For the people who've known me for most of my life, they all know that I've been...dare I say it? What the hell, I'll say it. I've always been fat.
Now let me get a few things clear before I start. Being fat most of my life does not mean that I've had a sad one. I've been so blessed to have family and friends who've never judged me for how big I was. Sure, my parents have been giving me endless grief about losing weight, and my siblings also love to tease me. But I've never had to suffer any bullying or discrimination at school or in my work. Aside from my weight, there are no other regrets or troubles in my life that I could not handle or control.
In the past years, I think I've decided to TRY and lose weight so many times. The first time I seriously tried to lose weight was when I was a freshman in high school. My parents decided to bring me to a dietitian who helped me lose a few pounds for about 6 months by telling me what to eat. I was about 150 pounds at that time, and I lost around 15 to 20 pounds. But since I wasn't that serious about changing my lifestyle, I gained all the weight back after a year. My parents attempted to help me again by enrolling me at a gym for the summer break, and while I did do my workouts as prescribed by my personal trainer, I only lost 5 pounds after two months.
I wouldn't try to lose weight again until I reached the summer before my last year in college. By that time I was already 22 years old and weighed 220 pounds. This time, I was a willing participant in the process. We still went to a doctor, but this time I did the exercise, the diet, and had some medications prescribed to help me lose the weight. For the year I lost about 20 pounds. I could finally see improvements in my stamina, my appetite, and my body. I had to have a couple of my pants altered since they had started to get too big for me. From a size 22 I went down to a size 18. I was the happiest I had ever been in a long time.
Graduation finally came and soon I had to start working. By August I was working in a corporate office, which meant a few things. One, I had stopped exercising everyday and only had a day or two to exercise. Two, I drove to and from work, and sat for most of the day. Three, I got drained from working at a desk and often made up for it by eating more.
So anyone could guess the outcome. Yes, I gained back the weight and even got heavier. By 2012, I was at my heaviest ever at 244 pounds. My siblings and I tried lacing a bet that I could lose 50 pounds in a year and I would get an iPad if successful. I started to exercise regularly, 30 minutes for 5 days a week. I got healthier and my body changed, but my weight only went up or down a few pounds every month. By March, I had not lost much weight.
I then realized that I did not want to fail another time. I was no longer doing this to satisfy my parents or to gain something like an iPad at the end of it.
I want to lose weight to prove to myself that I can do it and that it is not only a dream.
I want to lose weight to break down any walls that have prevented me from doing more than I already have.
I want to lose weight because I want to love myself more than I have in the past.
Being more serious on losing weight now made me realize that I couldn't do this on my own. I knew I needed to get professional help again, but this time I would make it work because I wanted it to work.
It was around this time that I found out that a few people I knew had lost weight through the Cohen Lifestyle Program. Seeing them inspired me even more, and so I researched about the program.
My first apprehension was that it would cost me lost of money. Being a high school teacher, that meant I would be spending most of my earnings on this program. For those who are curious, the cost of the program is initially P55,000, which covers six months of the program, the initial blood test, the eating plan and recipe books from Dr. Cohen. I also had to invest on a digital food scale, which was about P2,500 since it was crucial for the success of the program. Other costs also include vitamins (P970 for 100 capsules, one per day), and the food I'd be eating everyday (P2000-3000 per week).
I know by now that most of you would be overwhelmed by the cost of the program, but this did not discourage me at all. What made me choose the program was, firstly, its success rate. Only one percent of the people who tried the program had failed to lose weight, and the reason for their failure was because they did not follow the eating plan prescribed by Dr. Cohen.
Secondly, I also liked the idea that it is a lifestyle change and that the program was not merely a diet program but a medical program. It recognized that people like me who've tried to lose weight many times but failed, failed not because we lack the motivation and all the discipline, but also because our bodies have made it difficult to lose it. I'm not saying we are not responsible for our bodies. All I'm saying is that our bodies have already changed, so what works for people with normal weights won't work for us.
And being a medical program that would help change our lifestyle, I like how it focuses on how to manage our food, and that it does not require too much exercise. I admit that I hate exercising. As I often tell my siblings, I hate to exercise because I hate sweating. But I also want people to realize that exercising when you're fat is also very difficult. I know the benefits of exercise since I experienced it myself, but at my current weight, exercise does very little to my weight loss.
These things are what convinced me that this program will definitely be worth the money I'd be spending. It also has a support system where consultants are available throughout the program. At the same time, their goal is not to just make you lose a few pounds. Their goal for you is to reach your ideal weight. So you will only be deemed successful once you've reached that weight calculated for you. The weight that you are meant to be. And even after reaching that weight, they will still help you by guiding you on how to go back to eating other foods that you've avoided during the program. This is will help anyone maintain that lifestyle of healthy eating.
And so, I am looking forward to starting this program. With my weight at 244 pounds, my ideal weight is 124 pounds. I hope to lose the weight in eight to ten months.
So wish me luck! Until next time! ^_~
