ABOUT ME and this WOE

[M'Lady K]

On my birthday last year, well 12-26-2004, I forgot that my driver's license needed to be renewed. It wasn't until the end of January 2005 that I remembered and I didn't get it redone until February 2005. This meant I had to take the written test over again, and the DMV had to take a NEW PICTURE!

When the new picture arrived -

Right there in my hands was the proof that I was FAT! Really, really fat. Furthermore, it was DOCUMENTED! <gulp> (You all know the little mental games we play with ourselves about being fat don't you? Well, I'd been doing them...ALL of them.)

First I cried. Then I got angry. Then I got determined. SOMETHING must be done!

Also playing into this mini-drama was the fact that my sister and mother, both MUCH MORE overweight than I (in my silly little mind game anyway) had cheated (in my little voice in my head) and gotten that stomach surgery. Both of them had lost tremendous amounts of weight and were no longer fatter than me!

(You can visit my sister's journal here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobe...?N=C1090546897)

Eight years before DH and I had tried the Protein Power plan with great results for about 5 months. I lost 60 pounds then. I don't know why we stopped, we just drifted off of it.

DH is morbidly obese. At my best guess, I believe at this time he weighed aproximately 440 - 460 pounds. He did NOT want to hear "diet" because all of his life he has been told he is fat. He likes good food, and is a professionaly trained chef, although he does not make his living from that. Or television is frequently on The Food Channel!

I told him that I was going to try to lose weight. That I wouldn't nag him, and that this was something that I was going to do for myself. I said I was going to use a low carb high protein type eating plan and I promised I wouldn't impinge upon him. However, he could NOT get his feelings hurt if I refused to eat something which wasn't on my WOE (which he is very familiar with).

So I began March 1st. I weighed. I didn't go to the doctor, and I didn't have any tests done. I just began eating a low carb high protein type meal. I made sure I eat three times a day (which was a new thing for me). Fortunately we live in Southern California and the neighborhood I live in has several good produce markets so vegetables, good vegetables aren't a problem.

Every month I kept my eye focused on 10 pounds. That is all, only 10 pounds. I didn't tell anyone else that I was loosing weight (didn't mention the D word).

No one noticed!! I managed my goal of 10 pounds every month. March, April, May, June - NO ONE noticed! I'd lost 40 pounds and NO ONE noticed. Well DH noticed. :jumpgreen

Bless him. He'd rub his hands over me at night and tell me I was getting curves again! And, he'd hug me during the day and comment on how much further his arms went around me. He's the best.

I had to lose 50 POUNDS before anyone else noticed!!! Mid-August. And then, when they'd inquire "did you lose some weight?" and I'd say yes and tell them how much - no one believed me!

So what. Screw them. This was for me. 10 pounds. August, September. Then I got a job! :jump: I'd been trying for some time, and knew I had excellent qualifications but just couldn't get hired. Hmmm...you think it could have been my weight. In Los Angeles California, home of Hollywood and tons of actresses. Particularly since I'd always worked in the Entertainment Industry, or in the Senior Executive offices of major corporations? Nah, of course not!

Anyway, the first job was only for 6 weeks. It was great! <giggle> I had to go dig clothes out of boxes to wear. Everything hanging in my closet that was "business attire" was too big!!! (Loved it!) Of course, I had new temptations to adjust to - no bagles, no candy from those cute little dishes on everyone's desks, no fast food for lunch. Oh I was so good! I made sure I took my lunch with me every day, no matter how inconvient it was to prepare the night before. 10 pounds. 10 pounds. That was my mantra.

In October, DH who had been having some health problems, went to a clinic here in Southern California - The Whitaker Wellness Institute - for a three week stay. This is because he had terrible running sores on his legs which wouldn't heal, shortness of breath, and chest pains. He chose Whitaker after much research on the internet. Anyway, the first thing they told him was that he hadn't had any heart attacks, and had no damage to his heart. But, he was borderline diabetic, had anemia, had high blood pressure, and was right on course to have a slew of other problems. So, he learned a new WOE while there, guess what? High protein and low carb! Also, he got a meter to check his blood sugar and a blood pressure cuff. I benefited from this because now I can check my blood pressure and blood sugar! :smile:

Now in November we were both on similar eating plans. No more temptations in the house! No more going out to eat and fussing about "where" - he is as concerned as I about carbs!! Oh this was good!

I also got another job. This time a permanant one. I like it very much. I work very hard during the day but leave the job at the job every day. I am able to follow my WOE there with no problems (they have the most awesome breakroom - 10 microwaves, two refrigerators, two double sinks, and provide knives, forks, spoons, paperplates, paper bowls, papertowels, AND janitoral service to keep it clean!!). I like them, they like me, I can keep doing my 10 pounds per month. They also have a very nice gym which I haven't used yet.

Thanksgiving was good. We had roasted duck, steamed asaragus, salads, and for a treat (not on the WOE) baked sweet potato. That was our meal, it was simple, and easy to fix, the sweet potato was the entire carb count for me for the day!! Do you know, I only ate 1/2 of my potato. I was full!

Christmas was good too. We had prime rib, grilled squash, steamed green beans, and lovely salads (I like the "spring mix" and my DH likes only ceasar so we have different salads. He calls mine "weeds.")

The week between Christmas and New Year's I gave myself "time off." What that basically meant was that I put crackers in my chili and one day, only one day, I went to Fatburger!! I had cheese burger, onion rings, and a chocolate milkshake!!! Also, I had a cheese quesidilla at the Mexican restaurant. Nothing else changed. On Monday, January 2nd, even though I had the day off from work, I went right back to my low carb WOE. DId I have cravings? Oh yes, for about two days. Was it a problem? Not really because I just made sure I had "legal food" three times a day, and a couple of nut snacks - Rosemary Walnuts from Fran McCullough's The Low-Carb Cookbook.

There's one thing I've noticed as I've gone along. The longer I follow this WOE, and make sure that I eat at least 3 meals per day, the less hungry I am. It actually gets easier. Amazing. I mean I can sit in the lunchroom and have people offer me things which aren't on my WOE and I can say "no thanks" and really mean it. I can ignore the candy dish on the edge of my desk. I won't fill it (someone else does that), but I can ignore it. People come up every day, some several times a day and stand there and eat candy in front of me and I'm not bothered. I'm not particularly trying, I'm just not attracted. It is very bizzare but I give thanks every day!!

But....if I miss a meal all bets are off!

Breakfast is a difficult meal for me. It was the meal I used to miss all the time. There are several reasons for this. I hate the taste of eggs. There is no reason I can't eat them, I just really don't like the taste. And, I"m allergic to pork. Rush me to the emergency room allergic. Hmm....what can I have for breakfast?

What I've settled for is Hillshire Farms Little BEEF Smokies and 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. Recently I've substituted the new Dannon Carb Counters fruit yogart (3 g carbs). But I'm not doing that for the next two weeks.

So every morning I have the same breakfast. Boring but it gets me through breakfast - no fuss, no muss. And, I don't have a reason to cheat!!

Okay, that is enough. Ya'll should know a little something about me now.
Hope to hear from the rest of you!

[Felonee]

I can't wait to watch your continued success on this WOE! I'm originally from So Cal (the San Fernando Valley), and really miss having other Southern Californian's to talk to. Vickie on here is from San Diego, but she's the only other one that I know of.

I totally get the not being able to get a job because of your weight thing. Even though So Cal is not as full of "the beautiful people" as some people think, there is still a lot of fat prejudice there. I used to have to find temp to perm jobs with a temp agency, because the overall view there sometimes seems to be that fat people are lazy and won't work as hard, which of course is NOT true!

Have a great Monday!

[M'Lady K]

Felonee - Thanks!

Umm...Southern California. I moved here almost 10 years ago from a farm in Georgia. Talk about "culture shock" - oy vey (See, I picked up the lingo too! Not a "ya'll" in it!)

I live in the Northern end of the San Fernando Valley, in Sylmar - just before you go over the pass to Valencia/Santa Clarita/Newhall (whichever name you know it by). So....talk away. <smile>

Yes, the fat predjudice...I've had to do the "temp to perm" thing every time. <shrug> This last time I was fatter and it just took longer to get a job. <muttering>"Don't dwell, don't dwell"<muttering>

Today did turn out to be a "good Monday" - look at all of the new friends I've made!!

Talk to you again soon,
~K

[Maxibee]

Wow, what a story! I'll visit with you more when time allows....welcome to LCE!

[heykim]

hey K!
great to meet ya!
sounds like you are ONE determined woman! AND it sounds like your TEN lbs at a time is working terrific for ya!
i think you will be able to give us ALL some inspiration and some great tips along the way.
looks like youre almost HALF WAY to your goal..
amazing!

continued success!

kim

[Maxibee]

Hey, K. How is it going today? Good, I hope. How do you like our group so far? I love my buddies here! We have alot of fun and everyone is so helpful. It's good to have you join us.

[M'Lady K]

Maxibee,

I love it! I'm having fun reading and learning.

Nice people here!

And, I'm having fun talking about this woe!!

Today was a very good day. I managed to eat good meals and keep my carbs at 20g. I'm going to go post what I had today under a posting where someone was saying that they were "bored" with the food and worried about keeping at the induction level. And, I managed to "peek in" from work and read a bit.

(Hmm...just went looking for that post and couldn't find it. I think I'll post a new thread about this subject. *I* don't find the food I'm allowed to have boring. But, it took me a little while to learn to make choices. I think I'll make the thread about that - and use today's menu as an example. What 'cha think?)

~K

[Felonee]

LOL! I know all about culture shock! After CA, I lived in the Tri-Cities in Washington, and they were so PROUD of their mall (a single story mall)... and they complained about their traffic jams that took all of 15 minutes to get through.

Now I live in a fairly rural area in Texas... y'all has become a standard part of my vocabulary, and I have to drive about 1 1/2 hours to get to a single story mall... and about 2 1/2 hours to get to a multi-level mall. I'm a mall-rat and I do miss the mall dreadfully.

I was born in East LA, grew up in Burbank, Sun Valley, and Northridge. I lived 4 houses from the epicenter in the last big quake, and moved to Palmdale about a year before I left California.

One of my favorite breakfast places when I was a kid was up in the Sunland-Tujunga area, and it was a coffee shop that was attached to a biker bar. They had the best biscuits and gravy I ever had before moving here.

I'm glad that you had a good Monday, and I really look forward to getting to know you better!

[QueenMama]

Welcome to this little world of low carb enthusiasts. Sounds like you have your woe well under control, and you and your DH are doing well.

If your breakfast is boring, look into the cooking threads, or the recipe pages of this forum. You'll find some great ideas for things other than eggs and sausage. There's a good recipe for lc hot cereal, called Maggie's cereal, that everyone loves. Simple to make, and lots of fiber and protein.

Keep up with what you are doing, and all the best to you and DH.

[biddy22]

Hi K! Just wanted to say welcome as well. Its always nice to hear from someone new, and you have such a great story. So glad the WOE is working for you and your husband.

I look forward to reading more from you!

[CarolynInTexas]

welcome and thanks for keeping it straight.... I have to admit, I never looked at weight loss as just 10 lbs, I know others here have, but reading your story, made me rethink my upcoming losses, and you know I am just working on 10 lbs right now...after that another.... thanks for helping an old timer get back in the groove.

c

[Maxibee]

Since I weighed in at.......210 this morning, I am also working on a 10 pound goal. It's a good number, not too much or too little. Manageable.

[Felonee]

Way to go on the 210, Maxibee!!!