And like my patients, I feel I look my best again.
As a cosmetic surgeon, I learned early in my career that my own personal appearance mattered. It is hard to lecture about the importance of sunscreen when you are sporting a bronze tan. I kept fit, and worked out enough to eat everything I wanted. My favorite phrase – “Hey Karen, you going to eat that cookie?”
Four years ago I became the father of twins, and as a middle aged father my time at the gym dramatically decreased. However, I continued my cookie addiction and also finished all the mac-‘n’-cheese my kids left on their plates. Two years ago I had a noticeable double chin, even though my friends reassured me that I “carried the weight well”. At 225 lbs., I was officially fat. Karen, my assistant, gave me a book entitled, The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram Your Genes for Effortless Weight Loss, Vibrant Health, and Boundless Energy for my birthday – I was clearly someone who had no business recommending liposuction to anyone else!
Now I am a firm believer in the Primal Blueprint, and actually follow Mark Sisson’s blog on www.marksdailyapple.com. I even have a pair of the funny five finger shoes. Mark is a personal trainer (not a doctor), so he actually explains medical science in terms that make sense to most people. He also breaks down the barrier that keeps most of us from losing weight – the food pyramid that is based mainly on grains and carbohydrates (the one we all memorized in grade school). He forces you to accept that weight is 80% diet – which totally explains why my buddies who work out daily still carry a gut. I highly recommend his approach. It has allowed me to work out less and lose weight without feeling hungry.
This week I brought 14 pairs of pants to the tailor and had 2 inches taken in. I also bought a new pair of size 32 jeans – the size I wore in high school. I weigh 190 lbs (yes, I lost 35 pounds!), and have my muscle tone back. It is actually fun not to need my long white coat to hide my gut. I also relax in the swimming pool with my kids, rather than worrying that a patient might see how fat their doctor really is!
