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'Eating Right Not Only Keeps Us Healthy, But Motivates Us'

Photos courtesy of DANNA and JEFF ALLOWAY

Jeff Alloway gained 150 pounds after he quit smoking, prompting him and his wife, Danna, to go on a weight-loss program.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 27, 2008

Danna Alloway, 44, Jeff Alloway, 47, Palm Harbor

Heights: 5-foot-1, 5-foot-11

Starting weights: 160, 335

Current weights: 102, 170

Why we did it: I was truly scared for my husband's health. He gained 150 pounds after he stopped smoking. He developed diabetes, sleep apnea and narcolepsy. He wore 54-inch jeans and would fall asleep anywhere or anytime. I always drove because he would fall asleep at the wheel, and he couldn't fit in my Corvette. I was annoyed and angry. I knew I had to do something when he fell asleep during "Happy Birthday." He talked about operations, such as the lap band, but I felt it was risky. I did not want to lose him after 20 years of marriage.

I called Dr. Robert Dean at the New Day Medi-Spa in Palm Harbor. He suggested that if I shed some pounds, my husband might follow. My husband noticed how quickly I was losing and appreciated that it didn't interfere with our busy social life. He started his diet three months later.

How we did it: This diet was totally different than the other weight-loss clinics I researched. We do not have to weigh or measure anything. We do not have the time. We never feel hungry. If anything, we eat more than before. Initially, we got a thorough physical. We both took shots that contained vitamins the doctor designed. We ate according to three pieces of paper: the "Go," or green, sheet, foods you can eat anytime you wish; the "Yield," or yellow, sheet, foods you can eat once a week; and the "Stop," or red, sheet, foods on it that you never eat.

Green foods include almost all veggies, low- or no-fat dairy, most juices and fruits, seafood, extra-lean beef products, turkey, veal, whole-grain breads/crackers/pasta, olive oil, almonds and macadamia, and new potatoes. There are more than 120 types of foods on this sheet. Yellow food includes beer, wine, corn, other cooking oils, bananas, mangoes, lamb, pork and dark chocolate. Red items include white breads and crackers, cream-based soups, hot dogs, bacon, honeydew, raisins, cakes, cookies, ice cream, pizza, doughnuts and white rice.

We went once a week to get shots or appetite suppressant pills. I took pills for six months and my husband for nine months. After I reached my goal weight, I had to have a hysterectomy, so I chose to have a tummy tuck. I think this clinic is different because of the amount of time the diet coach spends with you and how easy it is to eat out anywhere, as long as it is on the green sheet.

The staff answers any questions you have. They have you bring in your favorite restaurant menus and circle things that are okay to eat. Every week we discussed our success. We never felt intimidated at weigh-in time. My husband has been off the program for more than a year and I have been off for a year and a half. We still stick by the green sheet and sometimes eat things from the yellow sheet. If I feel I may have gained a pound or two, I just eat the green-sheet foods.

Going the distance: Not only did we lose weight together, it made our marriage stronger. We now enjoy each other's company and communicate more effectively. Our son even followed the list and lost more than 30 pounds. My husband no longer falls asleep and no longer has diabetes. We don't feel well if we try a food rich in sugar or fat. Eating right not only keeps us healthy, but motivates us.

Hurdles: Some people would say, "You know, I think you are losing too much weight," or "You need to reward yourself with this big piece of cake." We realized the people saying these things were usually overweight and envious. We turned these negative remarks into positive ones by encouraging the people to get on the right track.

Best advice: Some diet clinics are just a revolving door interested in taking your money and selling high-cost vitamins They also usually make you weigh your foods, starve and follow a regime that takes too much time and is impossible to follow. Make sure you go to a board-certified doctor who also employs a support system such as a diet coach or nutritionist.

Keyword: Lost It, to tell us about a weight-loss plan that works for you. Or send your story to mshedden@tampatrib.com or Mary Shedden, The Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa FL 33606.

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