Over 10 Pounds Gone – And Still Counting Down

(If you must have politics, please keep scrolling. Don't miss Sam's post below!)

A friend of mine lost over 40 pounds on the Ideal Protein Diet.

On May 5, I decided to give this diet regimen a try. I'm glad that I did! In less than a month, I'm not ashamed to wear a swim suit.

All the hype about this diet is true – for me, anyway.

I've always been very muscular as I grew up on a farmette and, when I moved to real suburbia after getting married, continued a high level of physical activity by working out on a regular basis. That strenuous exercise regimen abruptly ended on May 17, 2005. At that time, I sustained a permanent back injury when I was involved in a car accident in which an illegal immigrant rear-ended me at a four-way stop sign.

Let me tell you this: when your back is injured, ANY exercise is painful and can well be harmful. [See THIS RECENT INFORMATION about exercise over at Right Truth. Hmmmmm....]

In addition to the lack of the exercise, my having to take Lyrica for the pain and inflammation contributed to significant weight gain. I knew that the "miracle drug" Lyrica would pack on the pounds (some 35 of them), but had only two choices: take the Lyrica and gain weight, or be consigned to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. And the issues weren't only pain and inflammation. Even worse, my left leg wasn't getting the proper neurological signal; as a result, I was dragging my leg and actually came close to using all use of my left leg. So, I opted for taking Lyrica, which stopped the pain and allowed me to exercise me just enough to keep from losing significant muscle mass.

I ignored the weight gain as best I could and dealt with Lyrica's troublesome pscyhotropic side effects, one of which was "losing" two years of my life. Frankly, I remember little that occurred in those two years. Strange!

After a few years, I had to stop taking Lyrica because I developed one of the serious side effects: uveitis, a serious impairment of vision. The doctor caught the uveitis in time to save my vision. But I had to stop taking Lyrica as the vision problems and the psychotropic problems continued to exacerbate.

I came off the Lyrica by gradually reducing the dosage.  But, no matter what I did, some of the pounds caused by Lyrica did NOT come off.  Furthermore, my body was ramped up on stress, too, primarily because of Mr. AOW's situation as of September 15, 2009.  Stress itself causes weight gain and prevents weight loss.

When, for the first time in my life, my December blood work showed an increased cholesterol level (213), the family doctor advised that I "lose a few pounds." Easier said than done! I did lose some pounds between January and May, but too many pounds remained around my middle and were putting a painful and debilitating strain on my lower back, the latter my primary reason for trying the diet.

The Ideal Protein Diet specifically addresses the weight-around-the-middle issue.  Within two weeks, I could get into slacks that wouldn't fasten back in February.  In less than three weeks, my waistline dropped two inches!  And my back pain eased off, too – to the point that I have able to reduce my daily dosage of Neurontin.

Now, I won't lie to you. The first week of the diet was AGONY! My stomach felt empty, of course, but I managed that issue via mind over matter. Worse, I had severe headaches and nausea the first few days – some of the headaches and nausea due to caffeine withdrawal, I'm sure; one can have all one wants of black coffee, but I don't like black coffee. By the second week, however, my body acclimated to one cup of "doctored up" coffee in the morning, and I felt the best that I have felt in YEARS.  I continue to feel that way and have more energy that I've had since before the car accident.

Short video about the Ideal Protein Diet:


A more-detailed video is HERE.

The Ideal Protein foods are delicious and satisfy any possible craving that anyone could have. Even Mr. AOW loves their food, primarily because it doesn't taste like diet food; for example, for breakfast this morning, I had a lemon-poppy seed bar with my coffee, and Mr. AOW will have strawberry wafers.  Via my food coach at Ideal Protein, I also discovered Walden Farms, a company that makes calorie-free dressings and sauces – and even pancake syrup.

The Ideal Protein Diet may not be for everyone, but it is the answer for me. For the first time in years, I truly am in control of my weight! I can move freely, wear the clothes that I like, and – GASP! – cross my legs in comfort.  And my energy levels are high.  Best of all, my back doesn't hurt now.  I'm ready to start exercising again.

Note: Technically, I am not overweight, and my Body Mass Index is within normal range; nor was I overweight when I began the diet on May 5.  But I felt uncomfortable.  I don't feel that way now!