose weight. I just didn’t think it would ever be possible, so I settled for existing in a body that didn’t allow me to be my best self. I had figured, “it’s never going to happen anyway, so why try?”
I had struggled with my weight since I was around 20. The pounds steadily packed on, year after year until I found myself where I was at. That same day, my mom suggested I look into a program called Ideal You that we had seen advertised on TV as well as billboards. She told me that they were having open houses, and offered to go with me to one for moral support. I said, “well, it’s worth a shot.”
My decision ended up being possibly the best one I’ve ever made in my life. I was finally on the road to shedding this extra layer, once and for all! During my first week of the keto-based program, I lost a whopping 7.2 pounds! Each week thereafter, I steadily lost an average of 5 pounds. Before I knew it, 6 months had passed, and I hit my 100lb milestone! I earned a certificate declaring me a member of the “Century Club.”
The following 6 months would see a little bit of a slowdown with weight loss, however I was still steadily dropping. After all, I had less to lose, so it was to be expected! By March, I had gotten down to around 250. While most people have gained weight during the COVID epidemic, I continued to lose! Two or three more months passed, and I hit 225. I kept pushing for my original goal of 200.
After having plateaued for the next few months, I made a couple decisions. First, I had concluded that since I was already down to an extra large, which was the size I wanted to be, I didn’t really need to lose another whole 25 pounds. I decided on 210. When I plateaued for yet another month, I realized it was time to listen to my body: if 225 was where it felt content, I was okay with that! I am now barely larger than I was when I graduated high school at 185, and I feel FANTASTIC. No more back pain or sore knees, and best of all, no running out of breath from the slightest bit of exertion.
Granted, after completing the keto phase of the program, I did go on a little (ok, big) snacking spree, as don’t forget, I haven’t gotten to enjoy a lot of foods for a whole year and a half! I definitely indulged more than I should, at the price of 10 pounds. Now that I know what I need to do to drop those pounds back off, and then maintain, I’ll be good to go!
The Pieces Fit! 