The Week in Review

Earlier this week, I had a pivotal 24 hour day.

As I had mentioned previously, I had an appointment to see the bariatric surgeon in Cork City about the gastric bypass surgery. In a chat with his receptionist Monday morning about one thing, I learned that my 'private' health insurance doesn't cover the 17k surgery. Let me clarify, it does but the plan I'm on does not. So after 2 months of mentally psyching myself up, it won't be done. At least not anytime soon. I could switch to one of the other plans but then I'd have to wait the 2 years for a 'pre existing' condition. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. I was well aware of the risks with the surgery, namely death and complications as well as gaining all the weight back however I had felt that I had reached the breaking point.


By Monday evening however, I had a different slant on things. I felt that there was a reason for this- that it was not going to happen. I was still disappointed but I had come to accept it.


Continuing on this arc of all things happen for a reason, Tuesday morning I received an email from my good friend, Barb Z. to check out That's Fit website and the testimonial of Larissa and how well she did on Gwen Shamblin's Weigh Down diet, a faith based diet.


The funny thing is, I had been on this diet back in the late 1980's or early 90's. Within the last year I wanted to try it again but I couldn't think of the name of the diet or the woman who wrote it. I had liked the premise of it. Basically, exchange your relationship with food for a relationship with God. It teaches you to listen to your body and cut your portions and always eat the best parts first. I always eat the parts I don't like first and save the best parts for last. Also you could eat what you want. I do remember that I lost 8 pounds the first week ( and at that point, I had only weighed 190 lbs, oy vey!) But she distinctly said to wait until you are truly, truly stomach growling hungry and at the beginning this might take 24-48 hours. It took me 24 hours at the time. Probably take me about a week now.


I like the old saying that I'm a spiritual being having a human experience and not a human being having a spiritual experience. So, I had no problems with some of her premises. I agree with her premise that God wants us to be happy and that all this food was created for us to enjoy but in moderation. I agree that we should be turning to God instead of food in times of trouble. My only discomfort with the book was the Southern Belt bible thumping Praise Jesus stuff. I'm whole heartedly for a better relationship with God or the Christ consciousness or whatever you want to call it but I don't want it in an in your face way.


I looked it up on Amazon and I had planned on ordering it but I can only get it from the Amazon- US site- so the book only costs $10 but they'll charge about $50 to ship and handle it (as my dad always says, 'Don't handle it so much, just ship it!') Anyways, I looked on my bookshelf for something similar and found that I have acquired 9 books on dieting alone since I've moved to Ireland 4 years ago. I went back to Paul McKenna's I Can Make You Thin which I had bought 18 months ago and really liked. Similar premise except no God part. And a CD comes with it.


So this week has been an eye opener for me, proving once again, that sometimes, the answer was right there all along.


Anyways, yesterday was the 26th and here are my stats:

23.3 stone

326 pounds

148.2 kg

It's embarassing to be writing a blog about losing weight and then end up gaining. I'm determined to apply the principles in Paul McKenna's book. That will be the next post. Watch for it here.

Also, note the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator on the left of the blog. See what your BMI is- for free and privately, of course.

Forget about dieting. Forever. Diets are essentially training course in how to get fat and feel like a failure.



Paul McKenna