I hated being fat. So much so, that I didn’t realize how fat I was. My brain somehow wouldn’t let me see what I really looked like. Sounds odd, I know, but I think its common.
When I was on Active Duty in the USAF, I was required to maintain a certain weight. It was just below what I weighed in college when I joined AFROTC. I had a language degree and thought maybe I could “see the world” with the military. I had to learn how to control the weight, though.
For years I read magazines, talked to friends and coworkers, gathered all the tricks (some not so healthy) and maintained, just barely, the standard. When I left the active force, I joined the AF Reserve. They have the same standards, but if they don’t see you every day sometimes it gets overlooked.
Somewhere along the way, my tricks stopped working. I cut out all fat, stopped eating meat, snacked on pretzels, not chips, ate lots of fruit, but it wasn’t working anymore. In fact, I was gaining weight like crazy. I knew I had to get it together, but I was really at a loss. Then one day, I saw my friend Sharon. She had to have been 15 pounds lighter than when I saw her last; it couldn’t have been more than a couple of months? OK, maybe three?
After complimenting her, I begged her to tell me what she’d done. When she said “acupuncture” I remembered a friend years ago in Germany who swore she quit smoking after a doctor stuck 5 needles in her ears. (I was curious, but I didn’t smoke! Missed opportunity… ) Sharon offered to take me to her next appointment at the Heavenly Bodies Clinic so I could learn more.
I was embarrassed to tell Dr. Ana that I was there because I was fat and needed help (I think she knew, though–duh). I told her my reason for coming in was that my shoulders hurt. And they did, indeed–I had knots, couldn’t turn my head, couldn’t raise my arms over my head for more than a few seconds. She agreed to help me with this pain, and after a few sessions, I decided to ask for help with my weight pain.
During the months of my weight loss program, Dr. Ana taught me how food works according to Traditional Chinese Medicine to deliver nutrition and energy to our bodies. I asked lots of questions because what I was hearing was so different from what I “knew” about healthy eating, especially for weight loss. Some of what I learned is now available to the general public since Atkins, Southbeach, and the other famous “diets” that focus on low carb dieting became so famous. But the information Dr. Ana gave me was different–it was not a “diet”, it was just “how to eat” and how to think about food for energy and as medicine.
In six months, I lost 40 pounds. Tiffany’s Meridian Exercise changed the shape of my body so much I went from a size 14 to a size 6. SIZE 6! Normally, “they” say you drop a size as you drop 10 pounds. As I was getting used to my new “heavenly” body, my sister sent me some photos from the past Christmas–7 months earlier–that she had just downloaded from her camera (she had a one-year old). I called her and we both laughed (while I held back the tears). We were amazed at how different I looked! Neither of us saw it back then, but I was truly shocked. And excited, and happy, and grateful.
Whether you have lots or not so much to lose, talk to Dr. Ana if you’d like more information. And to make some changes. You’ll love the new you.
