Chronicles of Nicki - Against All Odds

Daily Food Log

2008-08-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is a must! I have learned so much about why I eat what I do and under what circumstances. I always thought I didn't need a reason to eat badly, but I know that most of the time my poor eating habits are out of sadness, stress or some other emotional experience.

You must be totally honest with your food log. I learned this the hard way and discovered that I think I was ashamed of what I ate, or felt guilty and also didn't want to disappoint those that were helping me. I've learned that I don't have to be ashamed or feel guilty. If there is a special occasion where food will be served, plan for it. On the day of the special occasion, eat some fruit, a banana, some bran cereal. Then drink plenty of low calories fluids. When choosing foods to eat, at those special events, be choosy selecting 1 or 2 "goodies" then fill your plate with vegetables, and fruits. Be careful with the dips and sauces as they may be fat laddened...always choose fat free or low fat dressings when possible.

Lastly enjoy yourself and remember tomorrow is a new day for choosing healthy foods. See you next time. Nicki

My Life Was About to Change

2008-08-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

It was February 2006 when I started the Physicians' Choice for Weight Loss program. I weighed 347 pounds and was only 5 feet tall. That's a lot of weight to carry around!

I was short of breath and experienced joint pain. I was on 3 different blood pressure medications secondary to extremely high blood pressure. Two and a half years later and 164 pounds lighter...I'm now off of all my blood pressure medication and the joint pain has improved. My life has changed both physically and emotionally and I am now beginning to live life and not merely exist.

Physicians' Choice for Weight Loss taught me how to make healthier food choices, including more fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish, along with high fiber foods like beans and whole grains. I also learned how to not deprive myself without feeling guilty or ashamed. Exercise also became a key part of my life along with healthier eating habits. It was very difficult for me at first but became easier with every pound that I lost.

I couldn't have done it without the guidance, knowledge and encouraging words I received from the Physicians' Choice for Weight Loss staff. I am still a work in progress but I know this time I will reach my goals and see my dreams come true. I plan to live my life as the healthiest and happiest person...living each day to the fullest!

The Last Dance

2008-07-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Disco is Dead?! Not only had disco been fun...it was also great exercise. That era was over now. Was this the beginning of me starting to pile on the pounds? I had enrolled in nursing school around this time and was putting in some long hours...35 hours per week for the nursing program and 30 hours of week working to support myself. I found I needed more time to study and found it hard to juggle work, school and social life. I was stressed to the max.! On top of all of this my biological mother was ill, she had emphysema. She came to stay with me for an extended visit. This was a very stressful time in my life and I had to go back to working full time and dropped out of nursing school.

This was not what I wanted, and I felt like a failure by not achieving my dream of being a nurse.
Have you ever felt like a failure because you were not able to achieve one of your dreams? Was it a factor in causing you to gain weight? I think it was for me. Remember to always live life...don't just exist. Stayed tuned to the next chronicle. Your friend, Nicki.

Living in South Florida

2008-06-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

We moved from Michigan to Hollywood, Florida in 1960 when I was 9 years old. We lived in an apartment on the beach while our house was being built. It was a wonderful time, as I learned to swim in the ocean and later spent a lot of time swimming in our pool after we moved into our home. My dad later got a boat and I learned to water ski! We were always in the water, either at the beach, in our pool, or skiing across the blue waters of the Atlantic...life was great! I got a lot of exercise during these early years and I was able to keep my weight under control.

As life progressed the 1970's brought me into my 20's, and the "Disco Era" was soon to start. This was my heyday... a time when I loved to go to the clubs. I was very independent and had my own apartment by this time and I my friends and I would meet at one of our places before going out. We always dressed to the hilt. We would pick just the right outfit, fix our hair to match the latest style, and put on our makeup. We often drank a bottle of Southern Comfort before we left around 11 pm...the clubs stayed open til 6 am!! We were usually the last to leave the clubs and would go out for breakfast before going home. Thank God this was only a weekend thing! I had a few serious relationships, but really no special man...I was looking and having fun doing it. Now as the disco era started to fizzle out and I was finding myself older, things started to change. Stay tuned to find out what happens to my life next. Nicki

How Did It All Begin?

2008-05-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I ask myself...how did I get to this excessive weight? I was not heavy as a baby and was a normal weight at birth. I was also at a normal weight as a toddler. I started the first grade at 5 years of age and I remember that my mother was worried about me because I didn't eat much. She even took me to the doctor worried that I had some disorder that was causing me not to eat. The doctor told her "she's fine and she will eat when she's hungry...she won't starve".

Well I made up for those early years later in life, and then I couldn't stop eating. So what happened? What changed? What event or events contributed to my gaining weight excessively? My situation and life events may relate to your own life? Please follow me on my life journey and maybe it will help inspire you to make a commitment to change your life for improved health and happiness. I've lost 162 pounds so far through Physicians' Choice for Weight Loss. I'll talk with you later. Nicki

Chronicles of Nicki's Weight Loss

2008-05-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Nicki and I would like to tell you about my amazing journey. I’m 57 years old and was extremely obese at 347 pounds and just 5 feet tall. Everyday, life was becoming a more difficult task. I was on 3 blood pressure medications along with cholesterol medication. Joint pain racked my knees and just walking to the kitchen was a major chore. I was constantly out of breath, and after dressing for work each day I felt like I’d already worked 8 hours. I finally made a commitment to myself to lose weight and now 2 years later I’m 162 pounds lighter…without surgery…or diet pills. I am a work in progress and still have 40 pounds to go. I plan to have cosmetic surgery to remove excess “stretched” skin after I complete my weight loss goal. I achieved this life changing experience through Physicians Choice for Weight Loss out of ReQuest Physical Therapy at Gainesville Health and Fitness Center. Through this unique program I learned a healthy way of eating nutritiously balanced meals along with a progressive exercise/activity program.

Please join me in my journey…learn more about me and the obstacles I had to overcome and how I started to live life instead of just existing.