Shared Medical Appointment #1

Today was the first shared medical appointment in my new weight loss program. This is a medically supervised weight loss program and we meet in groups every couple of weeks. I think there are about 15-20 people in my class, but I didn't count.

I love the concept of a shared medical appointment for those with chronic conditions-- in this case being obesity and obesity related conditions. Thinking about it as a shared doctor's appointment made me realize that I am learning so much more this way as opposed to just a one-on-one visit with the doctor.

Chances are, when someone has a questions there are others that have the same question-- even if they haven't thought of it yet, which is what I do at doctor's appointments! I always think of questions to ask once I've left the office.

We each still had a one-on-one visit with the doctor. I had just seen him a couple of days ago, so mine was pretty short! However, following the nutritionist's advice at my first appointment has led to a couple of pounds lost already and I've only completed one (now almost two) days. The official "diet" actually begins tomorrow-- so I guess I'll call that extra credit that I started a little early! I figured why not get started NOW rather than wait.

A large portion of the meeting was with the nutritionist. He cooked two different healthy entrees and we each had a sample. While cooking, he taught us proper ways to cut veggies, told us nutritional information and also answered questions.

I learned a lot and the food was delicious and colorful! I really need to go get a full load of groceries so that I can have success. I even ate peppers, which I'm not a huge fan of. I'm going to try to force myself to learn to like them. I don't hate them, but they're not my favorite veggie. Peas, on the other hand, I will not force myself to try to like. That's just not possible. I hate them.

I think a huge part of being able to maintain with something like this is taking the time to cook delicious food. I love grilled food so I want to start grilling more or even find my George Forman grill to make it more convenient for me.

I've been very hungry today but haven't had a lot of time to eat either. The doctor told me that after 2-3 days I won't be so hungry. I love how they understand that it's impossible to stick to a diet if you're hungry all the time-- and it certainly isn't maintainable to be hungry all of the time! This is why fat is so important in a diet, contrary to popular belief.

I'm not going to lie-- I made a batch of brownies the night before I knew I was going to begin. I enjoyed brownies and ice cream (my favorite dessert) as my farewell to obesity and promptly packed up the brownies and gave them to a friend the next day! I'm glad I did because it's so easy to mindlessly eat when I'm stressed out or tired. I paid for those brownies though-- let me tell you! I had horrible heartburn that night and the next day.

The last couple of days I've had a huge improvement in my eating. I feel better, less bloated, and have a better outlook overall. I cannot hide my anxiety like I usually can though! They take my blood pressure each visit! It was sky high again today-- my body tends to think I'm in danger a lot, apparently. I'll be tracking it at home to get a better idea of what my blood pressure has really been like.

The next two weeks are very important. The doctor described them as like building the foundation. If you build a house with a foundation that is all messed up, then nothing else will work right either-- the windows will be out of whack, the walls not plumb, the floors crooked, etc. I'm going to give it my all at 100%.

One thing about this is that I am 100% convinced because not only are we given instruction, but we were given a book about the science behind it. It makes sense, it coincides with my own experience with obesity, food, and with my failed experiences with mainstream diets.

Anyone can have success if they starve themself with a calorie deficit, but is it maintainable in the long run? For myself, absolutely not. I've lost weight numerous times and I've never been able to keep that weight off for good. This is the same experience of most of the people I know.

So yeah, I'm excited about this! At the same time, I'm still jaded and afraid that nothing will ever work for me. I'm betting that the proof is in the carb-free pudding and I'll have more confidence the longer I'm experiencing the program.