Part 1: Confessions from a Supplement Junkie and a Weight Loss Heroine.

"Aye, Senora! These shots aren't going to do anythin' for you until you...

LOSE YOUR FAT."

 <GASP>

Um... did he just say what I think he just said? Sure, I was offended... but I knew he was right. That and he was the one injecting a rather long hypodermic needle into my vertebrae, so, a knee-jerk reaction was out of the question!

Seems like only yesterday when I would visit Dr. Pagan's office for weekly prolotherapy (sugar injections) and chiropractic adjustments. In college, I was in a pretty nasty car wreck that left me with two herniated, lower discs and severe sciatica... which made matters worse with extra weight from two babies. I was lying face down, about to get "shot up" when he told me to "lose my fat." Luckily, Dr. Pagan has a thick, rhythmic, Puerto Rican accent which lessened the blow.

 Okay, not really.

I decided to call another chiropractor and dismiss Senor "Calls it As He See's It." After all, weight loss was a scary, new concept for me. I had always been an athletic, slim gal with metabolism to spare, that is, until my baby making days. I had never really "dieted" because I was always so active with theatre, dance and an active gym participant. I never had to watch what I was eating. I watched it go into my mouth, sure, but I never bothered to read the caloric intake. I never took vitamins, either- other than of the pre-natal variety. I thought that there was a magic fat-fairy who would wave her magic wand and undo what age and pregnancy had done? I was in mommy denial, plus size time!

"I am supposed to be a size 16."
(I'm 5'8) 

"It's baby weight."
(My youngest was two and a half)  

"When I clean the house, it's like exercising."
 (Especially when I cleaned the pantry)

"I'm a busy mother! I have no time to exercise."
 (I had to help my oldest beat the next level in Super Mario Bros.)

It was that same week when my great friend forwarded her wedding pictures to me. I chuckled at one particular dance floor photograph of this portly woman busting a move. Coincidentally, she was also busting out of her hounds tooth dress. Seriously, what made her think she could wear that? Someone tell that woman her hounds tooth has a cavity! Girlfriend looks so--

Me before...

 <GASP AGAIN>

IT. WAS. ME! I didn't even recognize myself? (Forgive me for not showing the actual picture. I demanded the picture to be set aflame!) At the time, I thought I looked all "Jackie O" in that dress? Instead, I looked like I ATE her! I was so disgusted with myself that I decided to take control! I would be damned if I had any more pictures taken of me looking like that! And here I am... 4 dress sizes down and 47lbs lighter! I feel like a brand new person. I still have mild lower back pain... but nothing an Advil and some stretching won't fix. In fact, I haven't needed Dr. Pagan's needle in nearly 3 years. The last time I visited the office, I was having *neck pain and needed an adjustment. The office staff didn't even recognize me.

 *I should have gone to my PCP for this particular neck ailment. It turned out that I had herpes simplex encephalitis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpesviral_encephalitis My brain was bleeding from a viral infection, much like that of meningitis, and I almost died... but that's an entirely different blog.

60lbs. Gone.
Photo Credit Left: Kate Lall Photography

Working on the 'ceps. 

They did a double take when they read my name on the chart. "This can't be the same broad?" Let me remind you that these were the same receptionists who I saw regularly. We were on a first name basis! When they figured out who I was, they paraded me around that office like I was the newly crowned Miss Weight Loss America.

Dr. Pagan's jaw dropped. He told me that I should be his "poster child." He said if more of his patients were to do what I did, they too would not need as many (or any at all) pain treatments or medications.

How did I do it, you ask? It's as simple as
1)Supplements
2) Cardio
3) Strength training

I started, however, with a trip to the doctors.