StephanieF.
My story....well, the story of my battle with obesity, at least. I was a skinny, blond, curly headed girl until I went to kindergarten, and for some reason, I began getting chubby that year, and never stopped. I don't know if it was the stress of school for me as a five-year old, or the family troubles at home with my parents' marriage, or if it was just genetic, but I began that year to realize that I was getting chubby. By third grade I had a full-blown self-esteem problem....I knew I was different, and I hated it. I wanted to be skinny and cute like Amy and Beth, the pretty blond twins at my school that all the boys had a crush on! As I went through elementary school I excelled academically, but I was always unhappy and insecure about my appearance, esp. with all the boys teasing me about being fat! One lovely young boy nicknamed me "Big Fat" and called me that from fourth through probably eighth grade. Jerk. Anyway, I gained and lost and gained and lost all through school, on various fad diets (the hot dog and banana diet, the soup diet, etc.) I went to see my family doctor before I went off to college in Pensacola, and he suggested I eat Lean Cuisine meals for lunch and dinner and walk on the beach as much as possible for exercise. I did that, and lost down to 145 or so, and felt pretty good about myself when I went off to the University of West Florida. Of course I gained more and lost it and gained it many more times....after I got married I lost some weight with a paid plan at a center, but then got pregnant the next year and gained again, etc. So now I have three handsome sons, and am still carrying all that baby weight! I knew it was time to do something to take control of this problem, as Weigh Down Workshop, Weight Watchers, Metabolic Research, Formu-3, etc., only worked temporarily for me. I needed a permanent solution, so that I may have a healthier, longer life than my sweet mom was able to have. God willing, it will be so!!
UPDATE: I did indeed have RNY gastric bypass on July 26, 2006 and have very few regrets. I don't regret the surgery itself, but I do regret that I didn't take as much calcium as i should have. Have some osteopenia as a result. Take heed, newbies! Otherwise, it's been a wonderful journey.
