Folks, I was looking around the hard drive today, trying to find my daughter's wedding pictures, when I ran across a picture of me that was taken in August 2006. I remember the day it was taken, because I was psyching myself up at that time to start McDougall, and I asked a co-worker to take my picture. I told her it was my "before" picture. I weighed 282 pounds.
This morning I weighed 140.
The effect this has had on me is profound. What a sad, sick-looking thing I was, trying to smile a little. My face was so swollen, my eyes were little black spots. My arms were....well....out to the sides of my body - way out because I was so big.
I called my husband, "Honey, come here, I want to show you something." He's so good. When he saw it, he just said, "My baby," and patted me on the shoulder. I have the kind of husband who doesn't care what I look like; he only wants me to be healthy. He's never said a word about my weight. He just loves me no matter what. And this acceptance has given me the freedom to do as I please - a two-edged sword to be sure.
I'm at work right now and I'll be speaking to 200 people in less than an hour (something that made me sick with fear before), so I have to pull myself together and dry up those internal tears for the out-of-control, bingeing, sad woman that is no more.
Folks, do it for yourself, do it for those who love you, or even to spite those who hate you - but just do it. Life is waiting to be lived.
And it's so worth it. No food should ever control our lives to the point of experiencing even one second of unhappiness.
Nettie
