Introduction

My name is Derrick Mims, and for the last ten years I have chosen to be 200 pounds overweight. I say “chosen” because I have never accidentally eaten anything. . .

Okay, so I stole that bit from Zig Ziglar. But the words ring true. I have consistently made decisions in my life that led to what I have become. Later, I will tell you all about some of the reasons why I was so miserable. But for now, it is enough to say that I knew I had no choice but to make a radical change. On February 16, 2008, I started The Rest of My Life. I began to exercise. I began to eat differently, making Nussentials a vital part of my transformation. And along the way, I have begun to become a whole new me.

I am writing this blog to share my story. I will be periodically updating pages with photos, measurements, and weight. And I would love to hear any feedback you have.
My Program

I am using a three-pronged attack:

1. Nussentials — Every morning, I make a shake for my breakfast. That shake includes two Nussentials products: More and Less. It also includes a cup of soymilk and a cup of frozen berries. Often, just to amuse myself, I’ll throw in a handful of dark green leafy veggies, too, such as collards or mustard greens. My breakfasts also include a serving of a whole wheat, usually a slice or two of bread. I round it off with about 2 12-oz glasses of water. My Nussentials shake allows me to get the vitamin foundation I need every day, and it starts me off with a good portion of protein, too.

2. Nutrition — I have had a few sessions with a nutritionist so I could learn what it means to not eat pizza, burritos, and ice cream for every meal. The first lesson? Eat breakfast! (Got it covered with my Nussentials.) For the first six weeks or so, I wrote down everything I ate throughout the day so could learn to be aware.

3. Exercise — I found a fantastic trainer named Melody who is helping me to get in shape. Her assistance has been invaluable. (And to think I found her on the web. She was the first one of several to call me back when I was looking for someone, and now I can’t imagine working with anybody else.)

Weight

I feel the need to make one comment here.  In order to weigh myself, I had to special order a scale that could go high enough.  I went to a doctor, two gyms, and a nutritionist’s — none of them had a scale that went above 350!  So for a beginning number, I can only say what I was when last weighed in Summer 2006.

I know that from that time, when I topped out at 435, I have worn the same clothes or larger clothes.  I never once went to a smaller size for anything until I began this program, and I certainly wasn’t getting much exercise.  So, I am confident that 435 was about where I began this thing — if anything, that number might be a bit low!

Regardless, I have a good scale now, so I know exactly where I am. . .