Interview with
Bob Renard
How much weight have you lost?
Well, if you go back 3 years, I weighed 249 at a doctor’s visit, so then lost about 10 and over the next two years riding the diet roller coaster. I lost 20,then gained it back. Lost 15 then gained it back. At my last doctor visit in December 2012, he said, “the good news is you are still where you were last year; the bad news is you’re still where you were last year.”
He went on to tell me he thought I was looking at type 2 diabetes in the next two years if I did not lose 20 pounds. That got my attention.
Other weight loss attempts?
Since December, I have lost about 40 pounds. (since this interview, Bob has lost another 10) My wife points out that is a fifth of my weight. I weighed 196 on my home scale this morning. At the YMCA, with clothes on, I weighed 202. I am now losing steadily and waiting to see where I stabilize, instead of setting an arbitrary goal.
Actually, I did set a goal in December to get down to 212, the number I can remember being before my weight began to rise. I recall wearing size 38 to 40 pants back then, so I thought it a good goal Now, I am so happy to have exceeded it.
What is different now?
A few things have made the difference. First, I did not want to have diabetes. That warning from the doctor was a shock, and it woke me up. Second, since I eat essentially healthy foods, and so I am careful, I had lulled myself into the mistaken belief that my weight problem was not my responsibility. I did not eat super-sized cheeseburgers, fries and milk shakes; I did not have dessert, and haven’t had daily bowls of chips and dip.
The “calories in and calories out” solution that my doctor recommended, seemed my only last resort, so I planned on the agreed upon treatment of joining Weight Watchers in January. There I would get support, weekly weigh-ins, food guidance, etc. It would mean losing free time, but I was willing, to improve my health. Notice, I was thinking it was about health – it was, and that was a good thing.
But to be honest, I did not really believe I could lose weight; deep down, I felt hopeless on that account. I have been fat for as long as I can remember. I see pictures of me when younger than 10 years old being a normal looking kid, BUT that was then and this is now.
It was never really going to happen for me now…again…too late. But at least, I would show my wife and my doctor that I had really tried…they would believe me, that I was just normally “overweight,” “Scotch-Irish" and "raised by my mom,” etc.
I was just going to be who I was, even if I got diabetes.
Bob Renard
How much weight have you lost?
Well, if you go back 3 years, I weighed 249 at a doctor’s visit, so then lost about 10 and over the next two years riding the diet roller coaster. I lost 20,then gained it back. Lost 15 then gained it back. At my last doctor visit in December 2012, he said, “the good news is you are still where you were last year; the bad news is you’re still where you were last year.”
He went on to tell me he thought I was looking at type 2 diabetes in the next two years if I did not lose 20 pounds. That got my attention.
Other weight loss attempts?
Since December, I have lost about 40 pounds. (since this interview, Bob has lost another 10) My wife points out that is a fifth of my weight. I weighed 196 on my home scale this morning. At the YMCA, with clothes on, I weighed 202. I am now losing steadily and waiting to see where I stabilize, instead of setting an arbitrary goal.
Actually, I did set a goal in December to get down to 212, the number I can remember being before my weight began to rise. I recall wearing size 38 to 40 pants back then, so I thought it a good goal Now, I am so happy to have exceeded it.
What is different now?
A few things have made the difference. First, I did not want to have diabetes. That warning from the doctor was a shock, and it woke me up. Second, since I eat essentially healthy foods, and so I am careful, I had lulled myself into the mistaken belief that my weight problem was not my responsibility. I did not eat super-sized cheeseburgers, fries and milk shakes; I did not have dessert, and haven’t had daily bowls of chips and dip.
The “calories in and calories out” solution that my doctor recommended, seemed my only last resort, so I planned on the agreed upon treatment of joining Weight Watchers in January. There I would get support, weekly weigh-ins, food guidance, etc. It would mean losing free time, but I was willing, to improve my health. Notice, I was thinking it was about health – it was, and that was a good thing.
But to be honest, I did not really believe I could lose weight; deep down, I felt hopeless on that account. I have been fat for as long as I can remember. I see pictures of me when younger than 10 years old being a normal looking kid, BUT that was then and this is now.
It was never really going to happen for me now…again…too late. But at least, I would show my wife and my doctor that I had really tried…they would believe me, that I was just normally “overweight,” “Scotch-Irish" and "raised by my mom,” etc.
I was just going to be who I was, even if I got diabetes.
Bob's new "buddy." So then, the third ingredient showed up in the mail. My nephew and his wife work at Nike Corporation and they gave us these Nike Fuel Bands...some sort of fancy digital watches. WELL, it turned out to be a blessing and a life changing event.
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