Fatboy

Before I began Nutrisystem, I was weighed in at 280+ lbs by my primary physician's nurse. Recently, I was weighed in at 255, again by my primary physician's nurse. When I began this change of course, I could hitch my size 50 belt only to the first notch. After two food deliveries from Nutrisystem, I can now go to the very last notch. I've not kept a close eye on my weight drop but rather allowed myself to feel the differences in my life.

A quite noticeable difference is the reduction in pain in my lower back and legs. After I had spinal surgery in December 2005, I couldn't consistently keep the pain down no matter how much medication I used. Now, though the pain isn't gone and probably never will be, it's less than it's been for a very long time. And tonight I bought a size 46 belt at Macy's, a Perry Ellis on sale for $9.99. It won't be long before I fit into my old size 42 belt, and if I don't do something monumentally stupid, I could eventually fall below 200 lbs again, a weight I can carry well even though I'm not Wilt Chamberlain.

Another difference is the general increase in energy. At my age, I need all the help I can get keeping my energy up. I now find myself looking for excuses to get out and about instead of excuses to remain in my recliner. It's something like a rebirth of the senses. A contributory to this rebirth could very well be my recent titration from Prednisone, initially prescribed for me because of my lousy lungs. My pulmonary physician at the University of Minnesota recently examined the slides that were made during my lung biopsy in 2006 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and with all the other information he had gleaned through examination, decided that I didn't need steriods anymore. Good for him!

In addition to the steroids, I had done a huge amount of emotional eating after my back surgery and respiratory failure. It's not difficult to put on weight when one eats a pint of ice cream at a time, stuffs chocolate down his throat almost non-stop, avoids anything green except money, and inhales pastry like a drowning man. On top of all that, I found myself adrift in Minnesota, surrounded by blonde-headed people who talk funny. It all seemed like a good idea at the time, and most of it tasted good, too. But now, I'm on the road to another recovery, thanks to Dan Marino and all the other athletes who advertise for Nutrisystem.