After five years of good intentions, I am finally getting serious about my weight loss. Sure, I talked a good game in the past- "I'm going to get up at 5am to workout for an hour before I go to work," or "Joining a gym near my job will force me to not make excuses to not go workout," and my favorite, "Tomorrow, I'm going on a diet (and this time I mean it)!"
However, my good intentions and plans fell to the wayside by a busy job (that brings very little professional growth or development) and personal family drama (which I may or may not share at a latter time). I found myself consumed by 12-13 hour workdays, followed by weekends at my mother's house trying to get things in order there. With only time to eat and sleep for a few hours, working out was becoming a pipedream. The lack of exercise, stress and personal disatisfaction with my place of employment started to do a real number on waistline and health.
As my mom used to say, I've always been a "chunky monkey." However, as the additional pounds started to pile on, I started experiencing the adverse side effects of obesity. My blood pressure became so high that I had to be put on medication to regulate it. My family started teasing me about how loud my snoring became, but I later found out it was no laughing matter...I had developed sleep apnea. My joints started aching, and at times, my feet would swell. If those issues were not enough, I had to have my gallbladder removed last year.
If I wanted a better quality of life, I needed to get serious about the weight loss. If not, I knew that I would find myself dealing with other ailments such as diabetes, heart disease or other obesity related diseases or worse, an early death.
As part of my reality check, I had to get on a scale when I met with a weight loss specialist in Brooklyn. When I saw that I weighed 30lbs heavier than I thought, for a moment, I check out mentally. This was unreal. From that moment, the excuses stopped, and I had to take serious responsibility in my role (or my addiction to butter rolls) in my massive weight gain.
Rather than saying, "I can't afford a trainer" or "I can't afford a weight loss program," I started putting my research skills to use (that I frequently use at work) to help me find an affordable solution to my problem. With the help of google and craigslist, I found a trainer within my budget and a weight loss specialist (who is a board certified doctor trained in bariatric surgery) that was cheaper than Jenny Craig!
Of course, I had to make some sacrifices (slashed clothing and entertainment budget), but in the long run, it will be well worth it. It was a difficult check, but the reality check I write myself now will mean a better and improved life down the road.