I began my journey a few weeks after I had a 5 hour cardiac ablation surgery and came through it with no problems cardiac wise, but at 281 pounds, my back pain was excruciating! I finally had experienced “the straw that broke the camel’s back” (no pun intended) regarding my weight. I have struggled with my weight for much of my 50+ years and it was time to get a handle on it.
I had a friend who had excellent results going through Dr Scinta’s program, so I gave Medical Weight Loss a call and started my weight loss journey within 6 weeks of my surgery. I was ready. I began with Optifast Full meal replacement for about 6 months and steadily lost weight! The full meal replacement gave me the time to work on the other facets of my issues with food (Psychological, Spiritual, Behavioral) I learned so much about myself and the reasons why I have struggled with controlling my weight. One of the things I learned is that what I weigh has more to do with what and how much I eat and less with how much I exercise. I exercise regularly now, but Now I exercise more for my overall physical and psychological health and less to control my weight. Another thing I learned is that I no longer have to struggle on my own. Dr Scinta’s team is always there to support and encourage me and answer any questions I have. I also know that God is always there as my comforter and with him I do not have to turn to food to make myself feel better.
I have experienced innumerable benefits from losing 100 pounds! My Cholesterol and Blood pressure are now within normal ranges and I have not had A-fib (a heart arrhythmia) in over a year, I now go up and down several flights of stairs at one time instead of taking the elevator, I can tie my shoes and breathe at the same time (lol), I can cross my legs!, I now shop in the regular women’s clothing department instead of Plus size ( I started out is size 22 and now wear a size 12) which feels weird but I like it, I no longer need to use my C-Pap machine while I sleep, grocery shopping is so much easier and faster now that I shop around the outside of the store (produce, meats, dairy and frozen foods), not to mention much less expensive and better for me. All-in-all, I would say I feel like a completely different person!
During my weight loss journey I realized that I am a much stronger person than I ever thought I was and that I can be successful in whatever I put my mind to. With my new-found health, I can’t wait to see what the rest of my life has in store for me!
