Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris and I’ve been a patient of Dr. Brad Amson’s for just under six months. Last week I had my second weigh-in and consultation with Dr. Amson. He suggested I put together my personal story of weight loss throughout the years and what I’m doing now that is different from all my other previous experiences.
Should you choose to post it I’d appreciate it if you’d leave my name out of it and simply show me as a B.C. resident. You can verify my existence and story if you wish by contacting Dr. Amson and/or Neil Douglas-Tubb,R.C.C. (250-385-3181).
So here we go:
For the past 38 years I’ve battled my weight. In my early 20’s I went on my very first diet. It was made up of high protein/low carb foods and resulted in a 30 lb. weight loss.
The fat crept back and was joined by even more. The next diet was one of my own devise. I drank a meal replacement beverage for breakfast and lunch followed by a high protein dinner. All of this combined with my physically demanding job at the time rapidly melted the fat off me faster than an ice-cream sandwich on the sidewalk in the hot July sun. Then it happened.... I began to black out after my shift one day. My tank was on empty and I needed “real” food. I immediately abandoned this “plan” and started eating real food again.... and eat and drink I did. Before I knew it I was back where I started with many more extra pounds to boot! The next couple of years were a continuous see-saw battle of weight-loss/weight-gain. I made the decision to join Weight Watchers. Following their plan I lost in the neighbourhood of 50 lbs. before I drifted away. Within three years I found myself back at Weight Watchers and heavier than the first time I signed on. What was with me? Why couldn’t I succeed at this weight loss thing? So once again I was determined to lose weight and keep it off. I lost 70 lbs. and again I drifted away. I returned to my pre-diet eating and drinking habits. They were my old friends. I felt comfortable around them.
By age 38 I had been married for 8 years and was the father of two young boys. Circumstances allowed me to leave my life sucking job. So there I found myself. Setting up a home-based business, physically less active and I still had the same eating and drinking habits.
At age 51 I was at 435 lbs. Something had to be done.... immediately! (duuuhhhh.....) I saw the print ads in our local newspaper for the SureSlim program. At the time they were “the new kid in town” and from what I gleaned doing my research they looked pretty good. I attended one of their Saturday morning information sessions, went home, mulled over the info and showed up Monday morning at their office with cheque in hand.
Their program was the best yet. The foods I ate were all everyday items I purchased at my local grocery store and the menus were tailor-made to my personal likes/dislikes. Not bad.... in 18 months I lost 153 lbs.
So what happened? Why six months ago at the age of 58 did I find myself in Dr.Amson’s office tipping his scales at 472 lbs. and discussing surgical weight-loss options? My health was on the skids. The joint pain was debilitating. I couldn’t walk up a set of 10 steps without needing to hold onto something or sit down in order to catch my breath. Some days I needed a cane to assist my walking. I wasn’t sleeping well even though I used a C-PAP machine and still do, for now. My blood sugar levels were ever steadily creeping up and I was taking two different oral diabetes medications. I came to the conclusion I have a food addiction. I felt powerless fighting it.
Something I’ve learned is very few if any commercial weight-loss programs address an individual’s psychological issues with regard to his or her over-eating habits. Dr.Amson suggested I go see a councillor specializing in eating disorders during the interval before our next appointment. The councillor/therapist I found is Neil Douglas-Tubb. One of Neil’s specialties is working with people such as me who are afflicted with eating disorders. One of Neil’s first questions was “What brings such a nice guy like you to come see me?”
With Neil’s patient guidance and my hard work I’ve identified many of the deep rooted causes and triggers that compelled me to over eat. I’m now aware this is a learned behaviour and that with hard work, dedication and a willingness to change can be unlearned.
I’ve been at this a mere six months now and so far I’ve lost 110 lbs. I’m still attending private counselling sessions once every two weeks and I attend a group session Neil holds one evening a week.
So what am I doing differently this time? I’m following a calorie reduced way of eating. I saw a nutritionist at one of our two hospitals here in town and she approved my food choices. They’re nutritionally well balanced meals. My daily calorie limits were recommended by an endocrinologist I saw a few years ago. I also bought a decent calorie counter book.
All this combined with the ongoing psychological repair work is working. The compulsions to eat poorly have faded away along with my excess weight. I now recognize two of my big triggers to over eating and just stay away.
I know I’m still only about a third of the way along the road to my goal of a healthy weight but I’m steadily pushing forward and the best news so far? .... Dr. Amson feels that as long as I keep on doing what I’m doing the way I’m doing it I should be successful at reaching my healthy weight and maintaining it long term without surgery.
Last winter I was watching an episode of “Heavy” on TV. Something a psychologist said to a patient hit home. He said something like “In order to be successful losing and keeping the weight off on the outside one must also shed the weight on the inside.” .... indeed.
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