In my constant struggle to lose weight, I've been thinking it might be helpful to start an online photo journal. I've been following a blog called "Can You Stay for Dinner". The blog-mistress has been doing a series called "I Put My Mom on a Diet". There are beginning photos of the mom, along with progress photos. The daughter, who was once much heavier, lost a great deal of weight, and has kept it off. She plans menus for her mother, based on foods her mother likes. The menus are posted weekly in the blog.
I'm so inspired by this series, I've decided to try my hand at a similar journal. I'm hoping that I can convince my husband Greg to join me. Although we both have lots of important reasons for wanting to lose weight, and keep it off, the most tangible goal now is our daughter Meredith's upcoming wedding. We have both promised her to do our best to shape up for the big day. As important as that short term goal is, we both have even more important long term reasons to take off the weight.
My reasons are pretty simple, about half health related, and about half vanity. In order to look and feel my best, for my height, 5'4", I should weigh 117-144 pounds. I am currently at @ 230 pounds, hard to believe. I take medicines for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I also have scoliosis, which is a condition which causes an extreme curvature of my spine. And, my right hip is higher than the left. These orthopedic issues are painful enough to begin with, but I'm sure that the extra hundred -plus pounds I'm carrying around can't be helping. Being able to get off the medications would be an added bonus!
Greg quit smoking several years ago, and has packed on a lot of weight since. He has asthma, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol. In the years since he quit smoking, Greg's blood sugar readings have been creeping up. Our family doctor has been constantly urging Greg to lose weight, eat healthier,and become more physically active, in an effort to avoid becoming diabetic. He also suggested that Greg attend diabetes management classes, which we signed up for, and attended together. Greg has not followed doctor's orders, and has gone from "pre-diabetic" to "diabetic". The doctor had hoped that Greg would do as he had been told, and thus avoid having to take medication. This didn't happen, so Greg was prescribed Metformin, which he refused to take... At our last checkup earlier this month, the doctor really laid down the law to Greg, and seems to have gotten through a little. The responsibility of playing "good cop/bad cop" has fallen on me-I'm going to plan the meals, buy the groceries, and do my best to keep us both in line. So, I am trying my hardest to get us both on the right track, by planning healthy menus, and getting the junk out of the house. Incidentally, Greg is 6'6", and is close to 400 pounds. He should be at around 200 pounds. Essentially, it pretty much boils down to each of us losing about half our body weight, to be where we should be!
