Gaining weight after 60 is easy, isn’t it? I have my own reasons for that: stress eating on top of a low thyroid Hashimoto’s condition. Add in a month of COVID (in 2026!), breaking my leg when my dog ran after a squirrel, and just for fun, I had a heart ablation that went wrong, very wrong. Then there was the cataract surgery by a doctor who assured me she never makes mistakes, then melted my cornea. Oh, and then I broke my wrist two days before I was to record my new solo piano album. Let’s not forget that for two years of tendonitis, my heels felt like I had an arrow stuck in both of them.

Food Helped Reduce My Stress, Or So I Thought

With all that sitting around, it seemed like a good time to write my memoir as a professional singer. Due to my Dutch upbringing, when I take on a project, I’m relentless. My butt was in the chair for four months while I wrote 195,506 words. One publisher said, “That must be some kind of record.” She did not mean the kind that plays on a turntable. With the writing, researching, editing, and eating to stay awake, I felt like I was spinning round and round, becoming rounder and rounder. I finally decided to turn the tables and get serious about the size of me, all of me.

My endocrinologist begged me to go on GLP-1s. He gave me a six-week Ozempic sample to try. I set the red box on my kitchen counter. I thought about it and concluded that with my medical conditions, I was not going to inject myself with this “medicine.”

Yet, Something Had to Be Done

I found a new doctor who improved my thyroid function. I started my weight loss program with a liver cleanse to get things moving better. Pasta, bread, white potatoes, white rice, and sugar were eliminated. I’m already alcohol, red meat, gluten, and dairy-free. But giving up that chocolate was disheartening. I set the rules: no food after 6 pm and in bed by 10:30 pm. That first month was tough, but I got the hang of things. Half portions only, salad plate only, and four small meals a day, so I’m never hungry. Now that my heels are better, my dog takes me for brisk walks twice a day.

My Secret Power Has Been the Red Ozempic Box

Every time see it on the counter, it taunts me, “You’re not that hungry, are you, Darlene? Don’t eat too much, or I will have to poke you and mess with your digestive system.” The red box reminder works every time. I’ve lost 42 pounds in 6 months and have another 30 to go. When anyone asked how I did it, I told them, “The Red Box Diet.”

Last week I had my six-month check-up with my cardiologist. He seemed impressed with my losses: weight down 42 pounds, cholesterol down 83 points. He asked, “You did it with GLP-1s, right?” “Nope, just the box,” I explained. He said, “You mean the medicine is still in the box?” “Yup, unopened,” I said. He laughed a lot, “I’ve never heard of such a thing. That’s got to be the most impressive use of discipline ever.”

I mentioned my Dutch Calvinist roots, which account for my determination. I also showed him my memoir, Put Your Dress Down and Sing, and explained that its central message is, “To change your feelings, you must take action. It is in the taking of action that one finds new feelings, hope, and courage to accomplish one’s goals.” He liked that. I thanked him for encouraging me. Who doesn’t need a little support now and then?

I’ve moved from the obese zone into the overweight zone. Yay! I will achieve my goal with the support of my doctors and my little red box! When it’s time to get something done, just get to it, or as my mother once told me, “Darlene, put your dress down and sing!”

Join the Conversation:

What has been your red box diet? Have you been able to maintain discipline in such a way that you achieve your goals?