(from the January 2000 edition of the FIVE CITIES TIMES-PRESS RECORDER)
 

by Roger Freberg

Are you irresistible to women? Do men stop you on the street to ask for your "secret?" 

Shhhh! Here’s the secret--losing weight. Try losing a whole lot of weight. It happened to me after losing about 180 lbs.

Now, I have to confess. What has happened is truly incredible. Women are grabbing me and detaining me against my will, but for reasons other than my obvious charm. They want to know my "secret;" they demand to know how I lost so much weight and so quickly! They think I have found a fountain of youth. They accuse me of keeping this too important secret to myself! I am now going to tell you, but first let me tell you how it all began..

the Joys of Diabetes

Most people never realized that I weighed over 400 lbs. I guess when you stand next to the QE2 you may not realize that the Titanic was much larger. It all looks humungus from a normal vantage point. I gained weight, as most people do, a pound at a time over the course of a couple of decades.  Eventually, I was faced with an emergency room visit this past May. My blood sugar was at the 800 plus level. Normal is about 100, and diabetics head for the ER at 300.  My sugar levels were about the same as the Mrs. Buttersworth's that you casually pour over your pancakes!

Meeting with 'Doc'
 

The next day I met with my family physician. Doc was lecturing me about the joys of insulin injections and other medications when I stopped him. I asked if there was any other way. I wondered out loud about cutting down to a martini and possibly limiting myself to just one piece of cake each night. With a wry smile that only he can do, he muttered, "well, you could lose a hundred pounds!" I could hear him quietly chuckling. I was devastated. After a profound pause, I said okay. He smiled.

It took several months of losing weight to completely escape the medications, but it is worth it. My blood sugar is normal and my bad cholesterol is low and my good cholesterol is normal. Normal is good.

Discovering the Diet!
 

Losing 180 lbs. in seven months is very exciting. Here's how I did it.  I used some of the no fat or low fat diets that are provided by the American Diabetes Association as a base. I've come to believe that in dieting, one needs to change habits of a lifetime in order to become healthier. If the change in your diet isn’t permanent, then the weight will eventually reappear. Diabetics can't just lose weight and springboard back; they must keep it off forever. Let me add, these diets can work for almost everyone. This is not to say that you don’t have to pay a price; you do have to make changes and change can be tough for most people. I had to give up alcohol , butter and all the goodies that I thought made life worthwhile. The truth is I don't miss it at all.

The problem with dieting for most big people is the itty-bitty portions that we are expected to enjoy with the same relish as two porterhouse steaks! I’ve always suspected that diets were designed by little skinny people in bike shorts who hate us larger folks. However, my back was up against the wall, and I was open to making some changes. When Laura presented me with my first portion controlled dinner, I cried," this small piece of meat belongs on a cracker!" She laughed, I didn't. We recognized the problem--I needed to find something to fill up on that wouldn't pack on weight.

Veggies !!!
 

There was an answer.  We discovered vegetables. Today, we prepare two heads of cauliflower and 1 to 2 stalks of broccoli with every dinner. It fills me up and that keeps me on track. My wife joined me on the diet for reasons that most women can understand. Laura was petrified by the concept of being known as the "fat one," and lost 65 lbs. herself. I know she could hear people chuckling,” there goes Laurel and Hardy!” She’s been a great diet partner!

If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email at rfreberg@charter.net and I will endeavor to respond. Good Luck and Happy dieting!

My diet is a simple one.  I am not one for variety and I find comfort in routine.  We do not have a heavy exercise program, but we try to walk at least 2 miles a day.

Here's what I eat every day:

Breakfast

1 glass orange juice

1 toasted Raisin Cinnamon English Muffin

1 soft boiled egg

Many large cups of coffee with cream! (Yea baby!)

Lunch

1 can of tuna fish (or salmon) mixed with pickle, non-fat salad dressing and
 non-fat marinated artichoke heart

1 very large tomato

1 sour dough roll

Diet soda(s) or coffee with cream (yea baby!)

Dinner

3oz. Of meat (any kind…does it matter?)

1 humungus red potato (I boil mine)

2 heads of cauliflower (I share with Laura)

2 stalks of broccoli

1 sour dough roll

8pm Snack

2 sourdough rolls or fresh made braided French bread

diet soda (s) or coffee with cream (yea baby!)

WARNING!!!  -- Unwanted Side Effects!