yasulh
I will be turning 39 next month and it is time for me to start taking care of myself. I have been overweight since I was a teen, but really put on the pounds when I hit college. Instead of the freshman 15 I put on the freshman 50! I haven't been under 200 lbs since. About 10 years ago, I weighed about 250 lbs. Around the same time I was diagnosed with PCOS, which I had already suspected. I was placed on birth control pills to help control the hormones, but the pill tends to also interfere with my moods. I was diagnosed with depression around 2002 and was put on Zoloft. I actually lost about 35 lbs with the Zoloft, but I had to stop taking the Zoloft due to side effects. I was changed to Celexa and my weight went back up to about 260. In 2005 I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on my face and had it removed. In 2006 I changed jobs and that caused a drastic change in my activity level. In my previous jobs I was always on my feet and moving around. However, I started teaching online in 2006. While it is a great job and gives me a lot of flexibility, it also is very sedentary! My weight ballooned to about 278, which has been my highest weight.
In 2007, I started focusing on wanting to improve my fitness. I joined the Family Y, and started going to a water aerobics class. I worked my way up to going about three days a week. After several months of attending water aerobics, I wanted to increase my activity and not be stuck to a set schedule, so I started doing deep water jogging. I worked my way up to jogging in the pool four days a week for an hour each time. While I lost inches, I did not really lose much weight. I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but you would think some of this fat would have gone somewhere!
Over the next couple of years, my trips to the gym started to fluctuate. I would be good about it for a while, then I wouldn't. I was also a doctoral student, so my studies and dissertation took up a lot of my time. However, I still went to the gym to exercise periodically.
In January of 2008 my mother had gastric bypass surgery. While I still did not eat as well as I should, I did change my eating habits around the same time. I added more protein to my diet and started being more careful about portions. I no longer ate everything on my plate. In December of 2008 I started the Nutrisystem diet. My starting weight was 270. In the first three months I lost 15 lbs. For the next three months I did not lose anything. I was faithful to the diet, eating the meals and adding in fruits and salads. I did occasionally cheat, but no more than once a week and even then I might have eaten something off of the menu but still was careful about portions. I finally gave up on Nutrisystem, as my weight was not moving. I still remained mindful of what I ate and in what portions, taking in more protein to curb my appetite.
I sprained my foot in February of 2009, so I was not able to exercise for a while. However, I did start back to the gym around March or April. In June of 2009 I signed up for swimming lessons at the Y. I took a two week class (four days a week each week for an hour, with a practice day for the fifth) in June, then a two week class in July, continuing to swim during the break between classes.
In September of 2009 I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. I had gone to the doctor out of concern that I was having trouble staying awake. I was to a point (and had been for a while) that I was sleeping 16 hours a day. My sleep study showed that I did have sleep apnea and hypopnea, and I was placed on a CPAP. I was actually grateful to have a diagnosis and hope for improvement. I have been compliant with my CPAP since day one - I have never missed a night or a nap without it. It has made a world of difference in my energy level! I also found that it helped with my swimming, as I was able to regulate my breathing better while swimming laps. I also started adding in exercise outside of the pool - using a recumbent bike. Meanwhile, my weight was back up above 260.
I got out of the habit of going to the gym again around the holidays. I had surgery again to remove skin cancer in January, and that kept me out of the gym for a while as my wound healed. I have increased my overall activity level some as I have increased some of my volunteer activities, but I am not where I should be. I finally started becoming motivated to exercise again around March. I have problems with my feet, so it is hard for me to walk, but I decided to give it a try. I ordered some of the shoes that are supposed to enhance your exercise while walking. I also talked with my doctor about changing my medication again. A colleague is on Meridia and has been happy with his weight loss results. While I was changing my medication due to side effects, I asked my doctor to put me on a medication that is in the same class as Meridia. It has had an effect on my appetite, but not my weight.
When I visited my mom in Atlanta I went walking with her at the mall. I also added to my steps when I went shopping and such. In April, I hurt my ankle. I have been recuperating since then, as my podiatrist told me to be careful about how I move my ankle (and even swimming involves ankle movement). At my last appointment with the podiatrist on May 19th, he basically told me that my ankle was overloaded and that I should always continue to wear a brace when doing any activity. In other words, my weight is the issue. When I got home from that appointment I made a decision. It was time to consider weight loss surgery.
I went to an information session at Trinity Bariatric Center on May 20th, and I stayed for the support group. I already had a good bit of knowledge about the surgery options and such through going through the decision making and process with my mother a couple of years ago. I was really impressed with the surgeons at Trinity, and made up my mind that this is something I want to do. I contacted my insurance the next day, and found out that I will have to do the six month supervised diet. I have an appointment with my primary care physician scheduled for May 25th. In the meantime, the surgeon's office informed me that once I get three months into the diet I can start the process of scheduling the testing needed before the surgery.
So here I am. To summarize, I am 5'7" and 268 lbs, with a BMI of 42. I also have obstructive sleep apnea, high cholesterol, joint problems,PCOS, IBS, and acid reflux. Both of my parents are diabetic. I am not yet, but I do get hypoglycemic (a precursor to diabetes). I get short of breath when walking across a store, and I hurt all of the time. I don't fit in many seats - especially in classroom desks or restaurant booths. I find myself paying to upgrade when I fly so that I have a larger seat in order to get even close to being comfortable. I don't have as much energy as I would like to have. I want my life back!
I intend to have the laparoscopic RNY, hopefully in October or November. In the meantime, the insurance required diet will help me to prepare for the changes in routine that are going to come with having the surgery. My mom got a lot out of this forum in preparation for her surgery, so here I am - following in her footsteps. :)
Thanks for "listening"!
