The journey begins

Hello, and welcome!  Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog.  Though this weight loss journey may be mine, I could not do it without the support of so many caring and wonderful people.  This blog will serve as a chronicle of my successes and struggles, as well as a way for me to share my progress with everyone.  I invite you all to join me on this great adventure!

So how am I going to do it?

The program

I joined the Weight Management Program through the University of Michigan Health System.  This program is unique in that it combines clinical and research components to help with long-term, successful weight loss over a period of two years – best of all, it’s covered by my insurance!  The program consists of three parts.  First is a complete meal replacement diet (OmniFast) which is followed until a 15 percent weight loss from baseline has been achieved.  For me that’s about 50 pounds, and the usual time period is 3-4 months.  Following that, food is gradually re-introduced.  The third phase is focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle in addition to continued gradual weight loss.  Throughout, I will be meeting regularly with a nutritionist and physician to make sure I’m staying on track and staying healthy.  My therapist and personal trainer are both very excited to be a part of this journey as well!

Why now?

I’ve always been in pretty good shape for my weight and am decently healthy.  I don’t have diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, or any of the other diseases commonly associated with obesity.  What I do have is depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder (BPD) – all of which contribute to a habit for stress binge eating and an addiction to food.  I haven’t been able to break them on my own, and I absolutely refuse to get weight loss surgery.  I already exercise on a regular basis but diet is 80% of a healthy lifestyle.  After much deliberation and research, I decided to join the program to get my weight back on track. 

The numbers

Current weight: 340

Goal Weight: 180

Amount left to lose: 160

Yup, I want to lose about the amount of an average person!  It’s not going to be easy, but I know I can do it.

So when do I start?

Wednesday, May 17th I have my first visit with the nutritionist and should be starting the meal replacements that day or the following!!