THE REASONS WHY

Both  shocked and horrified at a recent routine appointment with my doctor when I stepped off his scale and he told me I had gained 15 pounds in the last three months, I knew it was essential to immediately do something to reduce  my weight. I already knew I'd been gaining steadily over the past few years and I'm sure some upheavals in my life in this last year contributed to not paying much attention to where my weight was headed. In addition the psychological burden of these issues (better left for a different forum), there were also physical problems: a total knee replacement, and a fall that fractured two vertebrae in my lower spine. The resulting pain made it too difficult to continue my usual brisk morning walk, so I also got lazy. As we do, I rationalized my eating by saying there were few pleasures left in my life so why not enjoy food and drink, about the only two? But my clothes began to shrink and I became embarrassed to go out in a Polo shirt with my belly hanging out over my belt. My doctor, bless his heart, also warned that I could easily become pre-diabetic. Corrective action was mandatory.

In the past, seeing my growing bulk in the mirror every time I shaved had led me to weight-loss program before. And I was much taken with Weight Watchers, which claims, correctly I believe, that their program is not about what you can't eat, but what you can, and how to manage that. It's a nice psychological twist on losing weight and has seemed to work for many. So I went to them first (and ultimately twice more) and lost 16 pounds. But flushed with my initial success, then deluded myself into believing that now that I was thinner, I could return to my old eating routine. Wrong! Naturally, I regained the weight. The second and third times I tried Weight Watchers, I grew increasingly weary of the hoo-ha of the meetings and the imperative of writing down, and counting points, of everything that went into my mouth. So the program languished and I lost only a few pounds, not enough to keep me going. Then I tried the no-carbohydrate diet, highly touted by runway models and body builders - neither of which I am  - but after a week or so of denying myself carbs, alcohol, fruit and sugar, I could have killed just for one slice of bread (even without the peanut butter and jelly). No help there. Recently a program on the Web attracted my attention, claiming to coach me in reducing belly fat by giving up foods that contributed to weight in that area. Sounded great! But, of course, the “giving up” part included all the things I like: ice cream, mayonnaise, catsup, alcohol and all processed food that contains sugar or corn syrup, both of which hide ubiquitously in a surprising number of prepared foods we buy every day. Despite the book I bought (on line for $60.00) that claimed to help me stick to this regimen, I lasted only a week or so on this routine. Then there were all the ‘lite’ foods, designated on those tantalizing labels, but that were not really light at all, with corn syrup still lurking in the list of ingredients. The “lite” label, I found and at least for me, was only there to assuage my guilt. But not effective. Then a friend recommended a pill that contained raspberry extract and mango; he claimed to have lost 21 pounds in 20 days, without giving up any of his regular food.  The extract claimed to work without destroying any muscle tissue so it sounded great! I couldn’t verify how it worked for him (he never responded to my many questions about the program so I was mostly on my own), but while he may have achieved miraculous results, it didn’t work for me. After spending big buckos on these little pills and trying to remember to take them 20 minutes before each meal – not ten minutes, not 30 minutes, but 20 minutes – this so called “solution” also became a pain in the neck. After a nice fat dinner out, with cocktails and wine, I would only remember to take the pills afterward, not before. I didn’t know how they were supposed to work but I was sure this was not the way. And one time I even turned the car around when I was halfway to my destination to go back and try to squeeze into my limited pre-dinner routine, the pills I had forgotten to take at home. None of this was working for me and I must admit to being very discouraged.

            Finally, I heard of Medi-fast and friends on line claimed that it had worked wonders for them. I discussed this plan with my doctor who said, “Oh, yes. The Lean and Green Plan. It has all the elements you need in your diet and I approve of it heartily.” So after gulping at the price, I ordered the meals and am now on the Lean and Green Plan – “lean” for lean protein, and “green” for lots of green vegetables. More on that later.

            Since I already write a blog on food, providing recipes from the Ina Garten and Paula Deen schools of “…how bad can that be?” and “…makes for good eatin’,” I feel a little hypocritical at dieting myself, and schizophrenic by continuing to recommend recipes from that regime. Still, for those of you who follow me at philsfavoritefood.blogspot.com, I’ll continue that blog, if only for my happy memories of the tasty recipes I post there. At the same time, I will start this blog that I hope will not only document my progress on Medi-fast, and perhaps be of some help to others whose weight has climbed, like mine, to a dangerous and embarrassing level, but also commit me, in public, to continue with my quest. And since “Weighing In” has a double meaning, I may weigh in, as the mood strikes me, on subjects other than food and my diet. “Weighing In” gives me that flexibility.

I intend to post here often (especially when I’ve lost weight), but not every day. Stay tuned.