Just before starting Dr. Garcia's program, I, of course, inquired about the cost of the program. I was able to find out in a phone call that there was a price for the initial visit, which included blood work, EKG, weight, body fat measurements, the injections, first month of the Calcium, weekly supply of medication, etc...the works. I also found out that after that, there was a weekly visit fee which included weigh in, assessment and the injection and appetite suppressants. Let me just say, it's not inexpensive, dollar wise.
When I told my parents about the program, after I started it, I brought the booklet that I received during my first visit. I suggested to my father that maybe he should skip the first page. The first page outlined the costs of the program. Well, being a dad...he didn't skip that page. He went right to it. He looked at me and said, you do realize that it's really more than just the weekly costs, right? I agreed with him.
Some of you might be wondering now, so, are there hidden costs that I don't know about? Well, not 'hidden' so much. Things I didn't really think about until he mentioned it...even though I told him "I know". One of those things were the fact that frankly it costs more money to eat healthy. Essentially, and I think I've said this before, I shop the perimiter of the grocery store. For the most part, even on maintenance, I don't eat pre-packaged foods. I shop the meat, seafood, produce and dairy departments. Sadly, it's much more expensive to eat healthy.
Upon deciding to write about the true costs of a program, I did a little research. What I found is that there is a mixture of people who say that eating healthy does not cost more because you buy less of more expensive food. I guess I understand that to a point. Between drinking the water, eating fruits and vegetables, I eat less than I did when I wasn't doing all that. However, the food I buy is definitely more expensive. I guess the jury is still out. I'd love your opinions, please share a comment.
One big issue I had during the process was clothing. I didn't really think I'd drop as many sizes as I did. I bought what I thought was a 'goal' pair of jeans, in the beginning of the journey. I wore them twice, then they were too big. I went through a lot of clothes, quickly. It didn't dawn on me until it was almost too late, that consignment shopping might have been the better way to go. I do, now, however, take the clothes that no longer fit (and there was a TON of them) to the consignment store to re-sell. It's a great way to make some extra cash on things that are virtually brand new. It seemed I had a small window of opportunity for most articles of clothing and some I missed all together and brought to the consignment store with tags still attached. That's annoying!!
All of that being said, the benefits are priceless. The increase in my self-esteem, my outlook on life, my need for less medication, the pure joy of living my life in a healthier, happier environment....there's no way you can put a price on the feeling of being in better control of your life.
“He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything.”
August 25, 2009
August 17, 2009
Almost A Month!
I just realized it's been almost a month since I posted anything to this blog! Life has been absolutely fantastic on the maintenance program. I've been going to the gym regularly although I had a week and 1/2 away due to being on vacation and working out of town. Leave it to me, to pick the one hotel in St. Lucie West that did not have a fitness center on the property. I won't stay there again! Great hotel, but no gym was a bit difficult for me.
I did, however, meet a girl while I was on my trip who is trying to convince me to run a 1/2 marathon. Now, let me start by saying, we were discussing Tampa, and she said, oh...I'm coming there in February! My first reply-we should hook up and go out and have a cocktail! It's what I say to everyone. Those that know me, know that. We were discussing my program and the amazement in Lisa of listening to part of my story. She then told me the reason she was coming was to run the Gasparilla Distance Classic 1/2 marathon and wanted me to run it with her.
For those of you who have known me 'forever'...you know I ran cross-country in high school. That was at least a billion, ok...23 years...ago, since graduation. I haven't really run since. I've started running a bit at the gym, on the treadmill. I really have NO CLUE how to train for a 1/2 marathon. Nor can I really imagine running 13.1 miles for no reason, but the challenge keeps pulling me to look at the website, read up on training and realizing that I only have 6 months if this is something I truly want to do.
The more I contemplate, the more I'm interested in trying it. That being said, I'm fearful of failure. What if I try it and I can't finish? What if I start with something smaller, like the 5K or the 15K? What if...here's a thought...what if I start with a 5K and build from there?! I don't know. It's been A LOT of years since I've had a regular running routine. I think I'd almost need a running coach of some sort to put me on the right track for training like that. Ahhhh, decisions, decisions. This new lifestyle brings all kinds of options to the table, for sure.
Maintenance, as I said before, is fantastic. I typically stay between two pounds under/over goal and I'm good with that. I've added more carbohydrates into my diet, but still not doing anything 'fried'. I'm mostly making smart choices. I had a date last night and we went to dinner. I had a turkey burger on a whole-grain bun and the salad bar. No fries, even though they sat right on the plate. I've found some really great bread-type alternatives at the grocery store and have finally found some breakfast things that are working for me.
The Zone Diet website is a great resource for dining out and recommending what to order to stay in the Zone at chain restaurants. There's also great links to some of the books, such as The Top 100 Zone Foods or A Week In The Zone. These really help keep me on track as well.
It's been almost two weeks since I've been to the office for a weigh in. I missed last week, due to being out of town but will go in the morning and just make sure things are good! I can't wait to go tomorrow. You get so used to doing something every week and it's tough to miss it. I'm looking forward to getting more involved with the office and their community efforts on this program. I have stopped the volunteer thing I was doing at church and really looking for another place to volunteer. I miss very much doing some type of community service, so I've offered up my assistance and my desire to do something surrounding healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. I just missed a back to school event the office did centered around healthy eating unfortunately. I was looking forward to that event and my experience with Junior League and Kids In The Kitchen, but alas, work travel got in the mix and I was away when the event took place. There are a couple of other things coming up and hopefully they'll be able to use my assistance on those. I need to do something! :)
All in all, things are going great. There are no struggles at this point, again, still just making conscious decisions every day to do the right thing. So far, so good!! Speaking of all good....I just went out to You Tube for the first time in a few weeks and saw that my video has 452 hits...that's just crazy! I received an email today from a client who was sent an email from the weight loss office, she's a former patient and on their email listing I suppose. She emailed ME and asked if I knew I was on the cover of their website! I didn't know, but I love that people are benefiting from my story. I found out after sending an email to the operations director tonight that they showed my testimonial to a lot of people at the back to school event and there's a very positive response to my story. I'm so glad that it might motivate even one person to change their lifestyle.
In closing, I'll leave you all with a promise to blog more frequently and....
A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.(Spanish Proverb)
I did, however, meet a girl while I was on my trip who is trying to convince me to run a 1/2 marathon. Now, let me start by saying, we were discussing Tampa, and she said, oh...I'm coming there in February! My first reply-we should hook up and go out and have a cocktail! It's what I say to everyone. Those that know me, know that. We were discussing my program and the amazement in Lisa of listening to part of my story. She then told me the reason she was coming was to run the Gasparilla Distance Classic 1/2 marathon and wanted me to run it with her.
For those of you who have known me 'forever'...you know I ran cross-country in high school. That was at least a billion, ok...23 years...ago, since graduation. I haven't really run since. I've started running a bit at the gym, on the treadmill. I really have NO CLUE how to train for a 1/2 marathon. Nor can I really imagine running 13.1 miles for no reason, but the challenge keeps pulling me to look at the website, read up on training and realizing that I only have 6 months if this is something I truly want to do.
The more I contemplate, the more I'm interested in trying it. That being said, I'm fearful of failure. What if I try it and I can't finish? What if I start with something smaller, like the 5K or the 15K? What if...here's a thought...what if I start with a 5K and build from there?! I don't know. It's been A LOT of years since I've had a regular running routine. I think I'd almost need a running coach of some sort to put me on the right track for training like that. Ahhhh, decisions, decisions. This new lifestyle brings all kinds of options to the table, for sure.
Maintenance, as I said before, is fantastic. I typically stay between two pounds under/over goal and I'm good with that. I've added more carbohydrates into my diet, but still not doing anything 'fried'. I'm mostly making smart choices. I had a date last night and we went to dinner. I had a turkey burger on a whole-grain bun and the salad bar. No fries, even though they sat right on the plate. I've found some really great bread-type alternatives at the grocery store and have finally found some breakfast things that are working for me.
The Zone Diet website is a great resource for dining out and recommending what to order to stay in the Zone at chain restaurants. There's also great links to some of the books, such as The Top 100 Zone Foods or A Week In The Zone. These really help keep me on track as well.
It's been almost two weeks since I've been to the office for a weigh in. I missed last week, due to being out of town but will go in the morning and just make sure things are good! I can't wait to go tomorrow. You get so used to doing something every week and it's tough to miss it. I'm looking forward to getting more involved with the office and their community efforts on this program. I have stopped the volunteer thing I was doing at church and really looking for another place to volunteer. I miss very much doing some type of community service, so I've offered up my assistance and my desire to do something surrounding healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. I just missed a back to school event the office did centered around healthy eating unfortunately. I was looking forward to that event and my experience with Junior League and Kids In The Kitchen, but alas, work travel got in the mix and I was away when the event took place. There are a couple of other things coming up and hopefully they'll be able to use my assistance on those. I need to do something! :)
All in all, things are going great. There are no struggles at this point, again, still just making conscious decisions every day to do the right thing. So far, so good!! Speaking of all good....I just went out to You Tube for the first time in a few weeks and saw that my video has 452 hits...that's just crazy! I received an email today from a client who was sent an email from the weight loss office, she's a former patient and on their email listing I suppose. She emailed ME and asked if I knew I was on the cover of their website! I didn't know, but I love that people are benefiting from my story. I found out after sending an email to the operations director tonight that they showed my testimonial to a lot of people at the back to school event and there's a very positive response to my story. I'm so glad that it might motivate even one person to change their lifestyle.
In closing, I'll leave you all with a promise to blog more frequently and....
A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.(Spanish Proverb)
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