Community Highlights - Take a Number

Week of 4/2/2009 - Featured Board Post

Take a Number

CFMOSS

I began my journey on December 31st. I had found SparkPeople online while I was looking for free diet advice, and when I found the site I was very skeptical. My son very quickly joined me on SparkTeens and so nightly we would be at the computer dutifully typing in our food. My daughter, being a first year college student, joined in too, although it has been more challenging for her with college food. After about a month, we finally realized that not only were we supposed to pay attention to calories but also other nutrients like protein and fat. So it became quite funny each evening as my son and I would huddle around the computer screen determining that we were under our fat calories for the day and how and what to eat to get us up to our minimum without going over in another category.

At the beginning of March, we attended the high school band banquet of which I will be president next year. I was writing on my napkin and someone asked if I was making notes for next year. My husband replied no - she's writing down what she's eating (and he was right). About a week later, my husband said "So, should I do this SparkPeople?" That evening, he got on the scale, came down and said "How do I sign up?" My son got him started. Last Saturday, my daughter was home and as dinner was winding down, one of the kids was entering their meal on the site to see if they had any extra calories for seconds on our absolutely favorite SparkPeople recipes: roasted veggies and orzo and homemade crab cakes. I came over to watch and asked to get on - then I looked over at my husband who was standing there and said "Oh do you need on?" His reply was "Take a number."

At the beginning of January I never would have dreamed or asked my family to participate in this journey with me. Now at mealtime, we talk the same language, are concerned about balanced nutrition and controlling calories, and we are still enjoying delicious food. I've lost 25 pounds. My son has lost almost 15 pounds and he feels much better wearing his clothes. My daughter is watching her intake and remaining stable in a college environment. My husband was so excited to lose weight his first week.

This journey is possible and can bring connections that are totally unexpected. My husband joined our weight loss/healthy lifestyle journey because he watched my son and I nightly try to get our food balanced. We're still working on it. I have a long way to go. But it's coming. I hope your journey holds unexpected delights and a good deal of laughter while you take a number to get on the computer.

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