This Article was originally Published in The July 2004 Issue of The ZoneNet Newsletter
It was very hard having an overweight child. Wherever we were, people just stared. I often wondered if she saw what I saw. I wish I could have protected my 8 year old, Jeanine, from the eyes of this world. I wish I could have shielded her from those stares. We never really talked much about it. It was simply too painful. It is almost as if as long as we didn't talk about it, it was not real. She pretended not to notice but I knew she saw how people reacted to her. She was a smart, perceptive child. From a very early age, she always saw things that I did not even notice. There was that time on a trip to Washington, D.C. she asked me, "Mom, why are there so many homeless people in our nation's capital?"
I blame myself for her weight problems. We were a generally obese family and we did not practice the best eating habits. We hardly ever exercised. Even our dog was fat. From the beginning, I rewarded her with junk food for everything from getting a good grade at school to being a good girl and doing as she was told. I would wave cookies in front of her so that she would stop crying. By 3 years old, she had started manipulating me instead of the other way around!
I had no idea how much I was really conditioning her to reward herself with food as she got older. It was as if she walked through life feeling she deserved something simply for doing what she was supposed to do. I felt so helpless that it had gotten this far out of control. As she got older and spent more time away from home because of school, I simply could not watch her all the time as she rewarded herself with candy bars and ice cream for no reason at all. And she could get all of this stuff at school too! It was easily accessible to her. She stayed away from anything green unless it was artificially colored. One day at school, Jeanine complained of being dizzy. She experienced short dizzy spells a couple of days following that.
She was unusually tired much of the time. She would snap at her young brother-an infant! She was never this way towards him. We didn't consider any of these things symptoms of something. We just thought Jeanine's body was going through changes until one day when she almost fainted in P.E. class.
That very afternoon, the physician diagnosed her with Type one diabetes. AlThough I wished she did not have to suffer by getting pricked with needles and having to go to the doctor so often, her condition has gotten our entire family involved in eating right. After all, we all eat at the same dinner table. We cut out juices, soda and sugary carbs, which do a real number on blood sugar levels.
Now our 4-person household has lost over one hundred pounds in 6 months. Even our 3-year old shed several pounds! It is a miracle because we do not eat half as much and yet we do not feel hungry like we used to. Jeanine is fitting into smaller and smaller clothes and is a lot more active in extracurricular activities at school. And she no longer sits on the sidelines in gym class. She's even going to be on the intramural volleyball team next year! The most ironic thing is that Jeanine may have diabetes, but she's the healthiest that she has ever been in her entire life!
Ryan Joseph is a writer/researcher. For more information go to http://www.fitness-supplements.net/
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car"THE SECRET REMEDY OF THE ANCIENT WARRIORS"Since what would seem... Read More
Do calories matter or do you simply need to eat... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
Dieting presents many complications if you are not fully committed... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
A bad day or even a bad week is not... Read More
In recent years, carbohydrates have been labeled as the nutrition... Read More
- Are your ideas of obesity and fat control based... Read More
Things get so confusing when it comes to understanding what... Read More
Abdominal liposuction refers to liposuction, or lipoplasty, that is performed... Read More
That's a pretty "in your face" statement, but really it's... Read More
Although liposuction is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic... Read More
Maybe you've heard about body dysmorphia ? it's a mental... Read More
Fasting, when done properly, can be a basic part of... Read More
I've talked to quite a few fellow gastric bypass patients... Read More
When it all comes down to losing or gaining weight,... Read More
Diet drop out, a significant problem for all types of... Read More
Be Prepared. For the Boy Scouts it means you are... Read More
New studies suggested once again that citric fruits including oranges,... Read More
Americans have their French fries, the British have their chips,... Read More
Yes, there is more to the Mediterranean than sun, beach... Read More
At its most basic, dieting is about burning more calories... Read More
If I were asked, "what is the most difficult thing... Read More
Now that everything from a tan to pantyhose comes in... Read More
MYTH: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.FACT: Fad diets... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..When you hear a doctor or a personal trainer say,... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
Well we're at it again, trying to honor our promise... Read More
Everywhere we look in the western world we are inundated... Read More
Whole grains and weight loss have a definite, scientific, and... Read More
One of the biggest scams ever successfully pulled on the... Read More
One of the worst things you can hear in life... Read More
I believe that water not only helps with weight loss,... Read More
In the last 12 months or so, low carbohydrate diets... Read More
Have you ever thought, "I just can not seem to... Read More
If you are traveling on the path towards wellness you... Read More
The following are weight loss tips that you can start... Read More
Adverse Events with Volumetrics Dr. Barbara Rolls is a well... Read More
We all eat. But how mindful are we of every... Read More
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is... Read More
I did it without starving myself or taking pills. How... Read More
This year, we all made some of the typical New... Read More
It is a fact that about 70% Americans are overweight.... Read More
Why has Phentermine stopped helping me lose weight?Many people are... Read More
Life is great, isn't it? Stop and just look around... Read More
Although many patients have few problems after bariatric surgery, there... Read More
Eating when under stress isn't just about filling an emotional... Read More
I have tried many "diets" here in the USA and... Read More
If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
Any weight loss or diet plan, including low-carb plans like... Read More
Weight Loss |