The Straw

It finally happened....the straw that broke the camel's (heifer's??) back. When dragging myself in for that yearly extravaganza known as the "well woman exam" (considering my last "extravaganza" occurred about 15 or so years ago - whoops) they had me hoist my carcass on the scale...and it tipped 200. Time to jump in front of a Greyhound bus. I have to lose this weight. For cryin' out loud - I thought I was fat when I was 107 pounds in high school - I have reached maximum density! There's 2 of me! Granted that I am now twice the age I was in high school - I don't need to be twice the size!!

I am determined to work on shedding the extra me. This blog will be outlet for me to vent my chubby frustrations and to catalog my journey of loss. I figure the journey will be filled with highs, lows, bumps and rocky roads. Oh yes....did I mention venting? Hooray - fat AND crabby.

As to what prompted the initial doctor visit (the one before the poke-n-prod party)? Chronic fatigue - that I have been battling for a few years now. I've even seen an endocrinologist to further explore the possibility of thyroid issues. All for naught. Although I keep getting told that I could be depressed. Well yes....because I'm tired all the time and can't get anything done! That depresses me! I am hampered enough by ADD - so when I do have energy to accomplish something...it's done in such a scattered way! The various doctor visits always resulted in being drained of what seemed like gallons of blood, once they were able to snag a vein. My veins are as afraid of needles as I am - and tend to collapse once they have been found. I haven't collapsed yet - but close. I have cracked a chair arm though. One doctor (a year or so ago) had the nerve to tell me that according to my bloodwork, I was a perfectly healthy 40-something woman! I don't think so!! "Perfectly healthy" does not manifest as being over 70 pounds overweight and constantly on the verge of napping!!

Well...here are the initial recommendations from the doctor (actually, I guess she's not a doctor...yet - I have never seen the doctor who owns this office...only interns (?) or RNs):

(1) B Complex Vitamin - to try and help with the energy. This is the first time this has even been suggested to try and help with fatigue - so she gets bonus points from me for this one.

(2) Multi-Vitamin daily - I ended up choosing the generic of the One-a-Day Weight formula

(3) Calcium Supplement - her recommendation was Viactiv. But it's all sugar! Having attempted Atkins before, I didn't want to purposefully add an unneeded daily sugar source. So I made sure the multi-vitamin had the minimum dosage of calcium she recommended (actually, it exceeds it).

(4) Acidophilus - to help with the, ahem, yeast growth that's just below where my belly hangs. Yay - there's a fungus among-us :( She also gave me some Nystatin cream for that. My belly is my "boobie-do" - we've all heard that phrase pertaining to beer-bellied fellas having "dickey-do's" as in their belly sticks out more than their dickey-do. Well....I've never been gifted with an upper mountain range - and now my belly seems more prominent. We're going to work on this!

(5) DHEA - not a doctor recommendation but my own.

Now....handling these pills will certainly be my first obstacle. IF I can remember to take them (I am sorely lacking in short-term memory skills), I detest taking pills! I did get the Acidophilus in chewables though. The multi-vitamin could choke a horse in my eyes! I've never figured out my aversion to pill swallowing - but I will overcome!