Hi. My name is Niki. I live in Arkansas with my brand new husband and stepson. I work in an art museum. I have a beautiful home and fantastic family, and love the life we have built. In fact, so much is good about my life that I finally am able to focus on the one thing that has always been a problem: my weight.
This week, I started what may very well be the last diet of my life. I'm only one day into it, and already things have changed, realities have shifted, and life is altered. My head is full of revelations and ideas to the point of exploding! And, because so many of my friends are also dieting and trying to get healthier, I've decided to chronicle my process, and share successes, failures, and everything in between. (I'm inspired by my brave friend Shaun who has been blogging about his weight loss on his hilarious blog "Me On A Diet.")
Let's start with some truth: I'm 5'2" and I weigh 268.6 lbs. And that's too much.
So, two days ago, I went to my doctor's office to get started with New Direction Weight Control System. It's a doctor-administered program that replaces food for awhile with high protein shakes/soups/puddings, and therefore, offers pretty amazing results very quickly. I drink lots of water, and eat these products, and will do so until I've lost at least 100lbs. They say I'll lose 3-5 lbs. a week, which sounds like a LOT to an old Weight Watchers girl like me - but the doctor will make sure I'm healthy every step of the way.
The journey actually started a month ago, when I first heard about the program from a work colleague. I went to an information session armed with dozens of questions, and my fiancee in tow. I asked my questions very carefully (will my hair fall out? will I grow a third eye? will I have excessive gas?) and learned that it was a really doable program, and not crazy expensive. And my doctor is with me every step of the way, so if any of those unfortunate things happen, he'll help. There's also a team of people - dieticians, exercise specialists - to help on the way.
The thing that impressed me the most was the focus on maintenance - not just weight loss - that they had from the beginning. That's what I'm all about - keeping it off, not just losing it. I weigh in weekly, and go to a class. Eventually, we add in an exercise program. When I get to goal, we add food back in. That's the whole idea.
So, I started on Tuesday, and drank my shakes (chocolate is great, lemon not so much) and ate my pudding (pretty good), and drank over 70 ounces of water. I got to have coffee in the morning, and didn't really feel too much of a headache until late in the day. I wasn't terribly hungry, either. I felt full.
And this morning, something happened that's never happened before. I woke up, stepped out of bed, and walked around in my bare feet. Usually, I have to steady myself, because my legs are wobbly and sore, or my back isn't great - largely because of my weight, but also due to old injuries. But not today. I just walked right into the bathroom without feeling sore.
This is big.
So, let's see how it goes, shall we?
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