Narrative by: Melvin Hughes
As the only male member of our chapter, I want to give a big “thank you” to the ladies of the group for welcoming me into the chapter, never making me feel out of place, and building me up. I love each of these women and hope for the best for all of us as we continue our weight loss journey. I joined TOPS in August 2019 and was losing weight. Then COVID hit, and we could no longer hold in-person meetings. During that time, I gained back most of the weight that I had previously lost. About three years ago, we had a lesson on “Keeping Motivated with the Power of Three.” Many diets fail because we try to do too much at one time, and it takes about one month to break a habit. One of my habits was sitting in my chair, watching TV with a can or two of nuts, crackers, and canned cheese, mindlessly eating until bedtime. That habit is no longer practiced.
Melvin Hughes after weight loss treatment
Melvin Hughes before weight loss approach
Two years ago in December, we learned how sugar has such a negative impact on our bodies. I took that lesson to heart, studied it, and followed it. Somewhere throughout the course of human history, someone started to put sugar in food. Understanding what sugar does to the body and why it’s a toxin is what we learn through education. This leads to the knowledge that our brains produce a chemical called dopamine when eating sugar. Dopamine is the chemical released when humans use most types of recreational drugs. The release of dopamine can create a cycle of addiction.
I learned the need to read food labels and learn how the food is sourced. Knowledge is power, which is necessary to make changes. When sugar detoxing, a person experiences anxiety, fatigue, trouble sleeping, headaches, and more. If you get to the point where you are never enjoying the food you like and feel like you’re taking away from your enjoyment of life by not having sugar or a treat, then occasionally enjoy a treat.
Every meal, every snack, everything you put into your mouth is a choice you make. After going through this lesson, taking it to heart, in nine weeks, I dropped 14 pounds, graduating to KOPS status. Thank you to TOPS for teaching us about what to eat, how much to eat, and how to become healthier by eating right.
