Battle of the Bulge
Sep. 17th, 2002 04:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tugrikOne last one before I try to crash out asleep. It's my own damn fault for napping 3 hours this afternoon anyway... :)
5+ years ago I asked my doc about getting professional help in losing weight. At the time I was a member of the utterly annoying group known as Kaiser Permamente, also known as the 'slap a band aid on 'em and throw them out the door' HMO. I got two answers: Stomach stapling or liquid diet. No advice, no pointers towards good books, no recommended diets or even recommended behavior. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I researched both options, and found the surgery option to be scary, full of side effects, and stupidly expensive. The liquid-diet plan was more promising and safer... but the cost made me do a triple-take and back away slowly. I was pretty much told after that there'd be no insurance help on either anyways... so for weight loss, I'm on my own. Feh.
Swoosh forwards to modern day. I've learned a lot on my own, and by doing very basic but long-term-permanent changes, I'm seeing progress. Slow, safe, and hopefully long-lasting progress. Each little habit I chip away at enlightens me to another piece of the puzzle. The slowness is agonizing, though -- and I do indeed worry that way too much of my life will be past before I'm skinny enough to be a true adventurer again. I want to ride, hike, hang-glide, distance swim, explore, travel, dance, date, and just plain play. With the exception of hang-gliding, I already do all these things; I just want to do them better and with more vigor. The hang-gliding bit would just be a bonus.
One of my sisters is also overweight. She's downright skinny in comparison to me; hell, I probably outweigh my whole family put together. Still, her weight interferes with her quality of life and the choices she wants to make. Always the more self-motivated one than I was, she's tried every diet in the book and then some, often times getting me involved when time/distance permitted. I watch her attempts with great interest, as when she finds something that works I tend to try and mimic it.
She decided to sign up for the OptiFast system -- a doctor managed, liquid-diet weightloss system. It's really involved -- lots of pre-screenings, constant evaluations and blood tests during the weight loss cycle, and lots of counselling and group therapy during and after the weight loss to help you maintain it. It's also pretty expensive... but it's supposedly one of the safest ways to lose weight quickly and hopefully keep the weight off. Think of it as a giant Reset Button on a life's dietary habits. You get ground down to the utter basics and forced to stay there for a while, and then are re-trained on how to eat properly and slowly brought back into the world of normal food.
The OptiFast plan is instituted by each participating doctor in slightly different ways. The one up by the sister is more 'group therapy' based, and only starts up a batch of people when there's enough to fit into a group that makes it worth their while. As a result, she's been stuck waiting for a few months now and won't be starting her plan until October sometime. The one down by me is more centralized to the physiological side of things, and will start each person individually whenever they're ready... not being as concerned to get a coherent group together. This got me to pondering for a while. Should I do such a thing? Should I spend all the money? What would it do to my life, good and bad?
I sat and thought about the money involved for a while, and came to two conclusions. For one, I make a lot more than I did back in 1996. While still expensive, the cost of the program is relatively a lot less for me than it used to be. For two, if I stop eating out because of this... the money saved will probably pay for more than half of the darn program by itself. Okay, so Money isn't the big issue here. I could rule that one out.
The next big thing was social. Being a bachelor geek, my primary socialization outside of my roomates is Going Out To Eat. With friends, with dates, you name it. "Let's go get some dinner" is the way to say 'let's hang out'. It's scary to think about -- how much of your own life's interactions are instigated by food? This one honestly worries me somewhat. If I'm living on shakes and doctor-provided power bars, there go the fun evenings BSing with pals down at Chevys or weekend dinners in Japantown. This one will have to be addressed.
The final bit was follow through. So, since I was doing all other kinds of housecleaning-of-the-life today, I got off my rump and called. I had a nice long chat with the folks at the clinic, and set up an appointment to talk with the weight-loss doc on Thursday. I found out two very important things that should help me along with the decision of if to do this or not:
During the consulation Thursday I'll be deciding if I'm going to do this, and if so... which plan to use. I'm sure I'll journal a lot more about this as time goes on. I'm actually a bit excited about this, even though it's a cash outlay that's terribly timed. I just want to see the effect it'll have on me and how my body responds to it. I'm sure my sister will be playfully annoyed if I go for it -- as it means I'd be starting up before she would, even though it was her idea. :)
I'll finish out this post with a bit more information on this liquid diet thing, in case any of my friends reading this might want to consider trying it.
Most of the info is described pretty well on the OptiFast web page. What it boils down to is replacing the wide variety of food inputs into a single, manageable type of nutrition. Visits to the doctor involving blood-analysis provide the feedback loop needed to do it right, and set the proper amount of nutrition the body needs to be healthy -- while filling up the rest of the urge to eat with harmless bulk. It takes a few weeks to adjust... but once you get a groove going with it, your body stops feeling hungry at inappropriate times and stops craving certain flavors/treats.
The big advantage here is that you get on a very even chemical balance that few overweight people have ever had in their lives. Blood sugar is no longer all over the scale. Acid problems (like I have) are easier to control. Intestinal things stop being a problem for those more succeptable to them (like constipation, etc). Things just basically run on a more even keel, and at a minimum calorie level while remaining nutritiontally safe. This puts your body into a much more optimized contition to lose weight, and the pounds shed surprisingly fast.
The first downside is pretty obvious: you drink shakes, Booor-ing. The other downsides are more problematic. The two+ week transition period is a serious mental challenge; you really have to force yourself to stick with it until your body adapts. The social issues (as I mentioned earlier) have to be dealt with. If your life is centered around food, part of that life IS going to break down. This is why they include some levels of psychological counselling with these programs. Even though the chemical rebalancing often helps fight depression, the changes in lifestyle and human interaction can far outweigh that for some people. Even the simple act of not having 'comfort foods' can be enough to seriously depress some people to a dangerous point.
Due to these challenges, there is a 2nd option: The 'two thirds" method. Instead of going cold turkey and having only shakes all the time... you have shakes for 2/3rds of your day. You then pick one meal (lunch or dinner) to have normal food. You're encouraged to keep this meal 'reasonable'. Sound familiar? Yup... this is what all the Slim Fast commercials are talking about.
Advantages: The social worries all but disappear, as you can still keep dinners with friends/family/etc. The two-week transition time isn't a big thing. The cost is less in the short term-- you buy less of the shakes, and you only need bloodwork 2/3rds as often.
Disads: You don't get the benefits of a better blood-chemical balance, since you're still throwing random foods into the mix. The weight loss is significantly slower. The cost over a long period of time is actually higher -- as it takes you so much longer to lose the weight. You also stand a lower chance of keeping the weight off at the end of the program, as you never really hit the full reset button and aren't rebuilding your dietary habits from scratch... some old habits and desires may stay with you and re-surface once you're off the shakes.
Either way, full or 2/3rds... it's a challenge. Neither is a 'magic pill' ; they take time and the willpower to follow through with. Neither is a permanent solution: you have to re-learn how to eat and rebuild proper dietary/exercise habits by the time the program comes to an end, or you'll probably bounce right back to the weight you were at before.
Still... it's better than staying fat and doing nothing about it, no? My recent weight-loss, while minor, has given me a tiny taste of how much better I can feel. I want more of that good feeling, dammit. I want to be able to be active and _enjoy_ it. So I'm going to give it a go. Full or 2/3rds? I don't know. I'll find out after the Thursday appointment.
And finally... I sleep. G'night!
5+ years ago I asked my doc about getting professional help in losing weight. At the time I was a member of the utterly annoying group known as Kaiser Permamente, also known as the 'slap a band aid on 'em and throw them out the door' HMO. I got two answers: Stomach stapling or liquid diet. No advice, no pointers towards good books, no recommended diets or even recommended behavior. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I researched both options, and found the surgery option to be scary, full of side effects, and stupidly expensive. The liquid-diet plan was more promising and safer... but the cost made me do a triple-take and back away slowly. I was pretty much told after that there'd be no insurance help on either anyways... so for weight loss, I'm on my own. Feh.
Swoosh forwards to modern day. I've learned a lot on my own, and by doing very basic but long-term-permanent changes, I'm seeing progress. Slow, safe, and hopefully long-lasting progress. Each little habit I chip away at enlightens me to another piece of the puzzle. The slowness is agonizing, though -- and I do indeed worry that way too much of my life will be past before I'm skinny enough to be a true adventurer again. I want to ride, hike, hang-glide, distance swim, explore, travel, dance, date, and just plain play. With the exception of hang-gliding, I already do all these things; I just want to do them better and with more vigor. The hang-gliding bit would just be a bonus.
One of my sisters is also overweight. She's downright skinny in comparison to me; hell, I probably outweigh my whole family put together. Still, her weight interferes with her quality of life and the choices she wants to make. Always the more self-motivated one than I was, she's tried every diet in the book and then some, often times getting me involved when time/distance permitted. I watch her attempts with great interest, as when she finds something that works I tend to try and mimic it.
She decided to sign up for the OptiFast system -- a doctor managed, liquid-diet weightloss system. It's really involved -- lots of pre-screenings, constant evaluations and blood tests during the weight loss cycle, and lots of counselling and group therapy during and after the weight loss to help you maintain it. It's also pretty expensive... but it's supposedly one of the safest ways to lose weight quickly and hopefully keep the weight off. Think of it as a giant Reset Button on a life's dietary habits. You get ground down to the utter basics and forced to stay there for a while, and then are re-trained on how to eat properly and slowly brought back into the world of normal food.
The OptiFast plan is instituted by each participating doctor in slightly different ways. The one up by the sister is more 'group therapy' based, and only starts up a batch of people when there's enough to fit into a group that makes it worth their while. As a result, she's been stuck waiting for a few months now and won't be starting her plan until October sometime. The one down by me is more centralized to the physiological side of things, and will start each person individually whenever they're ready... not being as concerned to get a coherent group together. This got me to pondering for a while. Should I do such a thing? Should I spend all the money? What would it do to my life, good and bad?
I sat and thought about the money involved for a while, and came to two conclusions. For one, I make a lot more than I did back in 1996. While still expensive, the cost of the program is relatively a lot less for me than it used to be. For two, if I stop eating out because of this... the money saved will probably pay for more than half of the darn program by itself. Okay, so Money isn't the big issue here. I could rule that one out.
The next big thing was social. Being a bachelor geek, my primary socialization outside of my roomates is Going Out To Eat. With friends, with dates, you name it. "Let's go get some dinner" is the way to say 'let's hang out'. It's scary to think about -- how much of your own life's interactions are instigated by food? This one honestly worries me somewhat. If I'm living on shakes and doctor-provided power bars, there go the fun evenings BSing with pals down at Chevys or weekend dinners in Japantown. This one will have to be addressed.
The final bit was follow through. So, since I was doing all other kinds of housecleaning-of-the-life today, I got off my rump and called. I had a nice long chat with the folks at the clinic, and set up an appointment to talk with the weight-loss doc on Thursday. I found out two very important things that should help me along with the decision of if to do this or not:
- There are two plans, not one: A 100% liquid diet plan, and a 2/3ds plan.
- Most of the start-up cost is for initial medical tests: full bloodwork, EKG, etc. I just did those today, paid for by my insurance... and the weight loss clinic will accept those! So essentially, no startup cost.
During the consulation Thursday I'll be deciding if I'm going to do this, and if so... which plan to use. I'm sure I'll journal a lot more about this as time goes on. I'm actually a bit excited about this, even though it's a cash outlay that's terribly timed. I just want to see the effect it'll have on me and how my body responds to it. I'm sure my sister will be playfully annoyed if I go for it -- as it means I'd be starting up before she would, even though it was her idea. :)
I'll finish out this post with a bit more information on this liquid diet thing, in case any of my friends reading this might want to consider trying it.
Most of the info is described pretty well on the OptiFast web page. What it boils down to is replacing the wide variety of food inputs into a single, manageable type of nutrition. Visits to the doctor involving blood-analysis provide the feedback loop needed to do it right, and set the proper amount of nutrition the body needs to be healthy -- while filling up the rest of the urge to eat with harmless bulk. It takes a few weeks to adjust... but once you get a groove going with it, your body stops feeling hungry at inappropriate times and stops craving certain flavors/treats.
The big advantage here is that you get on a very even chemical balance that few overweight people have ever had in their lives. Blood sugar is no longer all over the scale. Acid problems (like I have) are easier to control. Intestinal things stop being a problem for those more succeptable to them (like constipation, etc). Things just basically run on a more even keel, and at a minimum calorie level while remaining nutritiontally safe. This puts your body into a much more optimized contition to lose weight, and the pounds shed surprisingly fast.
The first downside is pretty obvious: you drink shakes, Booor-ing. The other downsides are more problematic. The two+ week transition period is a serious mental challenge; you really have to force yourself to stick with it until your body adapts. The social issues (as I mentioned earlier) have to be dealt with. If your life is centered around food, part of that life IS going to break down. This is why they include some levels of psychological counselling with these programs. Even though the chemical rebalancing often helps fight depression, the changes in lifestyle and human interaction can far outweigh that for some people. Even the simple act of not having 'comfort foods' can be enough to seriously depress some people to a dangerous point.
Due to these challenges, there is a 2nd option: The 'two thirds" method. Instead of going cold turkey and having only shakes all the time... you have shakes for 2/3rds of your day. You then pick one meal (lunch or dinner) to have normal food. You're encouraged to keep this meal 'reasonable'. Sound familiar? Yup... this is what all the Slim Fast commercials are talking about.
Advantages: The social worries all but disappear, as you can still keep dinners with friends/family/etc. The two-week transition time isn't a big thing. The cost is less in the short term-- you buy less of the shakes, and you only need bloodwork 2/3rds as often.
Disads: You don't get the benefits of a better blood-chemical balance, since you're still throwing random foods into the mix. The weight loss is significantly slower. The cost over a long period of time is actually higher -- as it takes you so much longer to lose the weight. You also stand a lower chance of keeping the weight off at the end of the program, as you never really hit the full reset button and aren't rebuilding your dietary habits from scratch... some old habits and desires may stay with you and re-surface once you're off the shakes.
Either way, full or 2/3rds... it's a challenge. Neither is a 'magic pill' ; they take time and the willpower to follow through with. Neither is a permanent solution: you have to re-learn how to eat and rebuild proper dietary/exercise habits by the time the program comes to an end, or you'll probably bounce right back to the weight you were at before.
Still... it's better than staying fat and doing nothing about it, no? My recent weight-loss, while minor, has given me a tiny taste of how much better I can feel. I want more of that good feeling, dammit. I want to be able to be active and _enjoy_ it. So I'm going to give it a go. Full or 2/3rds? I don't know. I'll find out after the Thursday appointment.
And finally... I sleep. G'night!
