gcmcal
Food is love. This is what I used to think throughout my life. I was brought up in an Italian household where food was the center of everything. At an early age I knew I wanted to become a chef, so food was always on my mind. Food was always the topic of conversation no matter where I went. I was thin up until middle school where I started to put on weight. At some point in high school I lost weight and was feeling pretty good. After graduation I started to gain weight again while working in the kitchens. Food had become the center of my life. I had no restrictions or thoughts about how it would ultimately affect me. In 1989 I decided to join the Navy. I remember going to the recruiter and him telling me I had to lose some weight before I could ever get in. I did manage to lose the few pounds that I needed but struggled with my weight the entire time I was in from 1989-1997. In 1997 I went to reinlist and was turned down because I was too heavy. I got out of the military and took my family to Maryland where I worked in a gourmet prepared food department of a grocery store. Ultimately I ended up in Pennsylvania helping to open the new stores for the expansion we were experiencing. My marriage was rocky, and I always turned to food for comfort. I tried every diet under the sun only to gain back anything I had lost plus more. As the years went by, and a divorce, I packed on the weight. Today I weigh in at 365lbs and am the heaviest I have ever been in my life. I am in a size 50 pants and 4X shirts. I always tell people I am built for comfort and not for speed. I would laugh and that always worked for me. I never felt or embarrassed about my weight. I would go to the beach, swim, and all other activities that slim people do without thought. Recently my knees and legs are hurting. The weight is now taking a toll on me. I finally had enough and decided I need more than just will power to lose weight. . I decided to reach out to the Barix Clinics in Langhorne, Pa for help. I am now waiting on my surgery, which is scheduled for December 14th.
