I have struggled with weight all of my life. Just as I had to watch what I drank so as not to develop the alcoholism my father died of, I had to watch what I ate so as not to develop the life-threatening obesity many of my maternal ancestors had. I seesawed between 142-167 pounds most of my adult life, and bought mostly clothes that hid my body.
When I did lose weight, it was for the wrong reasons. I wanted to “look good,” which meant being thinner, so the weight loss never stuck. When I retired, it made me so sad to read through my journals and see that I had, in the past, often written what I weighed at the top of the page. It also made me angry that I lived in a culture that made me feel like I had to hide my body. So I decided to stop worrying about my weight and eat whatever I wanted. The last third of my life, I figured, should be about joy, and eating certain things certainly gave me joy (gumbo, beignets, any kind of candy). If I wanted some jellybeans, by god, I would have an entire bag of them! Sugar in my coffee: YES! Ice cream every night with my husband, YES! I knew I was gaining weight though I refused to look at the scale or at my body when I passed by a window or a mirror. My clothes were getting really tight, and some didn’t fit anymore.
So what, I thought. Until I didn’t think that. I started to have very bad pain in my knees. It was so bad I couldn’t walk farther than a few steps without it hurting. It even hurt at night. I could hardly sleep because of the pain. I visited several doctors and had several xrays. They diagnosed arthritis. It would never get better, one doctor told me, but there might be ways to keep it from getting worse. I had steroid shots in my knees and several other kinds of medications, none of which helped. I had to stop doing yoga because all the poses hurt.
No one mentioned that maybe if I took some weight off it would lessen the pain in my knees. But it made sense to me. I got on the scale. I weighed 167 pounds. I decided I would stop adding sugar to my coffee and stop eating any other kind of processed sugar. In a couple weeks I had dropped ten pounds. I joined Noom in April 2022, just to have some accountability, and started writing down everything I ate. I got a personal trainer. I started doing yin yoga. Over a period of months I worked up to walking 8500 steps a day. The pain in my knees subsided and finally disappeared completely. It didn’t hurt anymore to pick up my grandchildren.
I felt healthy and I was completely pain-free. My husband joined me in walking at least 8500 steps a day, even when it was raining.
I weighed myself today, and have reached my goal weight of 135. Now comes the challenge of staying healthy.
Rebecca Clever
31 Aug 2022Congratulations, Sheryl – that is no small accomplishment! This has been an ongoing struggle for me since my late twenties and early thirties. I went through most of my mid-to-late thirties maintaining my goal weight but as I got older, it was more difficult to do because of hormone changes, most especially, and some unfortunate accidents that affected my physical well-being. The medical field can be wonderful but I’ve never been resigned to the idea of taking pills as the solve for anything and everything, especially when so much medicine is synthetic with negative side effects. After three different endocrinologists told me I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, gaining weight, dealing with night sweats and joint pain, feeling tired all of the time, suffering from eczema, and having no energy, I researched what I could do holistically to address my overall health. I’m happy to say I’ve found a 100% all-natural hormone reset nutrition program that has eliminated nearly all of those issues for me, plus I’m down 20 pounds. I’m still on this journey but there has been great joy in the success I’ve had so far. Thanks for writing this. Miss you.
Sheryl St. Germain
31 Aug 2022Thanks, Becky. I’m so glad to hear that you’ve found a resolution to your issues. It’s good to hear from you. I miss you too.
Rebecca Clever
21 Sep 2022<3 <3 <3
Laura Kennelly
31 Aug 2022Sister. Not sayin’ we’re really related, but we might be. That Louisiana French connection–anyway, yes, For me running, walking (now), and biking has built up muscles to support my knees. Really helps. I guess doctors don’t mention it because they figure we won’t do anything, but I wish they would. Good essay–but then, I enjoy your writing anyway.
Sheryl St. Germain
31 Aug 2022We’re related in spirit for sure. And yes, building up the muscles is the way to go.
Jeanne Marklin
1 Sep 2022I’m inspired t5o read of your success. I did Noom for 5 months and lost 8 pounds. Went on vacation and gained back 6. I have a hard time disciplining myself to exercise regularly but just hired a trainer and am going to commit to walking regularly. Thanks for making me believe it’s possible!
Sheryl St. Germain
1 Sep 2022It most definitely is possible!
CarmelaAliffi
2 Sep 2022Thanks for sharing Sheryl. You are inspiring in all you do and are.
Sheryl St. Germain
2 Sep 2022Thanks, Carmella. You are an inspiration on so many levels for me. Hope to see you at yoga today.