Scared of Surgery, She Slimmed Down
Early seating for meals, please. That way, we can hit the midnight buffet each night. I know dinner is six courses, but I don’t want to miss anything--you know, it’s paid for. That’s what I told my travel agent when she booked my first cruise in 1984.
Was I looking forward to the shipboard experience, meeting new people, great entertainment, the exotic ports, the full moon?
No, I was thinking about the food. Back then, I was addicted to food--I still am. However, in 1984 I weighed 198 pounds and wore a size 20 1/2 dress. Since 1990, I’ve weighed 130 pounds and I’m a size 10.
It is great to look good. I can buy cute clothes on sale, and I am receiving compliments for the first time in my life. You see, I was always big. First a fat kid, then a chubby teen with a “terrific personality and great sense of humor,†and finally a young woman with “such a pretty face.†It wasn’t vanity that led to my weight loss but, rather, a serious back ailment that struck in 1989. I was told to lose 35 pounds or have major back surgery. I was terrified of the surgery, so I decided to lose the weight.
I started with the Nutri/System plan. There was good variety and, best of all, there were tasty, low-calorie, low-fat versions of most of my favorites. Of course, the portions were smaller: Instead of a plate of ravioli, my serving was six ravioli. In three months, I had lost my 35 pounds.
I was satisfied and really didn’t plan to go any further, but a funny thing happened at the office. People started telling me how good I looked. I was receiving a lot of emotional strokes. Then, I began to worry about disappointing my co-workers and the embarrassment if I gained any weight back. So, I had to keep the weight off.
I decided to use the portion-control techniques I had learned. And by using Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine and the myriad low-fat, healthy products available now, I managed to lose 33 more pounds. I’ve maintained this loss since 1990 by eating whatever I want from Friday night until Sunday night. Then, every Monday morning, I go back on my program. On vacation, I eat whatever I like, because I still love to eat. But, as soon as I am back to the office, I’m back on the regimen.
Because I have so much more self-confidence, my husband and I are taking ballroom dance lessons. When we have to change partners, I’m not afraid to have a stranger put his arms about me, because I’m not fat anymore.
Do I still go on cruises? You bet. My next one is in November. Now we take second seating and skip the midnight buffets. Instead, you’ll find us on the dance floor.
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Vital Statistics
Name: Linda Berg
Age: Over 40
Occupation: Corporate communications services manager
Height: 5 feet, 3 inches
Old Weight: 198
New Weight: 130
Time to Get There: 18 months
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