Making the Decision

About 3 months ago my family physician approached me about a relatively new weight loss program that had shown great results. I believe his opening question was, "How would you like to lose 50 pounds?" He explained a little bit about the program, which I later learned was Somae Health (http://somaehealth.com), but I was skeptical. This doctor and I have had a strained relationship in the past, but he has always been a straight shooter. I put the idea on the back burner.

I actually started the summer at 285 pounds, my all-time high, but after a "mystery illness" and a herniated disk in my neck which was affecting the strength in my arms, I had determined to get some of the weight off. Also during the intervening three months, my two young children have become much more mobile and outgoing. Keeping up with them would be hard enough without the extra weight I'm carrying around, but at 270+ pounds, it was near impossible.

I have been fortunate to have not developed diabetes or high blood pressure, but at 35 years old, I realize that it's only a matter of time. While I haven't developed these more serious conditions, I do recognize that I have not felt "right" in more than 10 years since shortly after I broke the 200-pound mark in college. Depression, sleep apnea, fatty infiltration of the liver and many minor illnesses have plagued me since that time...and have increased as in proportion to the weight gain.

One night, sitting on the deck of my home, I came to the realization that this had to change--for my kids, for my wife, and for me.

I revisited the idea of a wholesale lifestyle change. Easier said than done, but my wife and I spoke at some length about what I would need to do and what I would need from her (i.e., support). I learned more about Somae Health and their plan, read research articles about similar diet plans, and found testimonials from current plan followers on websites other than Somae's official website. What really sold me, however, was walking into my doctor's office and seeing that he had lost nearly 35 pounds in just over 8 weeks by going on the Somae Health plan himself.

So this afternoon, I made the call and enrolled in the program. Materials will arrive in the next few days, and I am aiming to start the plan on Saturday, September 18, 2010 (trying to time the schedule based on some of the steps further down the line).

This blog will be an outlet to share my Somae story, an opportunity to have others help me remain accountable, and hopefully, to document my path to a healthier life.