Never ask a woman about her weight...

Hello, my name is Joanna. I'm 25 years old and have had the unfortunate pleasure of being moo-ed at as a child and teenager. Thank goodness adults have moved beyond moo-ing at overweight people and have advanced themselves to visual body checks before delivering looks of distaste while we innocently pass through ice-cream sections at grocery stores simply on our way to get eggs and plain yogurt.

If you've ever "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" and understand what it's like to be on the ample side of things, please join me on my new journey of discovery. I theorize that through this journey I will finally discover what is really ailing my body while at the same time improving my health, image, outlook and so much more.

And now, some background information:

I work for a local non-profit agency writing treatment plans for mentally ill adults and had an interesting experience about 2 weeks ago. I was battling a cold and sneezed while nearing the end of a meeting with a client and he asked, "Want to know what to do about that?" I chuckled and answered, "Sure", thinking he was going to tell me something along the lines of needing to drink orange juice and sleep longer.

Well, he didn't.

This client looked at me and said, "You need to eat more vegetables and exercise. It will help you lose weight".

I picked my jaw up off the floor and, with the help of a clinician who was in the meeting with me, used this as light-hearted teaching opportunity. We talked to the client about social mores of interacting with women such as NEVER ASK A WOMAN ABOUT HER WEIGHT. Of a sound mind or not, most men have yet to understand or apply this.

What this client didn't know is that I am working on exactly what he was talking about... minus eating more vegetables. Yes, let me explain.

In December 2009 something I deem rather evil attacked my digestive system, prompted a friend to drag me to the emergency room, and I haven't been the same since. I've been tested for many things, and re-tested for half of them. One minute the gallbladder was ruled out, the next minute it was decided I had Biliary Diverticulitis and it was taken out. I've been poked, prodded, pushed... I've peed in cups, crapped in containers, been tested, tried and I'm tired. After a full recovery from the gallbladder removal (which helped the pain but did nothing for other symptoms), about 2 weeks ago my gastroenterologist gave me a "Joanna-shouldn't-eat-this" list to follow, hoping to settle my system down and give me a break from more testing for a while (Crohns is a suspect if that gives any perspective). I really should have asked him for a sticky-note with a list of things I SHOULD eat; it would have been a lot easier.

The left side of "The List" contained all dairy and dairy-related products (which includes bread, processed meats, pasta and a handful of unpronounceable ingredients to look for in packaged products). The right side of "The List" listed a huge number of fruits and vegetables as well as beans, legumes and garlic. My gastroenterologist added that if anything not on the list caused *ahem* issues, to avoid those too.

This boiled my diet down to rice and lean meat.

Now you understand why I'm not working on eating more vegetables. I haven't been able to enjoy vegetables for about 6 months; oh what I would do for a green salad.

These last 6 months have not only delivered multiple levels of pain and frustration... I dare say that I've grown rather depressed. Not that I'm a social butterfly, but I socialize less. I don't get excited about much, I prefer to be at work or home rather than out and about with friends... and I think I may be forgetting how to smile. I can barely drive to work and back without storming into a gas station bathroom with an "I have to go NOW" emergency let alone go on a road trips like I always love to do in the summers.

A few weeks ago, feeling like hope was going down the toilet... I made a choice that will change my life.

Goodbye rice! Goodbye lean meat! I've taken a trip to Alaska Premier Health and am starting a medically supervised diet utilizing the OPTIFAST plan.

I've spoken with my gastroenterologist about this and he is supportive. It will allow my system to get a break while I also drop some weight, which is always beneficial to other health concerns. During the time of the diet where healthy foods are reintroduced, I will be working closely with my gastroenterologist to monitor what does and does not irritate my system so we can hopefully find more answers.

I began the program on Thursday June 24th. I will post again after my weigh-in next week. Wish me luck!



Stay tuned for more!