Week 63: 143 lbs
Week 1: 200 lbs
“There is no lying to the scale.”
Darcy lost 57 pounds!
Darcy's Weight Loss Story
When I looked at my "before" pictures, I really can't believe I was that heavy. I always wore nice clothes and accessories and thought I looked pretty good for a 57-year-old girl. I didn't have to look at myself; others did. But the number on the scale was 200, and I knew that weight put me in the obese category, by anyone's standards. I also knew that as I got older, carrying that extra weight around could not be good for my body. Diabetes and heart disease were future risks for me. Finally, I had plans to go whitewater rafting down the Grand Canyon the next summer, and I did not want to be embarrassed in how I looked in shorts or a swimsuit. How did I get that way? I was always in the normal weight range as a child and teenager.
College put on a few pounds and a few more came and didn't go away after pregnancy. After hitting my 40s, my body's metabolism seemed to slow down. My husband, who is a gourmet cook, does all the cooking and shopping. But his cooking was healthy and nutritious. It is just that by eating an extra large portion, or seconds, the weight can pile on. And we have a generous secretary at my office who loves to bring in doughnuts, danish, and other goodies which are put on a table right outside my office door. Temptations can only be denied so long. I'd lost weight before under the Atkins diet and again using the Siegal Cookie Diet. They work very well when you commit yourself to them. But after the weight loss, it would slowly creep back on when I went back to my normal eating habits.
Referred by family
Last Thanksgiving, my daughter came for dinner and I hadn't seen her for several months. She had lost at least 50 pounds † and looked marvelous and healthy. I asked her what she had done and she said she had been going to Medi-Weightloss Clinics® in Fort Myers. She told me about the program and it sounded reasonable and not a gimmick. I found the Medi-Weightloss Clinics® location near me and signed up.
The reason this plan works for me is:
- You see a doctor or nurse every week and know you are going to be weighed. There is no lying to the scale.
- You are paying money for this and no one wants to waste money, so you better be serious about it!
- They give you an eating plan that is balanced and good for your body: high protein, low fat, fruits and vegetables.
- Count calories and record them in your journal so you don't lie to yourself that you didn't eat that much today.
- They encourage you to add exercise to your regular routine. Although I don't like to workout at the gym, I have come to enjoy a 2-3 mile walk at night with my husband several times a week. I also use weights and do sit-ups a couple of days a week. Nothing drastic, but it keeps you toned and your metabolism up.
- The appetite suppressant helped me get through the first week when your body is used to eating sugary snacks and other temptations. It doesn't make you nervous or stimulated, which would never work for me. I have a stressful job that takes all the composure I have. After that, the medication was helpful, but easy to be weaned off.
- The people at the clinic were supportive and encouraging. The first medical assistant I saw had used the program and lost about 40 pounds herself. She convinced me that I could do it, too. Now that I have finished losing the 60 pounds † I wanted to lose (30% of myself!), I keep a monthly appointment with them, just to have a reason to stay accountable.
By sticking with a reasonable diet and exercise program, I know I will be able to keep the weight off this time because I enjoy feeling healthy, besides being slimmer. I watch the scale and if it goes up 2-3 pounds, I cut back for a few days, before it gets out of control. I am keeping my "before" picture on the refrigerator door as a reminder of how I do not want to look anymore. I went from squeezing into a size 16 to a size 8 in six months on this diet!
— Darcy from Hollywood, FL