Decimated

September 17, 2017

“If you could lose just 10% of your body weight,” said the overperky nurse type at the front of the classroom, “you could have SUCH a good impact on your health!”

I rolled my eyes at her, of course. It would be every bit as impossible for her to lose the dozen pounds that made up ten percent of HER body as it was going to be for Jonathan to lose 36.

This was back before we were married – so, in the Bronze Age. Jonathan had just been diagnosed with diabetes, and we were at a health and nutrition class for diabetics that I now realize was hopelessly inadequate for the situation.

And here was a woman who had clearly never personally faced obesity implying that it ought to be easy for us to drop 10% of our weight. No, not 10%. She said “just” 10%.

Over the years, I’ve focused on the inherent cruelty in that statement instead of the message she was sending… the part about having a good impact on my health.

This morning, I weigh 234 pounds. That’s a loss of 26 pounds since I started with Body Dynamics in Falls Church, a little more than a year ago.

Today, based on the original definition of the word (“to reduce by a tenth”), I am decimated.

Bring on the lab work – draw that blood, doctor! I’m ready to see what’s happening in there!