Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

I still find it hard to believe that people think of me as "slim". I know I'm not fat anymore but somehow, hearing names like "Hey Slim", or "wow, you're skinny", I think to myself, they can't be talking about me!

It's hard to get used to it. Most people were kind over the years and never really came right out and said I was fat back when I was obese. There were different things I would hear like "you're a big guy, you're gonna need a car with more room" (car salesman) or "Are you sure you're not diabetic?" (eye doctor).

In a recent post I mentioned a pivotal "moment of clarity" most people experience when they resolve themselves to lose weight.  Mine was somewhat embarrassing to say the least. However... as clear as that moment was... it came with another reinforcing experience that definitely sealed the deal with my need to live a more healthy lifestyle and to achieve a healthier weight.

Often for work I would travel to Boston, MA.  One of my offices was there since the product management team was run from that location.  I would travel there 2 to 3 times every other  week.  I would take the long drive from Bristol Connecticut to one of the outer lying towns near Boston and take the T rail into the city. I would get off at Government Center station and walk 4 blocks to the office.

It was in the news recently that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently underwent lap band surgery in order to lose weight. While I applaud him for attempting to fix his problem, I do not agree with his method to correct the obesity. I believe the only healthy way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat right and exercise.

I had a comparable build to Governor Christie just a year and a half ago. I needed to lose weight and my doctor advised me to as well. I was fat for way too long and I didn't want to get diabetes. I finally took a stand and changed my food intake. I also increased my exercise by doing a hour on the treadmill most days of the week. The weight came off gradually at an average of 3 pounds a week. Surgery may have given me results at a quicker rate, but I would rather learn the proper ways to live healthy and to adjust gradually to my new weight.

I remember when I first started to lose weight. I was very careful about what foods to eat. I'm not saying that I'm not careful now, but I do allow myself a day to cheat on my "diet" every now and then. If you don't cheat on your diet once in a while, I think you will be more likely to go back into your old habits. I say the word diet but I still am not comfortable calling the way I eat a diet... I eat healthier foods dailly but it's more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

I was recently on vacation. It's hard to find healthy foods away from home. I did bring a lot of walnuts, almonds, protein bars and fruit, but still, I did not eat totally healthy. I did allow myself dessert one day last week as I had a piece of chocolate cream pie. It was a lighter version with low fat whipped cream. Surprisingly, it was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. This coming from someone that used to eat a half a gallon of ice cream a day!

Everyone who is obese or overweight has "the moment of clarity" when they become aware of the need to kickstart their weight loss. I'm talking about the event or observation that happens in life that makes one start to contemplate their health, issues that arise from being overweight and why they want to lose the weight.

While visiting a movie theater, where my disorder, one that affects all overweight men, reared its ugly head and offered up my moment of clarity.