MY WEIGHT "LOSS" JOURNEY

I’ve never been “obese”, but like so many of us I always seemed to struggle with those extra 10 to 15 pounds. The ones that creep up because you’re getting older, or you haven’t been consistent with exercising. What surprised me is that I’ve never had a terribly “bad” diet. I’m an insulin-dependent diabetic, so I don’t eat sweets; no cake, candy, or cookies for me. On the rare special occasion, I’d have a teensy slice of something. I never found fast food very appealing either. Burgers and fries, eh? I’d rather go for sushi or even Chinese food.

I joined Weight Watchers a while ago and it worked for a while. I lost about fifteen pounds and felt great but after a while the meetings became repetitive, and the same questions were being asked by other members. I’d reached my goal, so I stopped going. The pounds gradually crept back on.

I tried “Noom” an online weight loss program. It didn’t really work for me. I needed accountability and the anonymity of the internet just didn’t cut it.

I drastically cut my carbs. Ok, I lost a few pounds, but it was not very sustainable. They would gradually come right back on.

I would snack on cheese or a slice of summer sausage. Oh, how I loved cheese! The really good stuff, not the nasty processed “American” cheese. Give me some goat cheese, Gruyere or Gouda and I’m in heaven. Still, I wasn’t consuming massive amounts of it. An ounce here or there. I enjoyed bacon but I didn’t gorge on it. I rarely ate ice cream since the cold bothered my teeth. Overall, I was a pretty healthy eater (especially compared to most Americans!). I watched my carbohydrate intake to keep my blood glucose levels in check.

So WHY was I hanging on to those 10 to 15 pounds? I found out after I suffered a heart attack and had a stent placed in my aortic artery. I immediately eliminated as much cholesterol as I could. No red meat (to be honest, I didn’t eat much of it to begin with. Steak is expensive!). No pork, no cheese (Gak!) and few dairy products.

I started eating more vegetables, salads, fish and poultry and a few whole grains. I still had to watch my carbohydrate count. My boyfriend needed a stent procedure 3 years ago, so we embarked on an exploration of healthy recipes and plant-based substitutes. Personally, I find Beyond Burger and Impossible burgers delicious. They both taste and look like a regular beef burger.

I’m using plant-based dairy as well. I won’t lie, it DOES taste different than cow’s milk, but I like it better. It has more flavor. My favorites are vanilla flavored almond milk, cashew milk and soy milk. Soy-based yogurt is delicious too.

As a result, my cholesterol total (both HDL and LDL combined) went from 186 to 122 in 10 weeks. I’ve dropped ten pounds without even trying. Each week after my heart attack, I’d look down at the scale and find another pound gone! I don’t THINK about my diet so much as it’s common sense. I changed my grocery shopping habits. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and I cook my meals most of the time, rarely eating out or grabbing food on the run as my budget just can’t sustain that kind of spending!

In the last two weeks or so I’ve also started walking, after getting clearance from my cardiologist. I started with a ten-minute walk. Now I’m up to a 20-minute mile. I hope to build back up to my former fitness level. A nice side effect from this has been better blood-sugar control too!