Back Into the Fray

I no longer like looking at pictures of myself.

It has been five years since my weight loss surgery. I have never regretted that decision. Since then, I have definitely had a better-quality and healthier life. Since that time I have also gradually watched the scale creep back up. It has been slow, but it has been consistently in the wrong direction. At my very lowest, I got down to 205 lbs. - representing a total of 91.5 pounds lost. I swore that I would never let myself get back to the 210's, then the 220's and now I'm back in the 230's.

I still weigh less than when I got married, but seeing the scale move steadily in the wrong direction is scary to me because it's hard to know how to fix it. We all know about diet and exercise, but sometimes it is not that simple, particularly when I feel like I am fighting my own body all of the time.

Over the past year, I have watched a dear friend go through a dramatic weight loss. She started out heavier than me and is now much smaller than me. More than that, I have watched as she has posted about how much energy she has, how she doesn't have aches and pains anymore and I have seen an amazing transformation in her overall life. I have to admit that I have been very skeptical. I kept waiting for her to gain it back. When I asked about it and learned how much it cost and that it has a pyramid-type structure because people on the program become coaches, I was turned off. I kept telling myself I could do it on my own. But here's the thing - I can't. I've been trying for about 40 years and have not been successful.

My parents finally convinced me to try it. So - I am. I'm nervous, but very excited. I took the plunge and spent a small fortune on pre-packaged food combined with healthier food for the meals that I will cook. I also bought lots of new toys like an air fryer, mini waffle-iron, and a food scale.

The plan has me eating six meals a day! (Seriously, I feel like I eat all the time.) The pre-packaged meals are actually pretty good. Plus there are all kinds of ways to modify them and make them even better. I have only tried one thing I didn't like. Strangely enough, the second time I ate that one, I liked it.

The one meal I cook a day is a lean protein with vegetables. These receipes are AMAZING! My whole family is loving them. It has added variety to our diet and I feel like we're eating healthier. I've always wanted to know how to incorporate more vegetables into our diet.

And guess what? My energy level has been fantastic! I don't know if it's just the increased protein and lowered carbs or the fact that I'm making a real effort to go to bed earlier, but I have not had this much energy in a very long time. I've gone from needing a nap every day to never feeling drowsy.

So, here's the official data as of one week on the program.

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 230.6

Total lost: 6.2 (65.9)