Dan’s Journey Blog 5

Knowledge is power

By Dan T

As a journalist for more than 25 years, I’ve always considered myself as somewhat inquisitive.

If I don’t know the answer, I will find it out. Guessing isn’t really a good option, because in my business, we rely on facts (despite what the current state of journalism may be).

So why did I guess when it came to something as important as nutrition?

That right there is the million-dollar question.

Being involved in this program for going on my 9th week has taught me so much and led to so many revelations. And the bottom line is, as early as 10 weeks ago, I knew nothing about how to live a healthy life, how to make the right choices, how to do the right things.

And nine weeks later, I’m getting there. It’s certainly not a finished product, but at my last weigh in, I had officially shed 46 pounds off what was a very unhealthy body and a life that I’m certain was heading for some really bad things if a change wasn’t made.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m far from a finished product. Even with 46 pounds lost, I’m still well north of 300 pounds, but from where I’ve been? I’m headed in a much better direction, there isn’t any doubt of that.

Since I’ve joined this program, I’ve literally asked hundreds of questions of both Amanda and Elizabeth … there have been late-night texts, emails, phone calls, and of course, during our weekly meetings, dozens more. Because now that I’ve been empowered with the knowledge they’ve given me, I want to know more.

I want to know how many carbs are in a celery stick … why green beans are actually not all that healthy … and if there’s a kind of chewing gum I can enjoy … I want to know if my blood sugar, which was in the pre-diabetic state at the start, has improved … how many pounds of body fat I’ve lost … or why I “only” lost 4 pounds in week when I felt it should have been more.

When I think to how far I’ve come in such a short time, I am amazed.
Just 10 weeks ago, I thought drinking a certain vitamin water was actually healthy because the label said, “vitamin water.” But when I took a hard look at the label, I saw that each 12 ounce serving had 33 carbs and 33 grams of sugar … there were days when I would drink 2 or
3 of those, thinking it had to be healthy. That would be two days worth of carbs now in just liquids … when I think about the carbs I had consumed the rest of the day, it’s not hard to understand why my weight had gone out of control.

But until I gained the knowledge I’ve been given, it never would have dawned on me.

At some point, I will have to wean myself off this program and away from the daily injections. That day isn’t close, as even though 46 pounds lost is a lot, in my state, it’s not even at the halfway point of where I want to be. I’m in this for the long haul. But I can’t stay on this program forever. And I know that.

Which begs the question, what will happen? Will I back slide into the bad habits, gain the weight back and be right back to where I used to be? I’ve asked this question of both Amanda and Elizabeth, and they have a plan. They know what to do, they know how to keep me from ruining all the progress I’ve made. That’s why I’ve completely put myself in their capable hands. Without their help, I’d still be thinking I was losing weight on my own, when in reality, I would still be gaining.

That sets my mind at ease. Without their knowledge and willingness to impart it to me, I’d be heading back to a bad path. But they’ve put the tools in my tool box. And now I know how to use them. I find myself reading every label, punching it into my food tracker and making a valued decision about whether I really need to eat that or if I can live without it.

Yep, I’ve come a long way with whole lot more traveling to do on this journey. I’m getting more active, feeling much better and really have a handle on my food habits. It wasn’t always that way, though, and it took making a leap of faith into this program to get me there.

Knowledge is power. If you don’t know, ask. Don’t guess. That’s what I did, thinking I was doing all the right things when I was actually doing all the wrong ones. In nine weeks, I haven’t cheated one time, a fact that I’m supremely proud of. And I don’t miss those bad foods or bad habits. My last piece of pizza, for example, was the day before I started this program, thinking I would give myself a treat … 9 weeks without pizza? Alcohol? Candy? A donut? Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would be possible, but it is and I haven’t even flinched.

This is the path I want to be on, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the journey looks like. But I will continue to ask the questions that need answers.

We all owe it to ourselves to do just that.

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