Tim and Linda Climb to the Two Week Point!

Tim and I have completed just under two weeks on the OPTIFAST Program! We feel enormously proud of ourselves for taking this step.

There have been a few rough spots, but for the most part, we're getting through it pretty well.

Here are our "Tips of the Week!"

• Stick to regular "feedings," every three hours - like feeding a new baby! (A baby who's not feeding "on demand," like we used to do!)
• Try blending the powdered shakes with a handful of ice cubes in a sturdy kitchen blender for a refreshing summer treat.
• Tim likes an iced Americano as a between-meal beverage.
• Get plenty of rest, and get to bed at a reasonable hour; staying up too late puts us in touch with hunger signals.
• Plan to take food with you, like a Ready to Drink Brik or bar. Getting stuck without your meal is risky.

This past week, we have met some wonderful people who are taking enormous strides towards meeting their health and fitness goals. We honor their efforts, and are commited to do everything we can to help them succeed.

Check out the Orders Page on our Website: http://www.queenannemedicalweightloss.com/. You'll find some great, inexpensive products to help you on your journey.

We're all in this together!
Linda Gromko, MD

The Buddy System Really Works!

Changing habits is much easier when you've got a good support system. If you can stay on an eating program with a partner, it's so much simpler. There's less risk of someone undermining your efforts, or weakening your resolve!

We feel so strongly about this that we offer a "Buddy Discount" for partners or friends enrolling together in our OPTIFAST Program.

My son Tim and I are "buddies." Some days, he has more strength than I do. And some days, I encourage him. When we get to talking, it's easy for us to recapture our motivation if we're having a moment of challenge.

I've seen many people use the buddy system for walking, rowing, running, going to the gym -- or even for quitting smoking. We need each other as we make life changes.

We're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

One Week Down...Along With Our Weight!

Whoa...that first week was a challenge! Tim and I started on the OPTIFAST Program. But, in spite of some hunger pangs and a few occasions of doubt, we stuck with it diligently. We ate a meal replacement every three hours, and drank plenty of water, diet pop, and herbal teas.

Today, we learned that we lost a combined thirteen pounds! That's quite a motivator to keep going!

Here's what we learned:

• Planning to have an additional meal on hand is a sensible idea. For us, it would have made a world of difference when we were stuck in traffic for over an hour!
• Starting and ending day with soup is a helpful trick; the soups are quite substantial.
• We found a product called a Blender Bottle - a shaker bottle with a wire whisk ball in it to make our shakes; we've ordered them to sell to our clients.
• Hydrating well is key. We found that drinking plenty of water, and having an herbal tea or a soft drink between meals kept the momentum going.
• We reminded ourselves that caffeine tea and coffee makes you lose fluid, so we stayed away from more than one or two each day.
• I decided not to go to my spin cycling class during the early part of the Program, but added it in without difficulty during the end of the week.

The most important thing we learned is that we can do this! And what a different summer this will be! Back in control of our own lives...

So, we feel triumphant - and proud of ourselves. We also feel that this first week of learning was critical in helping our clients as they start the OPTIFAST Program.

After all, we're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

The Time Will Go By...With or Without Us!

Tim and I are starting our fourth day on the OPTIFAST Program! Have we had hunger? Certainly! Have we had thoughts about eating other foods? Of course we have.

But, we've stuck with it - supporting each other. We have a Meal Replacement every three hours from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and we have water and diet beverages in between meals.

We've kept busy - particularly as we set up our new OPTIFAST Program, Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss. There's been much to occupy our minds and our time.

We know that if we just stay with the eighteen-week Program - day in and day out, the time will go by. It will be October 2010 no matter what Tim and I do!

And if we are successful, October will come AND we will have met our weight loss and fitness goals! Left to our own devices, October would come and we would still be frustrated by the same issues of overweight and increased health risk.

So, while it's early, Tim and I feel we are already succeeding! We are adjusting, and even yesterday could sense that the early hunger we experienced wasn't so compelling. We simply wrapped our minds around the fact that in an hour or two, we'd have another meal. And if we just stay conscientious, we'll achieve our goals.

We'd like to hear about other people's early experiences with the Program.

We're all in this together!
Linda Gromko, MD

Linda and Tim Start the OPTIFAST Program!

This morning on the ferry traveling from Bainbridge Island to Seattle, my son Tim and I began the OPTIFAST Program.

With a ceremonial "toast" and a few affirmations, we drank our Ready-to-Drink Chocolate Shakes, jostling the containers to get every molecule!

It's a new day, a new adventure. And we are determined to succeed.

Tim Franklin is the Program Director at Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss -- a division of Queen Anne Medical Associates, PLLC in Seattle. The two of us are committed, and now accountable. We're in this together -- hoping to improve the quality of our own lives, and to help others in the process.

Knowing full well the medical problems that can arise from Metabolic Syndrome (my husband's kidney failure, diabetes, heart disease, etc.), we are determined to take control in our own lives and avoid the landmines.

We appreciate all the support we can get in helping us achieve our goal.

After all, we're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD