jliza001
Just like many people out there, I have never been skinny. I was always big. I was taller than most of my friends and my family and never skinny like my 5'2 95lb. sister. I have battled with my weight for all of my life and during college (when everyone was gaining the "freshman 15") I actually lost a significant amount of weight and went from 213lbs. to 163lbs. due to a severe change in eating habits and constant exercise. I still thought I was fat then and always had 15-20 more pounds to lose. Of course now I realize that I was at the high end of a normal weight and that I looked as good as my friends who were all so skinny and worrying about the space between their thighs!
Anyway, after college I moved home with my mom to save up for graduate school in San Francisco and I gained about 30-40lbs back because I had stopped exercising and I was snacking and not eating actual meals. But I was dancing at least once a week and I started working out so the weight halted. Then I moved up north, back into the roommate situation and lost a pant size. THEN... I met my first boyfriend who loved and worshiped me. I started eating again. And not just snacking. I was drinking soda, eating candy, and pizza. I would normally eat ice cream every now and then, or drink a regular soda... All of a sudden I was eating all of this crap food and I ballooned up from an 18 to a 24 in less than a year. I could see the stretch marks appearing on my stomach but I couldn't stop eating. Then I met with my doctor and found that I had high cholesterol. I freaked out because I was only 23. So I gave up soda and (tried) to eat oatmeal and I started walking. I figured if I could only go back to eating small meals, no snacking, and daily exercise, the weight would drop off. Well it didn't. And I couldn't stick on a diet. I would start a week great then when the BF came up I would eat. It was a cycle because I always got right back on the diet but then would fall off, then get back on then fall off.
Then summer came, bringing with it a lot of stress and other issues that I had let build up over the years. I dropped out of grad school and basically out of life for a year. I did join a gym, but my eating habits were terrible. It didn't help that my BF was now smoking pot. I would eat a bag of candy for dinner. So realizing that I was in a terrible situation, we moved again (I always seem to be moving) and I got a job as a banker and started weight watchers with the help of my doctor and began walking a mile and a half every night. I lost 20 pounds. We stopped eating fast food. It felt great. I got comments at work. But something was calling me. School. I needed to finish school. So we moved back to SF and I worked and walked and kept the weight down - some came back due to stress and eating pizza (pizza is my worst enemy I swear!). I went to a weight doctor who gave me pentermine (which is like speed. You go from eating everything to eating nothing and then when you stop taking it because you can't sleep at night, you eat everything in sight.) I finally quit the bank because they just didn't want to pay me what I was worth and kept lying to me about it. I applied back to graduate school and was accepted. So now, here I am, jobless but back on my path. I started doing Taebo (except the kicks because I have gained so much weight that my knees pop and at 26 years old - I do NOT want my knees to go out. I already have a bad ankle (just born with that I guess) and I've thrown my back out to where I can't even dress myself twice.)) And I'm also walking to and from school (which is almost 2 miles, 3 days a week). But my eating habits still suck.
My dad had mentioned that a guy at his work had the RNY (I think he did it to put it in my head although he didn't tell me to go have it done directly). I started researching it and then my mom mentioned it to me and we talked about it for a long while and she thought it would be really good for me. I was worried about being too young, about not being sick enough... But I was on the phone with my best friend and holding my back (which has gotten much better since Taebo ^^) and I was like, "Who has bad backs? Old men have bad backs. Old women don't even have bad backs. Maybe bad hips, but not bad backs. I am a 26 year old woman, I should NOT have a bad back." And that was when I decided to have the surgery. I am ready to give up soda and pizza and junk. I know the only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more -- that is how I lost weight last time. No drugs or diets or any of that crap -- I just ate less, I didn't snack, and I exercised. I remember running with my roommates, a mile in 10 minutes. It was the BEST feeling in the WORLD. Just running... I was free. But I just can't lose the weight. I eat too much. Even when I am eating well, it�s too much. I exercise, but its not enough for what I put in. I need some help.
I'm a TO-DO'er type person, always making lists. So here is my pre-surgery list of things to do:
1. Go to a seminar (08/23/05)
2. Obtain referral from PCP (09/12/05)
3. Fill out all paperwork & mail out to PBSMG (09/16/05)
4. GET INSURANCE CARD (09/29/05)
5. Go over paperwork with PBSMG (10/06/05)
6. Complete all lab work and fax to PBSMG (10/24/05)
7. Have consultations. (11/04/05)
8. Paperwork is sent to insurance company. (11/23/05)
9. Wait. Hope. Pray. Prepare for the worst.
10. Insurance Approval (11/29/05) WOOT!!
11. SURGERY DATE: 12/21/05!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
