My name is Lisa Wynn. I am a thirty-nine year old single mother of a twelve year old, middle school student.  I grew up in Greensboro, NC and have lived here all my life.  I currently a college student, majoring in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Psychology and I'm employed with Bank of America as a customer service associate.
    Weight was never really an issue for me while I was growing up.  I was always a pretty slim, but not skinny adolescent.  During my early to middle adulthood, I pretty much maintained my “girlish” figure.  It wasn’t until around twenty-six, when I began to notice my weight picking up.   I have never really been a big eater.  I did (and still do) tend to miss meals.  I used to go all day and not eat anything at all.  Some days if I ate lunch, I would not eat dinner or if I knew I was going to eat out, I would not eat lunch, or would eat something like a bag of chips and a soda..  Water was not a daily part of my diet.  During that time I would drink 3-4 sodas or more or  juice per day. I started noticing then I would pick up a little weight.  I think I went from a size 14/16 to a size 18/20. 
    When I became pregnant with my daughter, I gained a total of twenty pounds, which I lost quickly after she was born.  I notice that my self-esteem started to go down.  What I used to think look good on me, made me look fat.  It just seemed like my face and head start to get bigger and I just became upset with my appearance.  By that time I had increased in dress size from 18/20 to 22/24 which is my current size today. 
     Over the past 10-12 years, I have tried almost everything possible to lose weight.  I’ve been on numerous diets, taken all types of pills from prescription Redux and Phen-phen/Fastin to over-the-counter weight reduction products.  I’ve gone on the internet and order pills to help with my weight loss. I have probably been a member of every fitness club, including the YMCA(now I'm currently a member of a local fitness club and have been since January).  I was also a patient with Physicians Weightloss, which I joined in July 2006. I would be motivated for a while, but when it seemed like the weight was not coming off, I would give up.  When I went to the information session for the bariatric surgery, on November 13, 2007 I weighed in at 287,  I was devastated!  I knew that night that I had made the right decision. 
     Last year when I noticed I was having problems walking from the parking lot to the building, I knew it was time for me to get serious about my weightloss.  I still consider myself pretty young and I want to be around for my daughter.  I have asthma, and my knees and ankles hurt from all the extra weight.  I started my research online and through people I knew who had the surgery about four years ago.  I contemplated with the decision for a while, as well as prayed for God to help me make the right decision. So, now I'm here, ready to become a member of the loser's club and kick start my new beginning. And as I go through my journey I hope you will be there with me. I'm looking forward to my rebirth, my new beginning!