Silence does not mean agreement

I know many people have been following my journey of weight loss and self-discovery that Optifast has provided to me.  It's a very exciting time in my life and I have experienced so many different sorts of emotions along the way.  I am thrilled that I can share all of this not only with friends but also strangers.  I'm glad you've made it to my blog and are reading this post right now.  Sometimes we will agree on certain things and other times we will not.  That is perfectly okay, but it is my hope that we can do so with a level of mutual respect.

In the last day or two, I have been attacked on a personal level by someone that was a fellow member of an Optifast group that I belonged to online and someone that I was friendly with.  I quietly left that group, without discussing it with anyone else, because I needed to take care of myself.  I was not putting judgements on anyone else in terms of what was going on in the group; I just simply made a decision that the group was no longer for me.  I posted a blog entry about why I left.  It had nothing to do with one person in particular but, rather, a series of events that had been concerning me over the course of some time going on in the group.  However, I was attacked for doing so.  Initially, I was not going to respond in any way.  My silence did not mean I agreed, but simply that I chose to not engage in conversation about this.  I was attempting to move forward with dignity regarding this issue, definitely not putting judgements on other people and certainly not believing I am on a high horse. 

Some people who read this blog do not know me in person, which is no problem.  Occasionally people are different than the persona they project behind a computer screen.  Even further, it is difficult to ascertain their true character.  I completely understand that.  I have laid my heart out here in all the postings I have published and in any interaction I have had in Optifast groups.  I come from a very honest place ... I take this process very seriously and am not here to lose just a few pounds but to change my life.

When I voiced concern for people who are doing this program without medical guidance and those who advocate it, it is because I sincerely care.  Serious complications could arise for some individuals who are not properly monitored, such as extremely low blood sugars/pressure, potassium levels leading to gall bladder attacks, adverse medication reaction to the Optifast product, among other things.  This is not to say Optifast is not safe ... it is very safe.  However, we all have different body chemistries.  In my case, had I not had medical professionals telling me to stop taking my diabetes medication gradually over time after I began the program, my blood sugar level may have dropped to levels so low that I could have ended up in the hospital clinging to life.  That is where my concern comes from.  I am not a perfect person by any stretch of the imagination, but I do care tremendously about other people.  For anyone to insinuate that I am anything other than that and cold towards people just does not know me.  It is upsetting that I would be regarded in that way, but I try my best to live my life with good character.

I will continue moving forward in my journey.  I have so much to celebrate every day that I continue taking good care of myself.  I am inspired by so many of the new friends I have found traveling this same road with me and I hope I am able to inspire you in some way, too.  I know that you stand with me in support.  Hugs to each and every one of you.