I call myself a classic "yo-yo" -- eating too much and becoming overweight, then losing lots of weight on a variety of diets, at times helped along with diet pills. Then, when this project ended and I had lost the weight by short-term discipline and deprivation, I slipped back into my comfortable ways (quick-satisfaction and overinduldgence). And guess what?! I gained back even more weight than I had lost! Down and up - a pattern repeated over and over for 40 of my 74 years!!
What was the flaw in all this weight loss? Well, for one thing, my motivation to be slimmer was always based on outside pressures; competition, vanity and my repetitive need to get or keep a man. This usually didn't work, and I never seemed to learn. I had no long-term plan to deal with the consequences of my unhealthy, depressing eating patterns and weight gain.
By the time I reached 60, out of men and on my own. I just gave up the seemingly unwinnable battle. I weighed in at 250 pounds! I was relatively healthy and was accepted as I was by doctors and friends alike. However, due to severe arthritis, I had double knee replacement in 2004 and at last I realized that to really get back my mobility, I had to lose weight and change my lifelong eating habits for the long-term. At my age, I wasn't sure I could do it!
I saw a Healthy Lifestyles ad in Seven Days in September 2005, contacted Kathryn and began meeting with her every week. With her gentle and knowledgeable direction and support, I found and stuck with a calorie level that has enabled me to lose weight. I have learned so much about about the calorie content of the foods that I eat! I am disciplined about keeping a daily food journal. I weigh myself only once a week and I EXERCISE DAILY! I walk and swim more vigorously every day. I now walk like a Zephyr rather than a Heiffer!
I have slowly and steadily lost weight over the past year. I am delighted with my 64 POUND weight loss!! I have changed many of my eating habits and really enjoy my healthier diet. I have a good long-term plan that I am confident will work. Thanks to Kathryn for helping me develop the courage to slowly learn a better way of living and eating.