“Weighty Woes” Part 1: Ups and downs of Weight by my dear Mama Sue (On a journey to lose 50 pounds the healthy way!)

Back in 1999 I was at my best weight. Standing nearly 5’9″ I weighed 155-157 whenever I weighed myself, which wasn’t often. I could tell by how my clothes fit that I was always the same. I did Tae-Bo 5-7 days per week in the morning when I got up and then I walked several days a week with friends over lunchtime. We’d walk a good thirty minutes, sunny or snowy weather. My eating habits left much to be desired; fast foods, processed/frozen dinners, all that. But my exercise habits curbed the extra pounds, although maybe not the excess body fat. I haven’t had that measured since high school (30+ years ago).

I switched jobs and started working at the ad agency that year. There, I had no walking buddies and soon the afternoon walks went by the wayside. And with ad work, there were often
“emergencies” that interrupted the day and delayed or overtook lunchtime. And they were all about the food. Vendors would bring in Krispy Kreme donuts and other rich desserts or even take us to lunches for fatty, often fried, foods. Holidays were the worst! Then there would be cookies galore and chips and cheese and crackers on every flat surface available. It was impossible to resist for me.

I never really even tried to lose the extra baby weight. I was so busy and depressed that all I could do was survive from day to day. Exercise was a thing of the past. I made a few feeble attempts but always too much too soon with too high of expectations. I wanted an immediate fix and when I didn’t get it, it made things worse. I was also “closet” smoking at the time, which I thankfully was able to quit about six years ago. That, of course, is a whole ‘nother story!
 

Over the past few months I have noticed that when I come home from work my legs are puffy and swollen and sore. The pooling of fluids around my calves and ankles causes itching, and it was impossible to control. Twelve hours spent mostly on my feet doesn’t help; nor did a steady diet of salt-laden foods. I would retain water all night while I worked and then elevate my feet when I got home. I felt heavy and tired all the time. Working three nights a week and sleeping during the day is difficult enough, and I blamed my wacky sleep schedule for my constant fatigue.

When Rachel decided she wanted to become vegetarian this past summer, I thought it was a fad she would soon get over. I waited it out, discovered a few vegetarian foods that she liked, and tagged along a little bit for fun. I still ate my double cheeseburger (plain) once or twice a week, but then she started to complain about that a little. So I discovered veggie burgers. And I found that when I ate them, I felt satisfied, but not stuffed, like I did with the double cheeseburgers. 

This was a revelation to me. Feeling “satisfied” as opposed to “full” was a strange concept. I grew up as a charter member of the Clean-Your-Plate Society. We had to clean our plates before we could have dessert, you understand. And we had dessert pretty much every night. When I was a kid, food was food and I didn’t understand that some foods made you fat. I weighed in at 110 pounds in third grade. And it was shameful, because the entire class sat on the floor as we were weighed one at a time and the nurse said our weights out loud for the teacher to record. What a nightmare! One particularly mean girl called me “big fat face brace” because I also wore braces at the time. I thought I was fat the way some people were short: luck of the draw.

Imagine my surprise when my mother caught me with my hand in the cookie jar and told me that eating cookies would make me fat. What she meant was “fatter.” That summer I spent riding my bike just to keep my mind off eating. And I was average size when school started that fall. I don’t remember what the nurse said I weighed because it didn’t matter anymore. I was “normal” for once.

I also recall Mrs. Herdzina, my seventh grade teacher, telling me I was “too thin.” I was 5’7″ and weighed 110 pounds. She was probably right! I worried about it a little at the time and even gained a little weight. I played sports throughout high school and that kept off the majority of the extra pounds. I really didn’t think much about my weight because youth and activity made it a non-issue. I weighed 135 and felt great. I wore a size ten and always complained because the medium sizes that fit me had sleeves (or worse, pant legs) that were 3-5″ too short for me.

It’s amazing, but the extra larges fit me lengthwise. Perfectly. And at this point in time, they fit me widthwise, too. But I am determined to change that with my 50/50 Challenge!

I went to visit my doctor on August 1st. I always dread going to the doctor because I hate being weighed. I know they need a weight for prescribing medications and to check my overall health, but it still irks me. I remember once I was feeling particularly heavy and I told the nurse she didn’t really *need* my weight and I refused to step on the scale. But that day, I felt pretty good. I was eager to hear what my weight was, because I was sure that it was miraculously low.

Well, I weighed in at 205 pounds. My blood pressure was in the 120s, which I found reassuring, as I had sometimes checked it at work and it had been in the 140s to 160s, and I know that’s not good. But I was a little taken aback by my weight.

So I started thinking. Rachel wants to be a vegetarian, and she’s not backing down. It wouldn’t hurt me to do the same. We both eat eggs and dairy products for the protein, and I occasionally eat meat, but usually when she’s at school or I’m at work. And I am feeling better, more energetic, and I am getting things done around the house. My legs stopped swelling while I work, and this has been just over the past week or so that I’ve really noticed that. My breathing seems to be a little better, too; since I quit smoking I have been using daily inhalers, but I haven’t used my “rescue” inhaler for over two weeks, I think. I had been using it almost every day, which I know is a sign that I am not controlling my asthma well. It feels good to walk and be able to breathe well. That kinda goes without saying, but I do not take good breathing for granted.}