New Here, just found you Sisters!

Dear Sisters, Hi, my name is Linda Woods I live in the middle of Texas, just started this weight loss journey. Also I just turned 61 years old. Married to Drue D. Woods, who will be 64 soon. Surgery was approved just a few days after first visit to Surgeons office. Also dear Husband and I are doing this together, with me going first. I have never had surgery, so don't want to chicken out. We both just hit 100lbs overweight. I went on my first diet, when I was fourteen years old, because my mother thought it was the thing to do. LOL Big mistake! I don't think I was really fat, just thought I was. We all know diets just lead to loosing weight and then gaining more back in the process. I went on a mission to Hawaii when I turned 21 years old (1966-1967). I still remember S. Dillworth Young (he was one of the seven presidents of the Seventies) setting me apart, and telling me that the food would taste sweet to me in the islands. I thought that was strange, as I had never met food I didn't like. The only thing I can remember refusing to eat during that 18 month mission was the delicacie snails that live on the rocks near the shore. And then I didn't refuse to eat them, I just pretended it wasn't something I was hesitant about, which didn't draw attention to me. I gained about 30 or 40 lbs on the mission, which was actually not as much as some of the poor sisters gained. (Just one Luau after another) After completing the mission, I soon went to work for the old Genealogical Society proceeded to go on a crash diet, sometimes eating only 500 or 600 calories a day. Actually got down to something like 128 lbs, which was below my high school graduation weight. Several Doctors have told me that the weight a girl is when she reaches 18 (of course this means if she is not having a real weight issue) is probably the correct weight for her. Well over the years that has proven to be true with me. That weight is 150 lbs, and is what has always seemed ideal for me, even though I never have stayed there long. I managed to stay in the area of that weight until I was 27 years old, met my husband, who already had two children, so I started cooking for a family at that point. By the time I married in Nov of 1973 I was probably 180. My sister who was making the dress, told me she could not let it out anymore, we had to get me married before the whole dress was a waste. Fifteen months later, when my first child was born, I still weighed 180. This was the case in the next two pregnancies (also in the next two years). Something about pregnancy agreed with my metabolism. OB/GYNS never complained about me gaining weight. In fact I was more likely to gain weight between the pregnancies than during them. As the three years of lack of sleep was the most stressful part of having children for me. I have never done the middle of the night thing well. After the children were born, I gained up to 220 or 240. Realized that diets were a huge mistake for me, and for the most part never went on another. I gained up to 252 in just the last couple of years, I assume that menopause, and sitting at desk jobs, as well as a wonderful medication called Acifex for acid reflux, making it possible to eat all the goodies that had made me sick prior to that, as being the principal cause of most recent weight gain, as well as the fact that I am not able to walk much due to foot problems, and have become way to sedentary. Thus the reason we got interested in WLS. Kind of funny to me, that we both reached 100 lbs overweight at approximately the same time. I had always heard that part of the criteria for WLS was being 100 lbs. over weight. Glad to find Sisters in the Gospel to share my Journey with. Linda

Welcome to this site Linda. The way you posted led me to think that maybe your surgery hasn't occured yet but is upcoming in the near future. If you have any questions or just want to let off steam or want to tell us of any achievements or "WOW" moments, post and talk to us. A WOW moment is when we can finally do something that we haven't been able to do in a long, long time - like fitting in the chair in a theater, tying our shoes, crossing our legs etc. etc. etc. Hope to hear more from you. Melody

Hey Sweetie!! I found you here the other day!! I was actually on the other page and saw your post. Then came here and read the posts and thought "wait a minute I think thats the same name" Sure enough it was. Anyway, welcome to the board. As I mentioned in my other post - I don't post here a hole lot. Not like I should and want to. Give me some time. Gala