Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Before Picture
Okay, Go ahead and have your laughs. This is my before picture. I'm not ashamed because by my birthday in June, I will be a totally different person. So here it is ladies and gents.
Welcome!
Welcome to one and all. After much consideration and much needed determination and motivation to lose weight for health reasons and image reasons, I decided to start a blog.
I was diagnosed with diabetes 2 years ago and my doctor is now telling me I need to lose at least 50 pounds or I will die. It was something I didn't take seriously at first, after all, I was a lovely size 6 and had a body to die for, no less than a few years ago. But after I entered my thirties, things took a turn for the worse. I started gaining weight and my stress level was at an all time high. It never occured to me to ask questions or make myself aware of my family health issues. Sure I'd get my annual pap smear but when I had to fill out the family health history questionairre, I was really at a stump.
You see, I should have see my diabetes come full steam ahead, but I didn't pay attention. My grandmother has had diabetes for a long as I've known her, my father had diabetes, my mother contracted diabetes during the last 11 months of her life, my father had diabetes, my family has a history of hypertension (high blood pressure) various forms of cancer and extreme weight gain. But I was fine as wine and could eat what I wanted, I didn't have to exercise, even after I had my first heart attack, after finding out my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2001.
You can imagine my shock when in September of 2004, I collapsed at my desk at work after drinking my daily route 44 strawberry fruit slush from Sonic. My doctor told me I had diabetes. Full fledged type 2 diabetes. Even though scared, I still didn't take it as serious as I should, but more serious than I had in the past. Needless to say my ignorance went on and before I knew it, I was taking 13 medications on a daily basis for other ailments, mostly for complications from my diabetes. I ended having liver and kidney problems along with a boat load of issues.
Needless to say, the stress of it all, the illness, my job and raising two children alone, caused heart attack #2 in February of 2005. I got serious real quck, but the 13 medications were taking their toll on me and it was at that moment I prepared myself to leave this world. For I was tired; physically and emotionally.
My employer was sponsoring a Weight Watchers Program and I happily joined. With the help of Weigh Watchers and the motivaton of the other members, I managed to lose over 40 pounds. But eventually the stress of my job and life's twist and turns got the best of me, and I stop doing Weight Watchers. Here I am today at 197 pounds, according to my digital scale this morning, with more health issues I can name.
I will be 38 on June the 11th of this year and I vow to lose at least 30 pounds by then and I also have vowed to be a healthy knockout by 40. My gift to myself if I acheive ths goal, Lord willing, will be a Harley! That's right a Harley! vrooom vroom!. I plan on making 40 the new 20. I have been divorced for years now and think maybe it's time I throw myself back out there on the playing field. But I'm far to picky to get out there in the condition I am currently in. After all, I can't ask for an adonis if I'm picasso after a rainstorm. So join me in my venture as I make it my business to get in shape, improve my health and live my best life ever.
I belong to several support groups and online forums as well as online diet support systems. I know this is going to be a long journey. I have decided to post pictures to post my progression. And I'll tell you now, if you have a weak stomach, this is not the blog for you.
I was diagnosed with diabetes 2 years ago and my doctor is now telling me I need to lose at least 50 pounds or I will die. It was something I didn't take seriously at first, after all, I was a lovely size 6 and had a body to die for, no less than a few years ago. But after I entered my thirties, things took a turn for the worse. I started gaining weight and my stress level was at an all time high. It never occured to me to ask questions or make myself aware of my family health issues. Sure I'd get my annual pap smear but when I had to fill out the family health history questionairre, I was really at a stump.
You see, I should have see my diabetes come full steam ahead, but I didn't pay attention. My grandmother has had diabetes for a long as I've known her, my father had diabetes, my mother contracted diabetes during the last 11 months of her life, my father had diabetes, my family has a history of hypertension (high blood pressure) various forms of cancer and extreme weight gain. But I was fine as wine and could eat what I wanted, I didn't have to exercise, even after I had my first heart attack, after finding out my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2001.
You can imagine my shock when in September of 2004, I collapsed at my desk at work after drinking my daily route 44 strawberry fruit slush from Sonic. My doctor told me I had diabetes. Full fledged type 2 diabetes. Even though scared, I still didn't take it as serious as I should, but more serious than I had in the past. Needless to say my ignorance went on and before I knew it, I was taking 13 medications on a daily basis for other ailments, mostly for complications from my diabetes. I ended having liver and kidney problems along with a boat load of issues.
Needless to say, the stress of it all, the illness, my job and raising two children alone, caused heart attack #2 in February of 2005. I got serious real quck, but the 13 medications were taking their toll on me and it was at that moment I prepared myself to leave this world. For I was tired; physically and emotionally.
My employer was sponsoring a Weight Watchers Program and I happily joined. With the help of Weigh Watchers and the motivaton of the other members, I managed to lose over 40 pounds. But eventually the stress of my job and life's twist and turns got the best of me, and I stop doing Weight Watchers. Here I am today at 197 pounds, according to my digital scale this morning, with more health issues I can name.
I will be 38 on June the 11th of this year and I vow to lose at least 30 pounds by then and I also have vowed to be a healthy knockout by 40. My gift to myself if I acheive ths goal, Lord willing, will be a Harley! That's right a Harley! vrooom vroom!. I plan on making 40 the new 20. I have been divorced for years now and think maybe it's time I throw myself back out there on the playing field. But I'm far to picky to get out there in the condition I am currently in. After all, I can't ask for an adonis if I'm picasso after a rainstorm. So join me in my venture as I make it my business to get in shape, improve my health and live my best life ever.
I belong to several support groups and online forums as well as online diet support systems. I know this is going to be a long journey. I have decided to post pictures to post my progression. And I'll tell you now, if you have a weak stomach, this is not the blog for you.
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