Weight loss journal entry #1 – A taste of my own medicine

People have been asking me, “Why would you go public with your weight loss program?” I guess they’re not accustomed to doctors who are willing to taste their own medicine, especially in front of a crowd.

My first answer is, “I want to feel better and live longer, and I want to help others do the same.” For me, weight loss is not about looking handsome; it’s about improving the way I feel. Sure, I wouldn’t mind looking better, but at age 61, I’m much more interested in keeping a high quality of life in the years to come.

My blood pressure has been high. I’ve had some blood chemistry problems in the past that it would be nice to get rid of. My energy level is not where it should be. It’s time for a change.

My second answer is that it’s important for doctors to practice what they preach. As a chiropractor, my mission is to help people adopt healthier lifestyles, and when I found the right weight loss program, I knew it was time to start leading the way with my actions as well as my words.

For those of you who are just catching up with my story, it started on November 18, 2009. I weighed 251 pounds, my cholesterol was 189 and my triglycerides were at a chart-busting 417. Not good.

The first thing I wanted to do was make things better, not worse. We’ve all heard horror stories about diets that make people feel worse rather than better, and there are reasons this happens; everything from malnourishment to drug reactions.

My diet does not include the use of drugs. Don’t get me started on the topic of America’s overuse of pharmaceuticals, at least not in this article. Yes, my diet does include nutritional products and supplements, and I can’t stress how important it is to keep your nutritional level high while you’re losing weight. Yes, starving yourself will help you lose weight, but it will not keep you healthy.

Which brings us to:

Doc Scharenberg’s Weight Loss Rule Number 1:

The purpose of weight loss is to improve your overall health, not to damage it.

That’s why I chose Usana Nutritionals when I decided to lose weight. I know, it sounds like a sales pitch, but the fact is, they’re the top rated supplements in the world. We’ll talk more about supplement ratings some other time, but for now you need to know that it can play a huge role in weight loss.

So far, the diet is working and my health is improving. I checked my weight on December 3, and it's down from 251 to 246 1/2, in just two weeks! Below are all the changes from November 16 to December 3, 2009:

 

 

 

 

Wish me luck! Better yet, if you live in Wichita, Kansas, and you want to join me in my program--maybe even take up the challenge and put your numbers online--contact me through my website or call me at (316) 945-0075. Let’s get healthy together!