As a final step in the official Somae Plan, I had the assignment of writing an essay about my experience. I would have loved to just copy-and-paste this entire blog, but I tried to sum it up. Here it is. (P.S. If you've been reading this blog or are new to it, please take 30 seconds to cast your vote for my weight loss story in the Somae Challenge, including the possibility of me receiving $10,000. Go to http://tinyurl.com/somaevote. One vote per computer.)I’m a 35-year old husband and father of two young boys—not the typical bio of most of the other Somae clients whose stories are posted here. I had not yet developed many of the full-blown ailments and conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, but I was well on my way.
I began my senior year in high school at about 155 pounds. By graduation I had gone up to nearly 190 pounds. Over the next 17 years I had continually added weight like the rings on a tree trunk. There were good years and bad years, one diet after another to try and keep it in check, but the sum total over 18 years was a net increase of 130 pounds.
Over the years I have been diagnosed with a fatty liver, elevated liver enzymes, herniated discs in both my lower back and neck which had led to muscle weakness in my arms and legs, depression and anxiety disorder, severe sleep apnea. Surprisingly, none of that was enough to convince me that I needed to make some real and permanent changes.
In May of 2010 I reached my all time high of 285 pounds. Shortly thereafter, the herniated disc in my neck became so bad that I was no longer able to lift my 1-year-old son without pain and weakness. I couldn’t throw a ball in the yard with my 4-year-old son or chase after him on his bike without losing my breath.
After 12 weeks, I have lost 45 pounds and feel better than I have in years. In fact, a friend recently asked me how it feels to have lost so much weight. The only response I could muster was, “It’s like I’ve given birth to a 4-year-old without any of the pain.”
The weight loss has been amazing, and I’m committed to losing more. But more importantly, I have learned to not just BE happy but to LIVE happy. Between the whole foods diet and targeted exercise, I have more energy, increased mental focus and, in general, a happier life. The top item on my Christmas wishlist is a full repair of the bicycle I’ve had hanging in storage for nearly 8 years so that I no longer have to chase after my 4-year-old, but I will now be able to ride right along side of him. I’m also in training for our region’s biggest 5K race in May 2011 with a goal of 40 minutes, which, coincidentally, is how long it took me to walk 1 mile on my first day of the Somae Plan in September.
I have also been excited to share my story with others. Not only have I tried to tell every one of my co-workers, colleagues, friends and relatives, but I have maintained the “My Somae Life” blog at http://mysomaelife.blogspot.com since shortly before I started on my Somae journey. With almost 2000 hits from 30 states and 15 foreign countries, my level of accountability has been very high and my ups-and-downs have been very public. Sharing this journey with my immediate family has also been very rewarding. While my two young children haven’t completely adopted a whole foods lifestyle, they are much more likely to ask for an apple or orange at snack time than they had been.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my Personal Somae Mentor, Lisa, and my personal physician, Dr. Paul Rupp, who has also been featured in the Somae Healthy Bites email. Their tremendous support has been critical through this process. Lisa was available for both quick questions and more lengthy consultations, including in the midst of an “apple day” crisis or when I was ready to jump off my “weight plateau”. Dr. Rupp was quite insistent that I consider the Somae option, and his positive example is what ultimately convinced me to proceed. The mentoring process and physician support have been essential to maintaining my sanity and motivation through this process. My eternal gratitude goes to both of them.
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