Staying Alive: The weight-ing is the hardest part – Bent County Democrat
(Editor's note: This is a new series about the effort to stay young in the face of growing older.)
While time waits for no one, the pounds most certainly do.
One of the downsides of aging is the convergence of slowing metabolism, hormonal changes, increased stress and less time for recreation that conspire to keep unwanted pounds hanging around.
According to a review published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the aging process can see from one to two pounds gained each year. Now, multiply that by say 10 years, and, well, you will find yourself in the same unwelcome boat as yours truly.
Mirroring life itself, the tale of my waistline and body weight has been a virtual rollercoaster.
After losing 100 pounds at age 16, two years as a college football placekicker saw most of that return. But once my gridiron career ended, I slimmed down to 180, with, amazingly, a 30-inch waistline.
Which, unfortunately, required a near-starvation diet to maintain.
By my mid-20s, my weight had stabilized at just under 200, a coveted mark I was able to effortlessly maintain through regular workouts, sensible eating and, most importantly, a rapid metabolism for at least two decades.
And then at 45, all the bad stuff hit the fan.
Although I continued to dedicate at least 40 minutes a day to cardiovascular activity, and didn't exactly give into extravagant dining a luxury reserved only for the 14 residents of the Pompia feline colony little by little, the pounds crept on me.
And I was the last to notice.
I was, for the most part, able to disregard the frequent "Are you putting on weight?" comments, attributing them to uncouthness on the part of acquaintances. Much more difficult to overlook was the fact that I had to replace my entire wardrobe with 44-inch pants and 2XL shirts.
Once I had to start browsing the "46-inch rack" at the thrift store, the proverbial scales fell of my eyes.
And the reality was beyond disheartening.
Despite daily exercise, and what I considered a prudent eating, I came to the realization that I was the complete opposite of a shadow of myself, with countless bulges and rolls I somehow failed to see sneaking up on me.
Even my face changed: jawline and cheeks once angular now jowly and flabby.
I avoided mirrors, being photographed and the scale with equal fervor, but there was no escaping the reality that, like the apostle Paul, this moment of clarity demanded transformative action.
About 10 years ago, in the aftermath of a similar but less substantial weight gain, I became a client at Dr. Maureen Key's New Look Solutions Medical Weight Loss and was able to do, for the first time in years, dip to around 200 pounds.
And there was no way these new unwanted pounds were going anywhere without help.
Taking advantage of a pre-holiday special, I signed up for three months of the New Look Solutions regimen in hopes of replicating that earlier triumph.
As every journey begins with a single step, my initial stride into the program, via the scale, was utterly traumatic.
267.6 pounds: an all time high that sent me to an all time low.
But it served as both a wake-up call and a rallying cry.
In the New Look Solutions program, clients are required to keep meticulous weekly logs of exactly what is eaten, and in what portions, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Proteins are encouraged, as are non-starch vegetables and grains, with only a limited amount of fat and dairy.
In my case, I limited my diet to eggs, egg substitutes, tuna and turkey, vegetables, veggie patties, brown rice, protein and granola bars, and the occasional sprinkling of cheese, in various combinations, for the whole of the 12 weeks.
The occasional snacks were unsalted peanuts and beef jerky, with steamed white rice one of my few "cheat foods."
As part of the program, clients receive twice-weekly "fat burner" injections, which are essential to keeping one's energy level up and kick-starting the metabolism: a necessity, especially if one is going to increase cardiovascular activity while decreasing food intake.
For me, the centerpiece of the diet was Phentermine, a prescription-only appetite suppressant that is extremely powerful and as such, must only be taken under a doctor's supervision.
In the initial days of the diet, the effect of the medication was so strong that I had to remind myself to eat, and many times, I simply bypassed meals, as my once ravenous appetite was, joyfully, non existent.
But skipping meals, I quickly learned, is completely counterproductive to weight loss, as it slows the metabolism and actually leads to weight gain. As odd as it sounds, eating sometimes became an obligation, rather than a necessity.
The injections and Phentermine were supplemented by a twice-daily ingestion of a custom medication, Adrenal-X, which is designed to promote cortisol stability in the face of continual stress.
It's a bit ironic that it takes absolutely no effort to pack on the pounds but maximum determination to lose them. Even with the support and advice, the supplements, and what I considered staunch will power, the dieting had its taxing and difficult periods, and there were days, mostly on the weekends, when I truly struggled.
It was those times that led me to dread Friday: "weigh-in day" or as I referred to it, "the day of reckoning." I tried not to focus on the weekly result, instead keeping my eye on the finish-line tape.
The encouraging news is, though, that once those first few stubborn pounds go away, the rest seem to follow a bit more easily as the body readjusts to its new course.
Three months later, which included both the Thanksgiving and Christmas splurging seasons, my total loss was just under 30 pounds: a number I wasn't exactly ecstatic about but a figure Dr. Key and staff assured me was commendable. But, as I was gaining muscle while dropping fat, according to regular body mass index readings, the scale reading was of less importance to me than the inches that obviously went away and my overall improved well being.
I now look forward to donning shirts and pants that only weeks before were uncomfortably snug. My once depleted energy level continues on the upward trend, while knees and ankles that formerly ached under the unhealthy strain are now pain free.
And the "man, you look like you're ready for the offensive line" remarks have been replaced with, "Boy, you've lost a lot of weight."
But not enough.
Even though I am off, at least temporarily, the New Look Solutions program, I am continuing to limit my calorie intake while spending at least an hour every day in the gym.
Ideally, I would like to banish another 30 pounds, but in the meantime, I'm going to meticulously ensure that the 30 I was able to drop stay relegated to the wasteland, not the waistline.
Those who want to learn more about New Look Solutions Medical Weight Loss are invited to call 544-4405.
Twitter: @jpompia
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Staying Alive: The weight-ing is the hardest part - Bent County Democrat
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