Marisa_21
My story is pretty simple. I was skinny and in-shape and athletic my entire life, well until I hit about 17 or 18. I really started gaining weight a couple of years after my parents split up. Now I am not blaming that for my current weight but it was a stressful time and I wasn't eating right and taking care of myself properly and it was the start of a downward spiral. I was less interested in health, sports and physical activity and more interested in being a "rebel teenager" and staying out late, drinking, partying and that sort of thing which usually ended in late night trips to the diner and ordering a cheeseburger with cheese fries with brown gravy (yum)
This was the slow start to a horrific weight gain of over 200lbs
. Gross, I know. There are other factors that contributed to my weight gain (medication, PCOS) but the bottom line is, I have not been taking care of myself for the past few years and I would be lying if I said I didn't know why I went from a size 5/6 to a 26/28 in just 8 years. Regardless of how I got to this dark place, I know I am finally ready and willing to take on the challenge of getting my life back. Before I became fat I used to do be able to do and enjoy so many things that I can now only dream about. Horseback riding, roller coasters, being a beach bum, wearing a bikini (or any bathing suit) in public, playing a sport without passing out in the first 10 minutes - just to name a few.
I have, like so many people, tried EVERY fad diet you can imagine and have failed miserably at all of them. I even went to a doctor who offered a promising program that combined accupressure with a STRICT (and I mean STRICT) diet that consisted of whole milk (2days at a time) and 1 lb of vegetables and 2 fruits (2days at a time) between the hours of 12pm and 6pm. I thought these would all be the answer, and honestly I did lose some weight on all of these programs but it was never more than 20-30lbs and it never stayed off once I returned to "normal" life and then the lost pounds would always creep back up, each time bringing a few of their friends with them. Obviously, my failed attempts did wonders for my self-esteem so I continued to eat and eat and gain and gain and here I am today at 321 lbs. One day in July, I got on the scale and when I saw 344, I almost passed out. That was the last straw and I decided right there that I would not let it get any worse and decided to look into bariatric surgery. Honestly, I was skeptical at first but I am glad I checked it out and went through the entire process and I couldn't be more excited to get started to see the weight disappear and never return.
I have lost 23 lbs since I began my journey in July and I am scheduled for surgery on September 29, 2011. I am on meal replacements now and I have 10 days to lose another 15 pounds but I think I can do it. I am motivated and I want to be thin and healthy so badly and even though it is hard at times to see other people eating food that I know tastes great, I am making a change to better myself and my lifestyle and nothing is more important to me than that.
