The LuLac Edition #4,326, June 15th, 2020

13 QUESTIONS SUPPLEMENTAL

 

QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED AND ANSWERED ON WEIGHT

I am posting this not for a pat on the back, my ego, praise or certainly to jinx myself. Since February I have been asked some serious health and image questions I’d like to address for my LuLac reders and  friends. I chose this date because it was one year ago yesterday that I began a personal weight loss journey. My decision was based on becoming more mobile and fit for my job. My weight was 252 pounds. On Flag Day, I decided to give it a shot. My goal was to get to 200. In previous weight attempts, I never met that goal.
In October of ‘19, right around 202 lbs, I hit a plateau. For three weeks, no change. But then in the fourth week, I was at 197. So I thought, let’s get down to 185 which was the weight of my best friend from college. We were always competitive and for me to be just an ounce lighter than he would be just plain outrageous. (Needless to say he busted me about my weight for years!)
When I got there, I realized my eating habits had changed and just kept on going until I hit an 85 pound loss. I’ve been at 169 now for two months steady, and went down 7 jacket sizes, 7 shirt sizes and 6 trouser sizes. On my way down, I have run into a significant number people who asked me a series of questions that I’d like to clear up. For those of you who are regular readers of The LuLac Political Letter, I put it in the “13 Questions” format which is one of our most popular and well posted segments Here they are:

1. Are you sick, did the cancer come back?

Thankfully and with God’s good grace, no. I am 12 years cancer free thanks to Drs. Grasso, Fried, (now retired) Pernikoff and Greenwald.

2. Did you have bariatric surgery?

No. I have friends that did and know others who took that route. But having major abdominal surgery a dozen years ago, knowing what was involved in that, no one was going to be messing around with my innards if it wasn’t necessary.

3. Were you on Noom, Weight Watchers, Nutri system?

No. I just reduced calories and tried to keep it within 2500 a day. On days I went over, I cut back the next day.

4. Do you drink?

No alcohol just Hint and Nestle brand waters, Diet Coke Diet Snapple, V8 Sodium Free Once a week I’d have an 8 ounce can of Coke.

5. What foods did you give up?

For the first four months bagels, candy, ice cream and pizza. Working two Farmer’s Markets in the summer of ’19 was challenging but a supply of fruits, veggies and Luna bars became a habit.

6. So this was a low carb diet, huh?

No. I ate grains as well as a lot of fruits, some high in carbs.

7. Did you exercise?

No. Only if you count lugging stuff at work. Currently I am doing a program now at home.

8. Did you throw out your old clothes?

Yes. The old ones well as some transition ones when my goal was 200. There were 12 garbage bags dispersed to my church and Thrift stores.

9. Did it improve your mobility?

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that my endurance level is way better than ever. No. I still have painful arthritis. But it does help even though the pain will not go away. But I’m relying less on my cane and have left it in various places at work only to realize I left it on someone’s door knob or in the hall in a corner.

10. What are your food favorites and did you deprive yourself of any?

Goldfish crackers, Pepperidge Farm cookies and Hershey candies like Take 5, Reese’s and York Peppermint Patties. I did not have any of those in the first 4 months. However I enjoy all of these “goodies” now but only in small doses. An example, before I used to eat 4 Reese’s peanut butter cups as a snack. (It’s that big pack they sell for 2 bucks) Now I eat just one cup a day. My maintenance plan is to enjoy but not overload in any way.

11. Do you fear you’ll gain it back?

Yes but I got through Thanksgiving, Christmas and the pandemic without any gain so I use that as a bench mark. Plus getting a new wardrobe was fun but not something I want to do again. Once that last bag of oversized clothes went to charity, there is no turning back.

12. Funniest things people said to you when they saw your weight loss?

Congressman Cartwright and I met up at a Labor Dinner at Genetti’s in Wilkes-Barre. It was late September. He hadn’t seen me since his annual picnic in Moosic. He shook my hand and said, “I have to go across the street to the Police Station to report a half person that’s missing. YOU!”
In January I went to a wake for a grade school’s classmate’s father. I went to the church in West Pittston and approached her to offer condolences. She said, “You are?” When I mentioned my name she said, “I know the name, I remember you but not this way.”
For years I patronized Casual Male and Tall on Kidder Street. Jackie and Nicole gave me my walking papers in November of ’19 and said “You sized out of our store. There is nothing we can sell you unless you want one of us to jump in the garment with you!”

13. After all that weight loss, do you feel pretty?

Nope! Still as funny looking as I ever was.