It's Not A Diet

So many people are having success with their weight loss programs that I thought would throw us into the ring. Diane and I were both very overweight. In 2007 I went to Holland with my brother, and when I saw photos of myself taken during that trip I realized, really for the first time, that I had gone out of control. Di already knew. We worked hard for the next three years, trying to be a bit more careful about quantities and what we were eating, and slowly dropped a bit of weight. But in April 2010, on the invite of a friend, Di went to Weight Watchers and I went along for the ride.

Doctor Oz reports that WW has the best record for weight loss AND maintenance. We both were morbidly obese when we started. Diane had considered gastric bypass surgery until she learned she would have to give up her Celebrex and her doctor agreed that was a deal breaker. Still, it wasn’t until I turned 60 and she was nearly 59 that we had the necessary mind set not to go on a diet but to make a substantial change in how we approached the food we ate. The first thing was to identify the trigger foods that caused us to overeat and simply refuse to have them in the house. For me thyat included peanut butter and mayonnaise. Second, came tracking what you eat. Third came portion control, and fourth came the support network the meetings provided Di, and through her, me.

I have lost 96 pounds altogether and have remained virtually the same goal weight for over a year. Di has lost 142 pounds so far, 122 on WW, and is still working to lose a bit more. Better still, I have lost the Nexium, Lipitor, and blood pressure meds I was on. Di lost her blood pressure meds as well and has not taken a Celebrex in months, this despite the Montana winter.

WW is not for everyone, but it is a wonderful resource. Whatever gets you to your goals is a wonderful resource. The key is not to go on a diet, as I said, but to look at what you are doing as a new lifestyle focused on eating the right things, making good choices. And guess what? You still can have fun!