So, it's been about a week since I have posted on this blog, because frankly...I didn't have time.
Time? What? Time? How ironic that I just used that word because that's exactly what I want to talk about today! Ha! Funny how that works, isn't it?
Actually, I want to talk more about timing. Sometimes, our timing is bad. A friend of mine sent me a Facebook message yesterday reminding me of something. You're going to get a brief (hopefully) history lesson from me today. I told you once that I would tell you about my history with my weight, and today is that day.
So, you have some popcorn? Some fruit? Because sit back, I am going to take you on a journey....Once upon a time...31 one years ago I was born...
So I was a very active child. I was always running here, there and everywhere. I played soccer on an all boys soccer team (I didn't want to play with those sissy girls), and was pretty good at it too. I would climb trees like a monkey, ride my bike, roller skate, play football...you get the picture. To burn off extra energy, my mother would make me go outside and run around these three cherry trees that we had planted in the back yard.
Gradually, things began to change about the time I was 8 years old. Despite the fact that I was still active, I had begun to put on a few pounds and was a little more lethargic than I used to be. They also discovered blood pressure in me around that time, which the doctors at first thought was due to my allergy medication. Now, I was a child and don't remember much of the specifics. But the next few years I continued to gain weight, was much less active, was tired all the time and couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without breathing hard. My blood pressure was still high and my mother, the nurse, had me at different doctors and they put me through a battery of tests at the hospital. My mother was convinced I had a thyroid problem, but couldn't get any of the doctors to listen to her. Because my blood pressure was so high that put stress on my kidneys and they began to fail. Finally, when I was 12 years old, my mother got fed up with the doctors at the hospital and dropped my chart off at my grandmother's endocrinologist. (Thyroid doctor) Before she had even gotten home (a 15 minute drive), there was a message on the answering machine telling my mother to bring me in the next day, and to get this blood test done. As it turned out, I had a disease called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Basically, that is when your body thinks your thyroid is a disease and attacks it and destroys it. Do you know you need your thyroid to live? It messes everything up! I was totally messed up. So I was put on a pill (a synthetic thyroid), and I have to take that every day for the rest of my life.
Fast forward several years. Because of the stress my kidney's went through, when I was 19 I had a kidney biopsy and it revealed I had 33% irreversible damage to my kidneys.
Fast forward several more years. I'm in Arkadelphia Arkansas, and a friend and I begin a weight loss journey. I lose 50 pounds. However, because I was not watching my thyroid, that went all out of whack and I gained it all back because of depression, insomnia, etc. (See, thyroid really has a hand in everything!)
So after that I began a season of stop and start dieting. We all know about this. We all have done this at one time or another. We are going good on a diet for a few weeks, or a month, and then we get stressed out, etc. That brings me to time.
My church in Arkadelphia began a program called "First Place". It is a combination weight loss/bible study. I wanted to do it. I really did. I went to the first one we did, even lost a few pounds (13 in one week one time, but that was because I had meningitis and couldn't eat anything), but an illness pulled me out of it. I wasn't ready. I thought I was...but I was working on my time.
This past year has been quite a journey for me. In February of 2011, I had some blood work done that was concerning. It showed that my kidneys were only functioning at 44%. While my thyroid was doing well and no adjustments in medication were needed, my kidneys were failing. So off to the kidney doctor I went in April. He sat me down and told me that I needed to loose 100 pounds. That I was in for a world of hurting, health wise and that I was too young to be going down this path. Basically, I would die young if I didn't make this change. He told me that I needed to go on a low protein diet that was designed to help me lose weight and even suggested I talk to a clinic about weight loss surgery. Yikes! That was drastic!
However, I did take his suggestion to heart. On May 3, 2011 I began my journey. I lost 30 pounds just by changing the way I ate. Hmmmm...why didn't that work before? Oh, that's right! God's time. Then I began to exercise.
Today, I am down 58 pounds. I am almost to 60. I can't wait to be at -60. The last three months have been a big struggle with my weight. While I haven't gained much back (only 5 pounds and most of those are gone already), I have had to make some adjustments. More stress has come into my life, less time to relax for me and less time to exercise. However, this is not the end.
After a LOT of research, I began to do a program called Power 90. If you have heard of P90X...well...it's not that. It's a beginners version of it. And I love it! I have done 11 days now and have already lost about 6 inches all over my body. I've gained .2 pounds but I know that is muscle and that will happen. Muscle does in fact weigh more than fat! Who knew? And no, I am not getting paid to advertise this product. I just love it so much and feel the effects from it. The first few days I was horribly sore, but now it's just a pleasant tiredness that reminds me I have exercised, and exercised well. And soon, the fat will be melting off. AFter the muscle building comes the fat loss.
Guys, I can't force you to do what I've done. Some of you don't need that. Some of you feel you need to but you're not ready. There will come a moment where God will put someone in your path, and that person or what they say will become your motivation. That's what happened for me. I wasn't ready. Not until God put that person in my life that told me that I was going to die young if I didn't turn this around.
Oh, by the way, my last blood work was AWESOME! My cholesterol dropped over 100 points, my kidney function has improved 8% and I am really on the upswing! See...God's timing.
I want to thank you for all the support I have gotten from everyone over these last 10 months of this journey. You have made me believe that I can do this, and have made me feel good from your compliments. I don't know what I would have done without you.
In His Time,
T
PS. Coming Monday! (or Tuesday) A picture of me at the Super Bowl last year and a picture of me at the Super Bowl this year! (no...not the actual super bowl...just a party). I will be wearing the same shirt and hopefully the difference will amaze you!
Oh, and feel free to ask me any questions you have. I'm very open about my medical issues and very comfortable talking about weight loss.
