Big Mary was feeling so ill. She had always been big. Huge. Larger than any of her classmates. When she was young the effects of obesity didn’t bother her. She was strong. She could carry her weight with panache.
As she was hitting middle age some of the typical health problems arose. She became a diabetic. The oral medications she was prescribed had one particular side effect: weight gain. It became difficult to monitor her blood sugar, her food intake, and her energy level. She was out of whack.
She liked to work out. So what if she was the most out of shape person in the gym? She still liked to move her body. She spent two hours at the gym four or five days a week. She did cross training: swimming, weights, the elliptical, the stationary bike, yoga and dance classes.
At the end of her workouts, she felt like she was ready to lie down and die. Her blood sugar plummeted and she was still an hour away from being home.
Her solution was to eat a nutrition bar before showering, getting dressed, and heading home. This added two hundred calories to her daily intake. She was stymied. She couldn’t lose weight no matter how hard she tried.
The extra weight lifting was causing her biceps to bulk up. She was about ready to bust out of her shirts. She was doing 350 pounds on the leg press. Her thighs were fucking awesome! She could crack a nut with those monsters! Her husband loved it!
Some men like a competition. The bigger and more muscular she got the more he wanted her. But she couldn’t seem to lose any weight. The medication, the extra calories, plus the workouts kept her weight constant.
Life sometimes gets in the way. Several injuries, a fall, and a long recovery period forced her to stop exercising. She lost her job. She broke her arm. Depression, sedentary behavior, and additional calories led to an addition weight gain. She was in danger of losing mobility. She was what the docs call, “Morbid.”
She could barely walk. She began using a cane, a wheel chair, and a scooter to get around. She got so fat that it was uncomfortable for her to go anyplace or do anything. Friends stopped calling. Her family was afraid she was going to die.
Somehow an epiphany occurred. She finally got it. Who knows why? All the lessons of lifelong dieting finally took hold. She knew what she had to do. She had to stay hungry. Hungry for life!
She decided how many calories she had to have to lose weight. She kept a strict diet diary in which she noted her daily activities and her food choices. Each day she analyzed the pages to determine how best to modify her behavior the next day. It was rigorous.
She had a plan. She knew she would do best on a balanced diet, a traditional balanced diet. Not one of the new fangled, reinvented, advertised diets you see on TV. She bought measuring cups and spoons and a scale. Her eyes couldn’t be trusted. Everything had to be measured.
She had the resolve, but more importantly she had a partner, a sponsor, a spouse who wanted her to live. They had a deal. She thought up recipes for him to cook. He calculated the exact calories and served her measured food with restaurant style presentation.
He chilled her salads, served a measured amount of the nightly entree on a gold rimmed plate, and provided fresh fruit and yogurt for snacks. She kept track of her calories and she did the dishes no matter how big the mess. It was a fair partnership.
At first, she rode her scooter down to the pool, eased herself into the water, and began water walking. She began to be strong enough to walk on land. With the help of a cane, she began taking neighborhood walks. She increased her workouts by adding the elliptical and some light weights.
Four years later, Big Mary has lost 150 pounds. She has gone off many of her medications. She still uses a cane for balance, but she’s a dizzy broad. She has probably added years to her life. The quality has certainly improved.
Anyone can do it. You can do it too! You need a plan, a partner, commitment, and strength of mind. Dieting is hard. You get hungry. You want to eat. Set your mind up. You WILL be hungry! Drink a glass of water and eat a carrot; you’ll live. In fact, you’ll live longer. #StayHungry
First published 2/22/14)
