[Jen]

Well I knew this day was coming and here it is. I had my yearly physical earlier this month and discussed with my doctor my weight problem and she prescribed me a medication called Meridia which is supposed to help me lose weight by giving me a little metabolism boost and cut back on food cravings. Problem is I have to get my doctor to fill out a form for the insurance company to pay for it so I haven't been able to start it yet. I didn't get my bloodwork done until this past Thursday and Friday I get a call from the doctor to say that some of my liver enzymes are elevated and since I don't drink alcohol it probably means I have a fatty liver. Not that this is a really horrible condition or terribly serious but actually it can make losing weight a lot harder. So here I am, I knew that one of these days my weight problem would start manifesting itself in other problems, just didn't know when or how. The doctor wasn't overly concerned but after I start the Meridia I have to go back for a check up after 4 weeks so she's going to want to do more bloodwork then.

Well basically I am going to let myself go over the next few days. I want to enjoy the holidays and not worry about my weight or my fatty liver. Starting the 28th I am off for a week and I am going to start really working on losing weight. This is just the beginning of a long, slow decline if I don't start doing something about it. Maybe this is the motivation I've been needing, I guess this is finally my rock bottom. Anyway just wanted to share this. I know there are so many overweight people who enjoy otherwise good health but the sad thing is that sooner or later it catches up with you and it will take its toll one way or the other.

P.S. I know that there are other reasons for having elevated liver enzymes, really only more bloodwork and other tests will determine what is going on but it seems likely that it is a fatty liver. I don't smoke or drink or do drugs and it is unlikely that I have hepatitis. Considering I am well over 100 lbs overweight fatty liver is probably a foregone conclusion!

[MistySeptember]

Jen-I am sorry to hear about your blood work results. But I think it might be good timeing, you know? We have a week left in the year and the holidays will be over. Give yourself these days and then using your new tools (medication) and new knowledge (liver problems) and you can kick it into high gear.

I was thinking the other day while I was eating a cookie...I thought to myself that myw eight will kill me and I wondered if a cookie was worth dieing over. I know it's teh whole lifestyle, but when it comes down to it every bite counts and that cookie would litterally kill me. Kind of changes ones perspective!

I am sure things will be fine for you and you'll move in the right direction soon!

[Jen]

This is how I am trying to look at it, as something positive, something that is finally going to get me off my duff and start losing weight.

I look at food that way sometimes as well, it is really worth it...like all the Xmas goodies, this is killing me in the long run. The old saying, a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips is so true. It just isn't worth it. I don't even think that it is filling some kind of emotional void, I can't even use that as an excuse, it is just mindless eating and eating from boredom. So I'm planning on cutting out practically everything with white sugar and flour and I'm not sure about dairy, from the research I've done about fatty liver it is a good idea to cut that out as well, probably I will still drink low fat milk for the calcium but I will completely cut out butter and cheese . I need to increase my fiber a lot with raw veggies and fruit. I know it sound drastic but really I've eaten this way before and I will lose weight. The problem is that I have a hard time sticking to it more than a couple of weeks. It is a drastic change from the way I eat now. When I've tried to do it one step at a time it doesn't work, I am almost better at doing it cold turkey and I just have to force myself to stick to it. It is becoming a matter of life and death. It's not an immediate thing but it is shortening my life and I don't want that, it has just become really clear with this liver thing. So I'm having my last hurrah over the next few days and then it is getting serious time!