New Year....New Determination

I created this blog months ago. Maybe even a year ago.  But I never posted even an introduction.  This morning, I logged into Blogger to create a new blog to chronicle this journey. But I guess this one will do.

I have struggled with my weight for about 14 years.  I have actually been overweight my entire adult life, but it didn't bother me (much) until my Daddy died. That was my first wake up call. I went to my doctor. I started some medications (not diet drugs, but something my body needed) and lost 20 pounds over the next few months and then lost another 30 pounds on Atkins.  Then I got derailed.  Slowly the pounds came back.

Over the past few years, I've had other wake up calls that got me started.  I have not been on a constant diet, but every year or two I've started something.  I've gotten down as low as 220.  But each time the weight crept back on.

My latest wake up call came, literally, as a phone call. My oldest brother was in the hospital.  We found out later, he walked into the hospital with blood sugars over 800.  This was after he lost about 200 pounds after his diabetes diagnosis a couple of years ago. He started getting comfortable and not being careful about his diet.  This, along with a myriad of other issues (severe infection, temporary kidney failure, and more) left him in the ICU at death's door.

My two sisters, one brother, our spouses and I gathered with my niece (his daughter)  contemplating the future.  We prayed for a full recovery, but it didn't look promising.  We knew we'd have to go to our homes soon.  But we also knew we needed to make some changes.  We could not continue to drift further apart.  We had to choose to be intentional about our relationships.  And we also needed to take our health seriously.

I promised my family that day that I would begin to make the changes I need to make for my health.  When I got home, I called my doctor to schedule an appointment. I knew he would be thrilled to help.  He's been after me to lose weight the entire 9 years I've known him (since I moved to New Mexico.)  I asked for a referral to a dietician (which he was happy to give) and he gave me a prescription for a diet pill. I haven't filled the prescription yet--and I'm not sure if I'm going to.

I met with the dietician the Friday before Christmas.  She didn't expect me to make huge changes with the holidays looming, but we came up with some goals for the new year.  I've been slowly making changes this week.

I know my biggest food obstacle is the liquid calories I consume with Pepsi.  Depending on the day, I will drink 2 or 3 64 ounce fountain Pepsi in a day.  This week, I have been working on having only one a day---and filling the glass completely with ice (which I either eat or add water to).

I left the office with two goals:
1. Drink no more than one Pepsi a week. (Replace with water).
2. Walk at least 1 mile, at least 4 days a week.

She also asked me to request a fasting glucose and an A1C (long term blood sugar). She told me new guidelines put a diabetes diagnosis at 6.2.  I have had as high as 6.0.  Yikes!

Last Friday morning, I had my blood work.  I see Dr. P. on January 10th. (I don't know if I'll get the results before then.)  I see my nutritionist again the first week of February.

This blog will serve as a daily log of what I eat, how I move, my progress, and my setbacks.  Some posts will be boring. But really, it's more for me than anyone.

If you are readying this, hanging on. It's gonna be a bumpy ride!