I guess I would not have imagined, back in early October of 2011, that I would soon be embarking on a journey that would lead to my decision to become a "model" for the Follow the Fifty campaign. I was so overweight and tired all the time. My blood sugar was consistently in the 300 range. I was very stressed and becoming a little depressed. It appeared that I would need to go on insulin. I had back and knee pain each day. But the scariest part was that each day I would live with a pain in my chest that was part of living with Barrett's Disease. Each day I wondered, "is it my heart", or is it "just the Barrett's". Although I went to the gym, my attendance was dropping off and my workouts were not very efficient. The pain in my knee and back was an excuse to stay away from all physical activity.
I've always had a pretty good attitude about my life. I try to stay positive, I forgive easily, I let go of the past and move on to the future, and I get great joy out of my community service activities. But I was beginning to feel negative, and wonder if I would ever "get back to normal". I spoke to my Primary MD and was resigned to go on insulin in early October. That day, I got a voice mail message in October from Aveena Wellness Center reminding me that I had an appointment scheduled the next Tuesday morning. I had forgotten about that appointment.
You see, I had made the appointment five months earlier when I was inspired by a presentation by Dr. Alison Monet, a naturapathic physician at a Chamber of Commerce event. She was excellent and spoke about taking control of your life through better nutrition. It was spring and I was ready to go! I remember being disheartened that it would take five months to get an appointment when I was so ready to make changes in my life. I made the appointment anyway.
But a lot happened between April 2011 and October 2011. I had dealt with some terrible stressful situations at work, I was eating poorly, I had all the physical problems I have already listed, and I was far from wanting to make changes. The thought of having to do anything exhausted me. I considered cancelling the appointment. My husband encouraged me to give it a try. I am so glad that I listened.
I can't say the early part of this journey was easy. I first learned that my body was extremely pysically stressed. Blood work confirmed that my glucose levels, liver, kidney, and cardiac markers were in dangerous ranges. I met with a nutritionist who helped develop my "plan of attack". Three weeks of "detox" off of the foods that were slowly killing me, learning a new way of eating, understanding what food does for - and to - me, and accepting that this is not a short term problem or solution, were all lessons that I experienced. And all of this during the holiday season!! Yikes!
I learned that dairy and beef are not tolerated by my body and that they caused inflammation in my gut. Although I can tolerate gluten, I learned that I cannot tolerate yeast, so I am mostly on a gluten free as well as dairy free diet. I learned that I have an intolerance to kidney beans, oats, egg whites, peanuts, shrimp, and tuna! Would anyone like to take a guess at what my favorite foods have been for the majority of my life?????
After only three weeks, my blood sugar was below 200, I had lost 10 pounds, and I was starting to feel a difference in my health. By February, I was down nearly 30 pounds, and began to have more "normal" blood sugar readings (for me) of between 120 and 140. Most importantly, I had not had any chest pain or other Barrett's Disease symptoms for some time.
In February I also learned about the "Follow the Fifty" campaign. They were looking for women who were between the ages of 25 and 60 to make a commitment to fight against heart disease - the #1 killer of women. It would end in a grand celebration on December 1, 2012! I thought "This is what I have been doing!!!" And there was a group to join! Not a "diet" program, but a cause! Sign me up!! And they did!
On March 31, 2012 I participated in the kick off with 173 other women who had signed up too! It was an incredible day of motivation, inspiration, and support!! As of the kickoff, I had lost over 50 pounds, had been taken off of four medications, and was tracking in non-diabetic levels of 80-90. I am ready to go! I learned that my "team" (#44) would consist of three other women, Susan Foster, Kathy Chase, and Rosemary Howard. We would work together, along with all the other "models" towards a healthier future. I am feeling so positive about this next chapter in my life!
The Follow the Fifty journey began!!!
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