New Patient Story

I was a member of the clean plate club. If you're close to my age you know what I'm talking about. I don't really fault my parents. They were doing what they thought was right. When I was young I was an itty bitty thing and my parents were told that they needed to feed me more. So, I wasn't aloud to get up from the table until I ate everything on my plate. I can remember sitting at the table for an hour or more, while all of my siblings had already finished and gone on about their day. I didn't know it then but I know now that I was learning an unhealthy relationship with food. One that would eventually cause a decline in my health. Yep obese, with type 2 diabetes. I knew this wasn't the type of life I wanted to live. I didn't want my young grandsons to see me like this. I wanted to be able to play with them. I knew I could do better; I knew I could BE better. Thanks to the Choose Well program at Providence I have been able to set and keep goals to work toward better health. I have lost a significant amount of weight, and keep it off. I have learned portion control, I have learned what to eat, how to move, to keep hydrated, and so much more. I have also learned that when I am full, it's ok to put my fork down. I am a better version of me now and I'm grateful for that! Trust me when I say this, if I can do it, so can you! This has been a tough journey but I feel so much better now and I know that the longer I continue on this journey the better I will feel. I will make mistakes but I will forgive myself and move on. I don't mind not being a member of the clean plate club anymore.