I have reached a milestone I set for myself. December 26th of 2005 I picked up some film that had to be developed. It turns out they were of our annual float trip the previous July. In that film there was one photo that had life altering implications. It was a picture of me...in a bathing suit. I had just finished taking my morning round of meds, 8 in all, and was feeling pretty rotten. My size 24 pants were tight and I was depressed about looking for 26's. Then the photo came. What I saw was a me that was 20 lbs lighter than I was at the moment. To say the least I was shattered. My friends had seen me like this. I was humiliated and ashamed of where I had let myself get to. Not to mention the fact that my health was in serious decline.
Stepping back, I attempted to look at the situation from an outsiders point of view. I had been seeing a nutritionist for six months and following her diet to the letter. It was twice as much food as I was used to eating, but I couldn't make her believe that. She said I must be cheating because I had gained approximately 25 pounds since starting her diet. Deciding that six months was a long enough period to give it a go, I decided that for all her good intentions, Bobbie was killing me.
I have been on so many diets. Weight Watchers produced a 20 lb gain. Susan Powter produced a 5 lb gain. The diabetic and low fat diets from the doctors office had ballooned me to over 250 lbs. The only diet I ever had success on was Atkins. The last time I did Atkins I lost 80 lbs and it took me 5 years to put it back on after I quit. The pressure I got from the non-believers was incredible though. We have truly been brainwashed by the weight loss marketing in this country.
So I applied my principles of Project Management. I needed to lose 100 lbs. There was a definite hostile user community who would not like the solution. What was the time frame I set for my project? What were my milestones? How would I track the progress towards those milestones? These and many other questions were asked. I prepared a project plan and set my milestones at each 25 lbs. Then I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
Each morning I would get up and weigh and measure myself. I know have six months of detailed weight and measurement charts. A wealth of data that any dietician would drool over. By January 29th I had reached my first milestone. 25 lbs had been lost. People started to notice. They asked me what I was doing. In a deliberate misinformation campaign I told them I was just watching what I ate. This wasn't exactly a lie, I did watch what I ate very carefully. No more than 10 grams of Carbs per day.
In February a heavy set co-worker of mine found out that I was on Atkins. I think she sort of figured it out on her own. Then the pressure started. "That is so unhealthy. Carbs are our friend." She sounded just like Bobbie, who was trying to kill me with good intentions. I was having to cut back on my diabetes medicine by this point and the prospect of getting off it altogether loomed high on the horizon. I decided that I was not going to let anyone run me off that course. I set about implementing one of my risk management strategies. In my firmest and kindest manner, I told my friend that I was having success with this method. I was not attempting for influence her to drop her Weight Watcher program, but I was not going to be swayed. I was making good progress and I would keep it up. Unless she intended to sit on me and stuff donuts in my mouth, I also had no intention of discussing this further.
It worked. She left me alone and I was elated. I had one milestone under my belt with the next to come in two short weeks. My doctor informed me that I could drop four of my meds. Second milestone reached! I have just continued to use my project management skills to make headway from that point forward.
On my son's 13th birthday I reached my next milestone. 50 lbs had been lost! I am now down to two medications, both of which are for high blood pressure, and the doctor tells me that I may get off those soon too. I am in a size 16 pant now and they are getting loose. My final project completion will be when I hit 100 lbs lost. I will weigh 154, not bad for a 40 year old woman. My deliverable date is October the 8th, my birthday. I think I am having some schedule slippage, but that is to be expected in any large project. Pun Definantely Intended! I am pretty sure that I can reset the project date for the one year mark though and hit it. It has been hard, and depressing at times, but I am healthier now than I have been since college. I am eating the right foods for my body. My doctor supports me 110% and says that she even brags on me to her other patients and urges them to consider Atkins as well. My cholesterol is down, my blood sugar is better than it ever has been since I first got pregnant 13 years ago, and I feel good too.
So for all of you out there who struggle with this same dilemma, I don't care what method you choose to lose, apply the principles of Project Management and see if that doesn't help you reach your goals. Stick to it and don't let anyone sit on you and stuff donuts in your mouth.
