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Drastic Measures

2/26/2011

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     Okay, true confession time.  In my first blog I told you that I had started at 200. While that is true, what I failed to mention is that I started at 200 pounds THIS time.  Truth is, a little over six years ago I weighed 231 pounds, and it may have been higher except that I stopped weighing myself until I finally went to get help.  There are people on The Biggest Loser that start at the ranch with less weight on them than that.  What a wake-up call.

      Six years ago, I did what I promised myself I would never do…I went on a liquid diet.  Most everyone can remember Oprah on her show pulling a wagon of fat behind her after losing 65 pounds on a liquid diet only to gain it back and then some.  But I had a different experience.  While I did not keep all the weight off, I did learn two valuable lessons from this experience.

      First, I learned that I could actually survive on 800 calories a day.  I know this seems extreme, but who would have thought you could actually function on so little each day?  I could even exercise, go to work, play with my kids, and all on less than 1,000 calories.  For the first time I realized how what I had been eating was WAY more than my body needed.

      Secondly, I finally learned what people meant by portion size.  I had a portion size…it was just ridiculously large.  Having been bulimic, I had never learned how much protein, carbohydrates, and veggies and fruits were reasonable.  I honestly did not know what that would even look like.  And then, knowing that people could live on 800 calories, I could be sure that a reasonable portion size was not going to sap me of energy and kill me in the end.

      Now you may be asking yourself, how did she learn portion control from a liquid diet?  I guess I should have mentioned it was a modified liquid diet.  We had 8 weeks of basically drinking our meals before they introduced one meal back into our plan at a time.  As each meal was added, they gave us a variety of healthy options to choose from.  These ideas have helped me, even today, to make wiser food choices.

      After this experience, I lost a total of 50 pounds, but 20 pounds of this kept coming on and off.  This is where the running came into play.  I realized I had to do something drastic in order to truly get my life back on track.  Can you say half-marathon?

*Join me next time when I share how I went from hardly being able to run non-stop for one minute to running for 13.1 miles.




1 Comment
Pam Tillman
2/26/2011 06:08:47 am

Hi Michelle,
I'm loving your blog. I've never followed a blog before but this is fun! Even though we haven't been together a lot of different times, we have known each other for over 35 years! The things you are saying in your blog are surprising to me, but at the same time you are inspiring me to continue to pay more attention to what I eat and to begin exercising. Oh, I hate the thought...how does it fit into a regular pattern of living? It probably needs to be a priority, right? It's fast becoming a priority as I near 60! Keep up the good work ~ I'm proud of you!
Love,
Pam

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    After yo-yo dieting for 30 years I finally feel like I am on the right track. 
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