My father died when he was 47. His killer was lung cancer, the kind of cancer you can prevent if you quit smoking. In 1998, at the age of 35, I was
still furious at him for not quitting, for leaving me to wonder every day what life would have been like for myself-and now, my children-if he had
been here.
Then I took a long, hard look at myself. Here I was, upset with my father
for not changing his ways, and I tipped the scales at 335 pounds. I had gained an average of 10 pounds a year each and every year since I married my
wife, Melinda, in 1985. Even though I rode a recumbent bike at the gym three
times a week, I was so obese that I could not get off the couch after returning home from an exhausting day. It wasn't my accounting job that made
me so tired-it was lugging around all that extra weight. I worried about how
it was affecting my health and wondered if the people around me thought I was slovenly or lazy. I had no energy for my three young children. I was
plagued with so much self-doubt and fatigue that I didn't even have the courage or stamina to go on a family walk.
Luckily, I didn't have any health problems-yet. But I knew that I was heading down a dangerous road. I had a slightly abnormal EKG and my blood
sugar level was a little high, as were my cholesterol and my blood pressure
levels. If I was going to watch my children-my daughter Sadie is now 8, and
my sons Ethan and Caleb are 5 and 2-and, hopefully, my grandkids grow up, the weight had to come off.
It was my sister Judith who told me about the Atkins program. At the time,
she wasn't following the Diet (she is now, though, as is another sister). I
bought Dr. Atkins' book just before we drove to a family outing in Illinois.
On the way, Melinda, who is a pediatrician, read the book with a medical eye
and approved the concept. On the return drive home, I read it and made my decision.
The day after Melinda's birthday, when we dined out and had our last big carb blowout, I
began. Within two weeks, I had lost 21 pounds. After four weeks on Induction, I had lost 34 pounds. I then moved to Ongoing Weight
Loss and by eight weeks, I was down 53 pounds. By July 27, 1999, after nine
months on the program, I had shed 122 pounds and weighed 213, a weight I maintain by adhering to the Atkins Maintenance phase.
Generally, I have an Atkins bar for breakfast and a salad or a hamburger without the bun for lunch; for dinner I have meat, cheese and vegetables, or
a salad. I'm also now eating more fish and have really enjoyed that change.
As a treat, I use heavy whipping cream and sugar-free pudding mixes to make
a dessert. I still sneak some popcorn when we go to the movies-that's one food I have had a hard time giving up.
Weight loss is not the only benefit I have experienced. The stiffness and strains in my back and neck have disappeared. Lower cholesterol, glucose and
triglyceride levels show I'm healthier; my EKG is now normal. Overall, I just feel like a healthier person. I've had fewer colds in the past
year-and-a-half. I now run 31/2 miles in 30 minutes three times a week. Two
days a week I bench-press 250 pounds.
I think I'm a better dad and a better husband. My old phrase used to be, "No, I'm not up for that." Now I love to play with my children. I even
jumped a rung or two on the career ladder, recently landing a much better job. Could I have gotten the new job at 335 pounds? You never know, but I do
know I wasn't busting down doors to go out and promote myself when I was obese. The Atkins lifestyle gave me the courage and positive attitude to
seek out new opportunities.
Just the other night, we went out for ice cream to celebrate Ethan's fifth
birthday. No, I didn't indulge, and I didn't feel deprived. I felt alive!