Week Twelve: Masked Villains and Pesky Reptiles

Well, this is the end of Week 12 and I’m still at it! It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much determination and sticktoitness about something. I lost 2 more pounds last week, for a total of 24.8 pounds since I started. What the hell—let’s just round up and make it an even 25! ; ) Sounds a little more motivational, don’t you think?

I have a confession to make. During the past couple of weeks I have been sneaking little bites of foods I previously considered to be strictly taboo on a weight loss program: a few chips, a couple of crackers, a spoonful of rice or a few noodles with some stir fry…. I haven’t gone hog wild and done anything as drastic as eating a whole candy bar or a fried chicken dinner (although those are both lovely thoughts!). Just a nibble here and there to satisfy my craving for something besides my standard fare of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. There’s something about the “you can’t have that” mentality that just cranks up the cravings, know what I mean? Especially when you see those types of foods just lounging around in your cupboards, begging you to snatch them up and devour them. So instead flopping down in front of the TV with a bag of chips or a pint of Häagen-Dazs and not coming up for air until it’s all gone, I’ll pick just 2-3 chips from the bag or grab a Weight Watcher’s ice cream bar from the freezer, and leave the rest in the kitchen. Just my totally inexpert opinion, but I believe it’s not so much what you eat, as how much you eat. By itself, one of my Weight Watchers ice cream bars is fairly innocuous at 100 calories. But if I eat the whole box, I’ve wolfed down 1200 calories. I could eat a whole pint of Häagen-Dazs for that. See what I mean?

And while I’m on my portion control soapbox, let me also reiterate the importance of exercise. While you may notice a difference simply by adjusting your eating habits, I’ll bet you see even greater results if you add some regular exercise to the equation. But of course, please make sure you consult with your health care professional before starting any diet or exercise program.

The biggest reason I stress talking to your doctor before making any significant lifestyle changes like me is because you never know what medical conditions may be lurking under the surface, masking themselves as weight and/or age issues. Take me, for instance. Contrary to the advice I’m peddling now, I did not talk to my doctor before beginning my program. Guilty. I just figured the lethargy and weight gain were the result of my increasing age and decreasing activity. As we discussed in last week’s post, it turns out I have a bum thyroid and needed medication.

In addition to my lethargy and weight gain, I also noticed the more I became exerted, the harder it was to breathe. At work, walking from the parking lot to my desk on the second floor left me panting. Ten minutes on the elliptical felt like I was trying to exercise with a boa constrictor wrapped around my chest. Old and fat and out of shape, right? Wrong again. Imagine my surprise when my doctor told me I have asthma. Asthma! That one came from waaaaay out in left field. *shakes head* I now puff on a maintenance inhaler twice a day, plus use a rescue inhaler before I exercise, and it has made all the difference in the world. My lungs actually work again, and that dratted snake has taken off for parts unknown!

So for all of you who laugh and think I’m being a drama queen for freaking out over turning 50, I’m thumbing my nose at you. It appears the closer I get, the more I’m falling apart! I’m only joking, of course. I can see (with help from my two other eyes), I can hear, I can get out of bed in the morning and motor around under my own power…and with the help of a few pills—and a couple of puffers—I’m managing my little ol’ medical conditions just fine.

I’m blessed and I know it. I thank God for it every day, and I pray for His help for those who aren’t.

Taken from Reader’s Digest:

No More Meat!
The teacher in our Bible class asked a woman to read from the Book of Numbers about the Israelites wandering in the desert. "The Lord heard you when you wailed, 'If only we had meat to eat!' " she began. "Now the Lord will give you meat. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, or ten or twenty days, but for a month -- until you loathe it." When the woman finished, she paused, looked up and said, "Hey, isn't that the Atkins diet?"

-- David Martino