Enjoy your Broccoli

#MyJourney

 I know I'm already over 100 pounds lost from the heaviest I ever was (*cough cough 376lbs), but I really didn't start my journey until 8 months ago, August 2017, at 362lbs, when one day my lower left leg started tingling and I lost about 80% of the strength in the same leg. After going to the Doctor and having X-rays and MRI, in mid-August, I found out I have 4 bulging discs in my lower back, a pinched nerve, mild spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Automatically I was a surgical candidate, but my doctor told me No way he was going to do surgery on me being that big. Pretty much told me, "You're too fat and if you want to fix this, lose the weight" and talked about all the risk. He told me to eat vegetables and meat only. Then walked away. And right before he walked out of the room he turned around, shook my hand, and said "Enjoy your Broccoli". The way he said it though was with the "I'm never going to see this guy again attitude". He never gave me a target weight so I had no idea what I had to do. I could have gone to another doctor for a second opinion but why when all the risks he told me about make total sense because of my weight. Plus I did a lot of research on him and had multiple people vouch for him. Having 4 kids, a wife, and a decent career I knew I had to change my lifestyle. From that day on, I cut out all the Beer, Crappy Carbs, and Sugars (so I thought, I was still, at that time, eating beans and fruit). I continued to see him monthly as we worked on pain management with physical therapy and a couple of spinal epidural injections. It wasn't until the beginning of December (weighing 320bs) in which I discovered KETO. Right away I went to Google & YouTube and came across Dr. Berg. I watched tons of videos and was hooked. And with lots of my own research, figured out a plan that worked for me. I started the new year at 302lbs. Continued seeing my back doctor (beginning Jan, mid Feb) and kept getting the same answer, "Keep losing weight", and still never got a goal weight. (Side note, during this time, I was also seeing my primary who is extremely pleased with my results. I lowered my A1C from pre-diabetic 5.9 to now normal 4.7, lowered cholesterol, raised testosterone, and he had no problems with me doing KETO). So I seen my back doctor this past Tuesday the 27th, which was also my 35th birthday, I weighed in at 266lbs. He walked over to me, shook my hand and hugged me. He told me most people he tells to lose weight don't do it and he never sees them again. Then he told me I'm gonna make him teary eyed. (Which was weird and rewarding at the same time). We talked about more details about the surgery I already knew I needed. Then right before he left he told me. "Get to about 220 and we'll schedule your surgery." Greatest Birthday gift Ever! So Wednesday I started One Meal A Day to hopefully speed up my weight loss and put this surgery behind me.