A recent (and sudden) loss of weight made me decide to begin documenting the changes. It all began in early March
when I went to the doctor's for an infection. He put me on an antibiotic and, as they routinely do at each appointment, I
had to get weighed. I was not dieting and I was not exercising, but was hoping to begin soon. I gained nearly 60 pounds when
I was pregnant with my youngest son 3 years before and had only lost about 20 of those pounds since 2001. When I weighed myself
that afternoon at the doctor's, I weighed pretty much what I had weighed for the past few months and it wasn't a weight I
was happy with.
At that appointment, the doctor also prescribed Prozac for some depression that had resurfaced recently. I've taken Prozac
before and one common side effect I've experienced with that drug is rapid weight loss (some people actually gain weight on
the drug). I was shocked when I went back for a follow up a week later and discovered that I had lost 10 pounds.
Ten pounds in one week, weighing myself on the same office scale! For now, they're assuming it's just the Prozac.
The combination of the antidepressant along with a fairly recent return to medication for my Parkinson's has me
feeling better than I have in a long time. As a result, I am more mobile, I have more energy and I feel more rested. Add to
that a quick loss of ten pounds and I suddenly felt like I could begin an exercise program. It's been easily 4 years since
I last did any routine exercising.
In the second week of March, I began doing Winsor Pilates 20-60 minutes every day. In addition to the Pilate videos,
I also purchased a cheap non-electric treadmill from Kmart and began walking on that for 15-20 minutes a day. Although I hadn't
been doing ANY dieting whatsoever when I lost that first 10 pounds during that first week of March, I decided to begin watching
what I ate so I could help keep those pounds off! I eliminated as much sugar as possible from my diet and avoided bread.
I tried to eat more vegetables and drink a lot more water. I switched from 2% milk to Skim. No formal diet plan, like Atkins
or Weight Watchers, just trying to decrease my portions and eat healthier.
The results so far: I've officially lost 20 pounds & 2 dress-sizes in 4 weeks! I'm down almost 40 pounds
since Joey was born (but those first 20 pounds were lost gradually over the past 3 years). My goal: to lose 20 more by continuing
with the daily exercise and healthier diet, both of which are also good for my Parkinson's.
