A Life Changing Decision

I was thinking today at the third month anniversary of a life-changing decision that maybe I should be blogging again. Before I explain my decision, let me tell you a bit about me.

The Problem.

At the age of 25 I had my first baby.  I gained 60 pounds and have never been able to take it off. As I am now 61 years old I’ve added some weight to it and now need to lose 100 pounds minimum.  It is only when I look in the mirror that I see the weight as I feel inside like that 125 pound, 25 year old in my mind. In 2005 I was diagnosed with breast cancer, high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes and Hypothyroidism. Suddenly my fairly content world is topsy turvey. I’ve never minded taking pills but my pill boxes (yes, I had to buy two) were exploding! To add insult to injury, the medication prescribed for the five years after the surgeries and radiation for cancer caused a side affect to which another pill was added to suppress the affect. Then, in 2006, I fell down some steps and broke both the Tibia and Fibula and dislocated everything else in my left ankle and foot. After three to four months in a wheel chair I was pretty much feeling like everything was going downhill picking up speed and there was nothing I could do.  Please understand that over the years I had tried many diets to lose weight, (some good, some not so good) and I always lost up to 15 pounds and that was it! I finally decided that torture was not the answer and determined to like myself in spite of my looks.  This worked until I went to shop for clothes and then I would be sad again.

Fast forward to March 2011.  I met with my doctor (the fab Dr. Matt of Janzen and Janzen Health Center) for him to give me the results of an MRI of my back due to chronic pain. Basically he told me that disks L1 through L5 were seriously degenerative and L5 was bulging.  Without immediate treatment, weight loss and possibly surgery, I would within a few years be crippled, unable to walk. I had no trouble believing him as I already could not go shopping.  Ten minutes or so of walking into a store I would be bent over trying to relieve the pain.

The Solutions.

I needed to begin Core Training to learn how to protect by back. I needed to have a metabolic workup to find out why I can’t lose weight. I needed to lose weight.  All of this might keep me from needing to have surgery. Dr Matt treats scoliosis patients and has a doctor from New York come in once a month to help with braces.  This happened to be the day that Dr. Gary Deutchman was in the office.  Dr. Matt introduced us and then explained that Dr. Deutchman had recently lost weight to the point that Dr. Matt almost didn’t recognize him. It seems that Dr. Deutchman’s wife, Dr. Gail Louro had started working with her patients that needed to lose weight by becoming their Coach using the Ideal Protein protocol. He explained it to me, gave me a brochure and was very encouraging. However, I’m thinking…been there, done that and have the t-shirt that still won’t fit.

The Decision.

I took all the information home, actually a little overwhelmed by all of it.  I trust Dr. Matt and knew he was steering me in the direction I should probably go but I needed to think about it; talk to my husband about it; research it. After a couple of weeks of thinking, talking and researching, I decided to call Dr. Lauro. We talked and she answered all of my questions and I explained my reticence to putting myself through another failure. I finally decided to commit but was careful to tell no one outside of family and a couple of close friends.  I didn’t want to advertise my expected failure. April 3, 2011 I weighed and measured and started the Ideal Protein protocol. It should have been hard and as a picky eater I shouldn’t have like the protein provided. To date there have only been a couple of things I’ve tried that I didn’t like. Following the protocol has been easy and the support of Dr. Lauro has been invaluable.

The Three Months Result.

At the end of four weeks I had lost 17 pounds and though still cautious I had passed the mark and my first interim goal. By week nine I had exceeded my second interim goal of 25 pounds registering a total of 26 pounds lost.  Last Sunday (my weigh-in day) my total weight loss has been 32 pounds. People are noticing and I’m beyond 1/3 of my weight loss goal.

The non-athletic me has also been doing Core Training and additional results are that I actually spent an hour in Costco shopping with no pain. I’m not pain free but after three relatively easy months there are many things physically that have happened.  One of the pills I took for diabetes has been removed and my A1C scored at a level of someone who is not diabetic.  (I expect the other pill to go away before long) The pill that I took for blood pressure has been reduced by three-quarters. My doctors and family are thrilled.  So, with this progress I’m starting to share with others my journey.  For more information:

Dr. Matt Janzen, 408-379-0133

Dr. Gail Lauro, 212 360-7760

Additional information on Ideal Protein, idealprotein.com

Add a comment July 1, 2011