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Journals 2004

In 1997, I joined Weight Watchers and found Gail's Journal Page. As we all know, middle age and a much too busy life has a way of changing one's eating habits. I once weighed 131 lbs and in 11 years, I began putting on weight to the point I reached a whopping 225 lbs. For a woman 5'2" tall, all that weight cannot be hid with magic outfits. I was unable to tie my running shoes and even sit in a movie seat. Restaurant occasions required a table placement. I could hardly crawl out of my bed in the morning. Every season, I was buying clothes in a size larger. Christmas 1996, I needed a holiday outfit, and could only find a sequenced vest size 4X to cover an older outfit, I knew something had to be done. Immediately after the holiday dust settled, I got busy with a plan. I joined Weight Watchers and got some on line support. I liked the idea of keeping a Journal. If anyone is interested, and can't imagine anyone wanting to read my old journals, I have kept some links to them. I lost a total of 30 lbs in 1997. I felt like a new person even wearing belts and tucking in my blouses.

Fast forward to November 10th, 2007. I decided to bring my page up to date. The three years since our move to Arizona, I gained 30 lbs. I don't need to go into all the details of how I felt. I could barely do my marketing never mind take a stroll in the mall. I was quickly becoming an invalid. I did not want to envision myself in a wheel chair. After months of finding it difficult to breathe when in a hurry, I finally found a good doctor who took me under her wing and discovered I had high blood pressure. Not long after that, after a sugar tolerance test, I was borderline diabetic. As much as I didn't want to go on medication, I finally had to listen to her when my pressure went up to 200. Now, that the medication is working well, I don't have to monitor each day because after losing 28 lbs in the last year, it is very low. I am still trying to keep my blood sugar levels stable with diet and excercise.

I am allowed 1700 calories a day and 60 grams of carbs. I still fall short of that goal consuming more like 90 grams of carbs a day. Some days I do better than others but I have kept my weight stable each month. I have lost one size but no one has noticed because I still have 70 more lbs to lose. My secret is to watch all sugars and portions. Small portions is key. I have to retrain my eye to eyeball smaller portions because I hate measuring and weighing. I work at cutting something I love all the time. I have to confess that I get into a rut and forget what I am eating. My doctor visits kind of motivate me to try harder. This is when reality hits. It is a slow journey and success comes in small packages as feeling better each day and having more stamina. Feeling comfortable in my normal clothes is a great gift I give myself for keeping motivated. contact info: dlagaisse@yahoo.com