Welcome to My Diet Blog   Hello my Friends--  I have decided that I would journal my journey to better health.  Lord Willing.  I hope to give purpose other than just to myself by journaling my ups and downs as I head down this path.  I have never in my life been able to lose much weight, but it seems as if the past 10 years I have steadily gained.  The cause--aging, health issues and being sedentary.  I plan to be very open about my problems as I go along. I am a serious chocoholic,  ice cream and sweets lover.  I will miss my baked potatoes with butter sour cream and chives, rice, bread and pasta and fruit, as I will not be able to have them until my weight is down. Say a prayer for me that I am successful.  Maybe with your help I will succeed this time! This is the FAT me, the picture is of myself and my 31 yr. old son, Chuck, taken  on Christmas 2007. My name is Donna, and  at the end of April 2008, I turned 64 years old and I am very obese, weighing in at  247 lbs. I have almost 100 lbs to lose, but I will be satisfied with each pound I can lose.  One pound and one day at a time. I am happily married and retired for several years now.  I live with my husband, Barry; our Boxer "Tony" (shown above) and our Ragdoll cat "Buster".  Don't you just love his blue eyes? I thought I would list my health issues here as many of you who read this are just like me.  I take 11 pills and 3 inhalers each day for the following ailments.: Asthma - GERD - high blood pressure - diabetes - chronic swollen ankles - high cholesterol - chronic urinary tract infections - psoriasis - rosecsa - severe arthritis in my lower back and hands - heart valve issues and severe sleep apnea. Whew!  I hope I did not leave anything out. It is not pretty is it?  I have done  it to myself and have had to admit that TO myself!   Most of my medical issues are under control with medications, but they are still a part of my life. Constant pain is something you never get over, but learn to live with it while having good days and bad days.  Not long ago I was diagnosed with severe arthritis in my lower spine from L5 through S1. There are also two disks that have slipped forward and are protruding over 1/4 of the disk beneath them.   Much of this I attribute to a career of  constantly lifting up to 50 lbs and standing on my feet 9 or more hours each day on concrete while working as a Bakery/Deli Manager. I have been told that I am not a candidate for surgery, and even if I were, I really don't think I would have it unless it were a very last resort.  Instead I live on 750mg of vicodin twice a day which just takes the edge off.   I have also been involved in several auto accidents both as a child and an adult.  The most recent being 3 years ago when we hit black ice and crossed lanes and into another automobile.  Luckily I was the only one injured (two broken ribs) The other car hit the passenger door where I was sitting at a good 40 mph.   I have been getting short of breath when I do the simplest things like walking from one room to the other, or just lying on my back, or even stooping over for a minute.  Thank heavens for my c-pap machine.  I had a terrible time getting used to it, including full blown panic attacks, but I'm fine with it now, in fact I look forward to it each night and also use it when I take naps.  Bedtime is usually about midnight.  Buster wakes me about 2 am to remind me that I have to pee, and he wants to eat.  I have to be real quiet because Tony is just like a kid.  If he hears me get up, he thinks he has to get up and PLAY, or go out for a pit stop. Even though I don't play at that time of the night, he never stops trying. LoL   About 5 am I take my c-pap machine into the living room where I have a recliner that I sleep and nap in.  Buster, of course, is ALWAYS in my lap or sleeping between my knees.  He thinks I cannot sleep unless he is there.  If I am lucky I can sleep until 6:30 am before Tony gets me up.  Sometimes I can go back to sleep for a 1/2 hour or so, and nap in the afternoon, which I eagerly do.  Needless to say, I am always tired. Two weeks ago, my doctor sent me for an echocardiogram.  The results came back showing mild mitral regurgitation and mild tricuspid regurgitation. and slight aortic regurgitation.  In other words, my valves are not working right.  One has a thickening, and none of them snap shut as they should. My heart is showing a little enlargement.  Instead, the valves remain slightly open and the blood flows out, then some of it flows back in through the same valve.  Good news---THIS is why my legs have been swelling all these years.  Bad news---it could be the beginning of congestive heart failure which is something many of the women in my family have suffered with. My doctor told me that I HAVE to lose weight IMMEDIATELY.  A while back she put me on phentermine for three months, which worked a little. It is an appetite suppressant. I lost a few (very few) pounds, but gained them right back plus more.  So much for that attempt. Because of my heart issues, I cannot use appetite suppressants any more.   This time she is having me use the Medifast food plan.  The link is here.  http://www.medifast1.com/ .  I have done as much research on it as I can, and read other blogs of those who have and are using it.  My doctor herself, has lost 60 lbs. using Medifast in the past 6 months.  She is still on it and hopes to lost those last 10 lbs.  I have no doubt she will succeed. Medifast is not cheap, but the cost  is comparable with Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem and other diet plans where you buy their food.  On Medifast you eat 5 of their meals each day, along with what they call a "Lean and Green" meal consisting of  lean meat. -fish-chicken-seafood-beef-pork and 3 servings of greens and/or green vegetables equal to 1-1/2 cups. You drink 64 oz. of water each day, and the BEST part is that I can still have my sugar free-caffeine free-diet Pepsi, Snapple diet iced tea, and herb teas.  Whew!  Lucky break there LOL.  I will order my first month of meals next Wednesday when my Social Security comes in~~you know how that goes.  I am beginning with the recommended Medifast 5 & 1 meal plan.  You get a lot of variety including shakes, bars, puddings, oatmeal, eggs, soups and stews.  It gives you an opportunity to try different things.  Later, you can order just those things you like. There is a book you can also buy that will show you different things you can do or add to the meals to spruce them up a bit.   It will cost me just under $300./ month.  If I can successfully lose some of this weight  and keep it off, it will be well worth it.  The studies for this food program went through John Hopkins University.  The results were excellent for weight loss and maintainenance. Ok, here I go!!  My weight journal begins on page 2--see the link below.