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After being monitored by my Dr. for a few days, she thought it best to perform a cerclage as my cervix was thinning at an alarming rate. She instructed me to go to the hospital, where they immediately admitted me. Needless to say, I was extremely nervous! Everything went by so fast and the procedure was over before I knew it. I had some mild abdominal cramping and spotting, similar to that of my egg retrieval but everything was back to normal by the next day. I am on bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy. It has been very frustrating because I feel like I have so many things to do to prepare for the twins’ arrival and can’t do any of it. I just keep reminding myself that each passing week is a triumph and it’ll be over before I know it. In the mean time, I get to leave the house for a Dr. appointment every few weeks and watch lots of television.

Last week I was inspired to blog about one patient’s success with weight loss. She lost a whopping 80 lbs. by making simple, modest lifestyle changes. This week I would like to share my enthusiasm about a new workout DVD. First, let me fill you in on a little background. I am the Queen of at-home work out videos. I love not having to worry about make-up or the latest trends in work-out fashion. I can wear my 80’s leg warmers and baggy 90’s work-out bicycling stretchy shorts with pride! Nobody is around to judge or criticize me. I do not have to keep up with some young twenty-something who has flat abs and “perky” breasts and who is really at the gym to check out the cute guys. And my rule at home is, “IF YOU COME IN THE ROOM WHEN I’M WORKING OUT AND MAKE FUN OF ME, THEN YOU MUST DROP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WORK OUT WITH ME.” This is a surefire way to get rid of any husband. And if he does take the challenge, he will forever respect what you are doing. After trying to keep up with what he considered a “wienie” step work-out, my husband steers clear of me when I’m exercising. I showed him!

Now back to the awesome DVD. The title is “Walk Slim,” by Leslie Sansone. I’ve been having some trouble with my left knee lately and purchased the DVD thinking that at least I could walk to maintain some form of regular exercise. I also thought it would be a great workout — sort of simple and low impact — for days when the thought of working-out is about as appealing has having a root canal. You know, for the mornings when I’ve indulged the night before by eating “just a handful” (funny, I seem to have HUGE hands) of buttered popcorn or some other forbidden something that leaves me guilt-ridden and feeling rather icky the next day. Walking is easy, right? The walking workout was probably going to be easy and a little boring, right? WRONG!!!! I loved it! Let me emphasize that again — I LOVED IT. It was easy, but what a workout. And my first mile flew by so fast, unlike the treadmill where I look at the time gauge in anticipation because it seems like I’ve been walking forever — and it only registers 1 minute and 30 seconds. Ugh, I think. Only 29 minutes and 30 seconds to go. What an eternity. The walking workout includes a warm-up period and 4 miles of walking. I had only planned to do the first mile, but it was so much fun and the time went by so quickly that I did two miles the first day and three miles the next. The leader, Leslie, looks like a real woman — the kind with hips and thighs and to use a tabloid favorite, with “curves.” And the rest of her work-out buddies are regular women ranging in age from twenty-something to fifty-something. And there is even one guy working out who is wearing a T-shirt entitled, “Forced to Workout.” This young, handsome guy could barely keep up with these gals! The walking starts out at a fairly brisk pace (think marching in place) and increases with each mile. In addition to walking, you use your arms and legs and believe me, I was breaking a sweat by the second mile. Leslie tells you that doing the entire 4 miles burns off the calories from one meal. She does not specify exactly how many calories she is talking about, but I figure that most meals designed for weight loss contain at least around 400 calories. Burning 400 calories in one workout is phenomenal. The final mile incorporates strength building moves using a band. And get this, I purchased the DVD, which includes the band, for only $9.00 at Walmart. What a deal!

At CARE, patients are often told to reduce their weight and lower their BMI. Studies have shown that obesity and a high BMI can lower your chances of conceiving. If your physician has encouraged you to lose weight and start a regular exercise program, I would highly recommend this walking workout. It is easy and fun and most importantly, it does not require an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment. It can be done in the privacy of your own living room at any time of the day or night.

Have you had success with losing weight? Do you have a great tip to help someone else eat healthier or start an exercise program? If so, please email me at patriciam@embryo.net. Have a great week.

Dr. McBride
CARE Psychologist

Okay, here is my first attempt at blogging. I had an inspiring visit with a patient today and wanted to share what she had to say with other CARE patients trying to lose weight. This patient is a young, African American woman diagnosed with PCOS two years ago. She was told that obesity is a factor in the development of PCOS, and was instructed by her physician to lose weight if she wanted to increase her ability to become pregnant. To date, she has lost 80 lbs., has no more cysts on her ovaries, and has normal menstrual cycles. She is so happy with her weight loss, and with the news that she can move forward with her plan to have a baby. I congratulated her, but also picked her brain about how she managed to be so successful with her weight loss efforts. Here is what she had to say: 1. She did not go on a “diet.” She just started making small changes that had a huge impact. For example, she gave up soft drinks and started drinking more water. 2. She started moving — playing Guitar Hero and Dance Revolution and took the long way to carry out the trash. 3. She started eating more vegetables and fruit and less candy and junk food. 4. She switched from white to whole wheat bread and pasta. More fiber fills you up and “keeps things moving.” 5. She stayed motivated by seeing the pounds melt off. 6. She viewed her new eating habits and exercise approach as a permanent lifestyle change, not a temporary starvation diet that you “stop” down the road. 7. The exercise and healthy eating had unanticipated benefits — she developed more self-confidence. 8. Her partner lost 60 pounds along with her! 9. She feels confident in her ability to eat healthy and manage her weight during pregnancy. 10. Do not give up! You can eat well and still lose weight. Deprivation is not part of the equation. I think the most important message here is that losing weight does not have to feel like a chore. This person had phenomenal success with a good attitude and reasonable dietary changes. No marathons, no weight lifting, no eating only grapefruit or cabbage soup. And she developed a healthy relationship with food along the way. Great job! Dr. McBride CARE Psychologist