As we enter 2026, I want to talk about a significant life update for me.
In May 2025, I weighed 206 pounds. I was overweight. I didn’t feel good. I wasn’t being productive. How did I get there?
I got lazy!
I got up in the morning, and I went to work. I did my job. Then, I came home and took a nap. After my glorious nap, I ate some food, and then I spent time on the couch watching TV and scrolling social media. I went to bed and woke up the next day to do not very much all over again.
Oh yeah, when I was at work, I ate everything I could get my hands on. Chocolate. Candy. Ice cream. It tastes good. I was working hard. I deserved it.
When my clothes didn’t fit, I just got bigger scrubs or bought new pants or quarter-zips (my uniform…). I bought a new suit because the old one was way too small.
Let’s talk about my stats. I was 206.7 pounds. I was at 30.5% body fat. My BMI was 33.4. My Hgb A1c was 5.7%. I was hypertensive. My systolic blood pressure was in the high 130s or 140s.
I didn’t feel healthy. I didn’t look healthy. I needed to make a change.
I started my change with Noom. (Not an ad.) I like Noom because it addresses obesity from a multi-pronged approach. I’m a data person. I like to have information to reinforce progress. Charts are helpful to me.
In addition to the data, their cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach is great. The lessons are short and easy to understand. They help with some of the food noise and the desire to eat everything in sight (my inner elephant).
Food tracking is very helpful as well. Calories stack up on us when we aren’t paying attention. What’s one fist full of candy anyway? They’re small pieces!
Those small pieces add up quickly.
It’s time to answer everyone’s question who has made it this far.
Did you do it with medicine?
The answer: I did it with the help of medicine.
I am taking semaglutide. I find that it helps keep me from eating a donut and the candy in the office, and from getting some caramels at the gift shop between cases. I feel full faster, so I eat less and I eat less often.
I don’t attribute my weight loss soley to a medication. In addition to everything above, I got off the couch and out of bed and started walking. Every. Day. Rain or shine. During COVID, like the rest of the world, I bought a treadmill, so sometimes I walk inside if the weather is too nasty.
I walk about 6 miles every day. Some days, if I’m not being very active, I will go for 7 or maybe 8. If I’ve been in the OR all day, I might just go 3 or 4. I have had a couple day where I couldn’t get a walk in. (That’s OK!) Since May, I’ve walked just over 1,400 miles!
About halfway through, I hit a wall and was having trouble getting weight off. When that happened, I started weightlifting. I lift two days per week. One day is an upper-body workout, and the second is a lower-body workout. (I still walk on days I lift as well.)
Did I turn vegetarian? Only eat dry chicken and rice? No. I really didn’t change what I eat. I only changed how much and, with some foods, how frequently I eat them. I still have some chocolate every now and then. I’ll still get dessert if we go out to eat. Instead of eating a whole piece of cake, I have a few bites. I satisfy my sweet tooth and don’t go too many calories over for the day!
So, where am I today? I am at 151 pounds. My body fat percentage is 15%. My Hgb A1c in November was 5.3%, and it’s likely lower now. My blood pressure has normalized.
I feel better. I look better.
I am still moving. I don’t walk 6 miles every day, but I get at least 3 in. I am lifting weights two times per week. I am adding some daily push-ups and planks to continue burning calories and help grow more muscle.
As we enter 2026, my New Year’s resolution is not to change, but to keep my newly formed habits. I don’t plan to give up my daily walks because I find that they help me in more ways than improving my physical health. I’ll save that conversation for another blog post in the near future.
I was able to use a lot of resources. If you don’t want to take a medication, my recommendation is just go outside and walk. Do it whenever you can. If you can’t walk for 6 miles, walk 2 or 3. Start with a half mile or one. Work your way up over time.
You also need some accountabilty to pay attention to how you are doing. I weighed myself every day. You don’t have to weigh in every day if you don’t want to. Weigh in once a week or every few days. I made it part of my morning routine. Shower, brush teeth, weigh myself, go on about my day. For me, weighing in at the beginnning of the day put some focus on the goal and kept me motivated to keep moving..
In my opinion, it isn’t helpful to apply a timeline to your weight loss. Life will get in your way. Weight will go up and down. Something will happen that requires you to focus on that instead of weight loss. If you get stuck or stop, just start again the next day.
Good luck to all of you who are working on a more halthy weight and here’s to a happy and healthy 2026!