9 1/2 Months, Super Proud Husband!

In February of this year, as I was embarking on some changes to my workouts to make better progress on losing body fat and dropping some weight, Katy made a decision to improve her health as well.  She had been going to the gym I was, but was determined to find a better way to get in shape.

Over the months I have called it a diet, or the Medifast plan, but she continually states it's not a diet or a plan, but learning to be healthy and a lifestyle change. Sure enough, going on Medifast through the Take Shape for Life program as she has carries with it a heavy dose of book learning.  :) Through the past 9 1/2 months, we've both learned quite a bit about nutrition, about how our bodies react to certain foods and how to be healthier moving forward.

Though I don't yet have before and after pics to post of my own, I wanted to share Katy's initial before and after pics because for one, losing 100 pounds is just MASSIVELY impressive and two, I'm INSANELY proud of her!  I mean look at her!  :)  Here is where I let you know she's not entirely happy with her clothing choice in today's picture, because the pants aren't fitting as well as they should (she keeps shrinking out of clothes), but she wanted to find similar clothing styles to match up with the initial pic taken on 2/15 of this year.

Now, in this time, we've both seen a decrease in some of the meds we were on as a result of weight loss and being healthier. Neither of us are on blood pressure meds (I was on two), and I'm off one of the two cholesterol meds I was on.  For the first time in four or five years, my fasting blood glucose is in the normal range and Katy's lab numbers are great as well.

Katy would be happy to talk about how she got this far, but I can say this with certainty, that for most of us, being healthy isn't automatic; we have to work at it.  She has incredible resolve, and she hasn't deviated even once from the meal plan she has been on.  In the process I've learned to cook a lot of new, very fun dishes using some veggies I hadn't ever even tried before and found the best soy crumbles, I think, anywhere (Lightlife). I am now a firm believer in the awesomeness that is spaghetti squash and can make a mean cauliflower crust pizza as well.  As someone who loves to cook, it's been a real joy to learn new recipes and find different ways of cooking healthier.

What I can't state strongly enough is just how amazingly proud I am of Katy. Her resolve is so much stronger than mine. While I lift three days a week and do aerobic activity at least five, I don't watch my diet nearly as close as she does (hence dropping just 8% body fat so far to her 16% and 16 pounds in the same time she has dropped 100). I am so in awe of her mental fortitude, but I always knew she was pretty incredible and one of the things that really attracted me to her originally 10 1/2 years ago was her mind.  

I hope that perhaps while you celebrate Katy's success with me that you are also encouraged to pay a little more attention to your own health.  I mean, all those who love you would really like to have you around a lot longer, I am sure.  :)  Maybe you don't need to take drastic changes, or maybe you would if you did, but just remember one thing if nothing else.  Life is a marathon, not a sprint, so unless your doc is telling you something has to be done fast and now, you should do things without feeling pressure. Having said that, nothing worth getting comes easy and it will require a little bit of effort.  God didn't make any of us to be lazy in any aspect of life.  But if you focus on being happy while being healthy, you'll naturally end up where you want to be, when you should be there. Don't sweat the small stuff.  :)