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19 July 2016

19 July 2016

Weigh-in: 194.0 lb lost so far: 0 lb still to go: 59.0 lb Diet followed N/A

19 July 2016

Weigh-in: 194.0 lb lost so far: 0 lb still to go: 59.0 lb Diet followed N/A

10 August 2011

Where to begin...

I'm 36 years old, married to my high school sweetheart, best friend, love of my life :) with one amazing son who is a senior in high school this year (WOW!). In January 2008 I was in the best shape of my life. At 5'3, 122 lbs., I was working out everyday, but I would basically eat whatever I wanted and that was fine for me at the time. I loved running and did so 4-5 days per week 3-5 miles per day. Also enjoyed lifting weights and especially LOVED core workouts and working my abs. My abs were probably my favorite feature and I was proud of 'em!

In February 2008, my entire life changed. I was having pain in by abdomen and thought it was possibly my appendix. After a trip to the ER I was taking into surgery for a 45 minute procedure to have my appendix removed. Well...my "45 minute procedure" turned into an almost 7 hour surgery! My surgeon instead found a large mass in my abdomen and removed that, along with my appendix, lymph nodes, and a section of my large and small intestines. I was told that I didn't have sufficient blood flow to these organs, they were basically dying and had to be removed and the doctors were confident that had gotten it all. My doctors told me I had cancer...a form of T-Cell Lymphoma and I was passed off to oncology for treatment. I waited for my biopsy results to narrow down the type/subtype/stage of my lymphoma and after 8 weeks of waiting, my doctor informed me my biopsy results were coming up 'abnormal' with my diagnosis (as if the cancer wasn't 'abnormal' enough!).

My doctors then proceeded to tell me that they didn't know what I had that they had never seen anything like it before. I was again passed off to the University of Minnesota and the Center for Infectious Disease...still none of the doctors I'd seen had seen anything like it before. So I was then sent down to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota and in November 2008 I was finally officially told I did NOT have cancer! I was told I had a very rare disease and only 90 case of my disease have been diagnosed in the past 15 years in the world! This is why none of the other doctors I'd seen could help me...they didn't know. With my diagnosis, my surgeon called me and told me how happy he was that I did not have the cancer he originally though during my surgery. He told me it was bad, and that this was the first time in his 25 years as a surgeon that he found what he found and have it NOT be cancer. I felt so blessed!

2011- I'm doing well now. I do still see my doctors at Mayo Clinic as needed, but not anything like I was. I am so grateful...so blessed by this whole experience. I always tell people that it was the worst thing AND the best thing that's ever happened to me. And they look at me like I have two heads or something! People would say, "How could have that major surgery and being told you have cancer be the best thing that's ever happened to you?" Thinking you have cancer for 8+ weeks was the most surreal time of my life. It me a chance to really think about what's important in my live...my family...doing things I love and I'm passionate about...never taking one day for granted...trying to make a difference with the time I have here...because you don't know how much time you may have left.

After my initial diagnosis, I really thought about what I was doing with my life, and maybe more importantly NOT doing with it. I had what some people might consider a 'great career' in law enforcement, which I was content with, but it wasn't my passion. I had always wanted to work in nursing, even more so after all of my hospital visits. I decided I didn't know how much time I had left, but I wanted to make sure I was doing something I loved even if it was the last thing I was going to do....literally!

One day I decided I was just going to do it. I up and quit my job with the sheriff's department, shocking everyone including my family. Then decided I was going back to school for nursing. Now I currently work for the Department of Veteran Affairs and absolutely LOVE what I do!!! I love working with the veterans and am so grateful for their sacrifices and for all they do for this country. Freedom is Not Free. And I am honored to work with these amazing people.

Without my surgery, I don't know that I would have ever left the sheriff's department. I think I would have stayed in my comfort zone and not followed my heart. Life is too short not to!

Years ago when my son was about 7 years old, he asked me one day, "Mom, what are those marks on your tummy and sides?" Not thrilled by any means what he was referring to, I told him they were stretch marks from when I was pregnant with him. I told him that I didn't like them either, thinking that's what he was getting at with his question. He looked at me, grabbing onto my face to make sure I was really listening, and said the most amazing thing! He said, "But mama, if you didn't have those stretch marks, you probably wouldn't have me either. Those are like your battle scars, huh?" I thought, 'My child is a genius!' The light bulb finally went off, and I knew he was right. Who cares if I have stretch marks? I have the most amazing son to show for it!

Sometimes family and friends see my large surgery scar on my abdomen and they ask me about (it's about a 6 in. vertical scar right through my belly button...not pretty). They kind of cringe and ask if I'm going to have plastic surgery to have it removed or 'fixed' or something. I tell them "NO WAY!" I look at this new 'Battle Scar' as a reminder of how far I have come and how lucky I am for everyday that I do have with my family and doing what I love!

With all that said, with some of the medications I've had to take on and off the past three years (mostly steroids and/or injections for inflammation in my abdomen and a recent back injury), My weight slowly crept up to 159 lbs. My diet was also poor. Not really poor, more like terrible! I was going through a drive-thru every day...sometimes twice a day. And I was drinking sooooooo much Diet Pepsi it was insane...usually at least 2 liters a day. with little to no water. That's bad! And I was feeling awful all the time.

One day, I took another look at my 'Battle Scars' and decided that I was not living the life I wanted to live. I was wasting it! So I decided to commit to changing my eating habits and to start exercising again. I felt like I was so lost and didn't know where to start anymore. By sheer luck I came across Tosca Reno's book, "The Eat Clean Diet". This book, along with her cookbooks are a God sent! Again, the light bulb finally went off and I feel like I 'get it' for the first time in a long time!

I've tried so many high protein, low carb, no carb, HCG, Weight Watchers, South Beach diets with little success, only to regain the weight again when I started to eat 'normal'. I decided after my back injury in June 2011 that I didn't want to EVER go on another diet again! I knew that I need to make a commitment to eating healthy-Eating Clean! Something I could do some a lifetime, not temporary like my other diet attempts. After a lot of reading and research I felt really good about the decision to commit to eating clean.

On July 27th 2011, I threw out all the junk, processed foods, white breads, pastas, and rice in my house and quit the Diet Pepsi cold turkey. I stocked up on fruits, veggies, lean meats, fish, and whole grains, and started drinking water...lots of water. It was not the easiest thing I've ever done that for sure, but I lost 5 lbs. the first week and felt 110% better.I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to make this change. And it gets easier everyday. I eat 5-6 mini meals a day, always a protein with a complex carb., and I never feel hungry. Which is something that I always battled eating all that processed food and fast foods. I was always so hungry a few hours after eating them.

I love the recipes I've found in Tosca's books and the Oxygen Magazines and Cookbooks, and can't wait to try more of them. I am happy to discover so many of these new foods that I'm experimenting with now. And I feel great! I am very happy with my progress and I am so looking forward to the future :)

-True Story

FAVORITE QUOTE: "BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD"

03 August 2011

Eating clean makes sense...Period! I read "The Eat Clean Diet", by Tosca Reno and the little light bulb in my head Finally turned on! I was making my weight loss/getting healthy journey sooooo much more difficult that it had to be. More fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and complex carbs. Eliminate refined sugars/carbs and processed foods. I've been 'eating clean' for only one week and I've lost 5 lbs! Granted, I stopped drinking soda and significantly increase my water intake, but I can tell you that I already feel 110% better and healthier! I want to continue this way and look forward to my journey. And I'm not starving myself or working out for hours everyday either. I'm eating approximately 1500 calorie/day (+/-), 5-6 small meals(200-400 calories per meal). Trying to always pair complex carbs with lean protein. Walking, Eliptical machines, and weights.

I have also decided that I am NOT dieting away one more day of my life!!! Diets are only temporary to me. I want to find a way to be healthy for the rest of my life. Eliminating entire food groups is never a good idea (even though I've tried). I need to change my relationship with food and how I view food. I have tried every 'diet' and Magic Pill I could ever get my hands on that promised me results. Low fat, low carb, no carb, HCG, Weight Watchers, Alli, etc. But who want to live the rest of their lives without a piece of bread? Who wants to only eat 500 calories a day, only to kick start your loss again by eating nothing but an apple...or nothing but a steak???? I can't live like that. But sadly, I was desperate enough once to try...only to regain the weight...and then some! And the vicious cycle would begin again with another diet.

I do have to say the low carb diets were the worst thing that I've done to my body, other than the HCG Diet. I would NEVER recommend either of those. I started to have physical problems with the HCG diet that required medical attention and my hair eventually started to fall out because I what I was doing to my body in my obsession to lose weight! And yes, I did get my HCG from a licensed doctor even! Not Joe Blow off the internet. My primary doctor lectured me on the dangerous of the long term damage I was doing to my body...all to lose a few pounds...I was that desperate! And after suffering through the low/no carb and HCG diets, I gained ALL the weight back I had lost within 2-3 weeks (plus some) when I starting to eat normal again!!! I would highly recommend Tosca's book. It really helped to educate me, or get me pointed in the right direction anyway, and Tosca is very clear on what needs to be done to lose weight, and to get and feel healthy. It will change the way you look at what you are putting into your body. It has for me anyway...And that's coming from someone who drank 2-3 liters of Diet Pepsi a day and was going through a drive-thru 1-2X/day! I quit it all cold turkey the day I finish reading that book. With absolutely no regrets!

-True Story...

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