Until 7th grade I was skinny, 84# so bover that summer I deliberately did what I could to gain weight and got up to 120#.
Problem reaching puberty I began to grow more and soon was 134# and then felt fat. I went to diet doctors and got diet pills, amphetamines. My weight went up and down but by the time I was 18, I had reached 156# and by 19 was 183# I couldn't get diet pills anymore as laws changed and so did my health.By 22 I was 225#
I had my first baby 3 wks before my 24th birthday and by delivery I weighed 271# and joined a gym by didnt go there for long as I was working and caring for my baby and became pregnant again .
During the rest of my 20s I stayed around 250# between pregnancies. I had my last baby at 32 and again delivered at 271# but instead of losing afterwards I gained and got up to 325# by 1987 I had 5 children. I had several miscarriages throughout the 1990s.. when I found out I had Lupus.
I had GERD since my teens and now had ulcers on and off for years which added to my problems as carbs were more easily eaten without the immediate reflux.In the late 1990s I had a Nissenfundoplication for the GERD. 3 weeks later I fell and the band inside popped. The surgeon said I would need an open procedure but that he didnt do the type I needed so I went on Prevacid for years instead. I had a couple umbilical hernia repairs which broke as well.
My back was getting bad so I had 3 breast reductions but they failed to help my back but did wonders in destroying my self image.
After my last miscarriage I had several surgeries to try and get my 40+ age body in shape to attempt one more pregnancy.I had the breast reductions, hernia surgeries, leg and arm surgery and shoulder surgery for a rotator cuff tear. I never got pregnant again.
In 2003 I began a starvation diet as I had reached 374# or higher but that was my last scale weight. In 10 months I lost about 100# and was staying steady around 280# but was active and traveling and feeling better then when I was 374#
In 2004 I had an lower abdomenalyplasty by a general surgeon who also did a breast reduction revision.I developed an abcess in my abdomen so had a revision done 6 months later and the abcess was removed intact 6 inches by 8 inches. My weight went up and down between 280-305#
In 2006 I got hit by a car furthering injuring my hip and back.I stayed home became increasingly sedentary and my weight went back up to 325#
By 2008 I needed a hip replacement but needed to lose weight before I could get it but couldnt lose the weight and some winters I reached 339# but then could get back down to 325# and occasionally down to about 309#but would spring back up to the 320s#
My back hip ad legs got worse and I developed chronic cellulitis and also had Sarcoidosis, CHF, GERD, IBS+C, Degenerative Disc Disease, Hiatal Hernia that stretched and slid as well as a ventral hernia where the abdomenalplasty had been done. I injured my other shoulder as well as I became a fall hazard.I lived/live in chronic pain. I would get steroid shots in my joints and back but the were becoming less and less effective, often only providing relief from the numbness given with the shots, but once worn off, offered little improvement.
My orthopedic surgeon suggested a gastric bypass in 2018 so I went to a bariatric clinic in Pittsburgh for evaluation and was given a bunch of tests to get done back home and told to go on a 1200 cal a day diet that was high protein and low carb and low fat.
While scheduling and complying with the tests I needed, nine months had passed.I thought I could get my eating under control by buying TV dinners as portion control.I weighed in at my PCP at 306# and for the next 3 months ate TV dinners.When I went back to my doctor I was 321# a 15# gain so I was very discouraged. I stopped the TV dinners.
I didnt go back right away to the bariatric surgeon as I was supposed to lose 40# before she could repair my abdomenalplasty hernia or the gastric sleeve which she was going to have a thoracic surgeon assist to repair the old nissenfundoplication hernia.
Either way I needed to lose 40# before I could get either surgery so felt hopeless. The pain I was in was always extreme. I took supplements like turmeric curcumen, ginger root powder, oil of oregano but had no quality of life having at that point become a shut in since 2011.Even when I would have gotten the spinal shots, I kept getting cellulitis so couldnt get the shots. I was just waiting to die but began researching supplements that would be safe as I had a heart condition so diet pills were out.
I bought Cambogia and Caralluma Fimbriata and they did curb my appetite however I was still not losing weight.I was taking robiotics and vitamins too. Even though I was in chronic pain I turned down taking any more hydrocodones as I felt that if I took them I would never get my surgeries but be put off indefinitely. I never took more than 1-2 per day when I was using them post op at different times as I never wanted to risk addiction.
I had given up on diets as I had been dieting on and off for 50 years without success.I decided I needed a new approach.I had stopped the TV dinners but instead began to buy the 12 oz bags of steamable vegetables that were low cal and low carb.
I found the Great Value brand of Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and decided to eat one bag per day no matter what else I ate.Within a month I was barely eating snacks at night which was the main time frame for 'nibbling' and snacks.
I said goodbye to my last loaf of bread, finishing it but replacing it with soft tortillas to make wraps and rollups instead. After a few weeks of tortillas I stopped those and used lettuce to make my wraps. A week later I was eating salads with cut up cold cuts and cheeses and hard boiled eggs .
I read about Chicory Root Powder as a prebiotic that helped with arthritis and cholesterol as my PCP said I should be taking a prebiotic. At my 3 month checkup I went in and my weight was down the15# I had gained before the last office visit and had to come back the following week for a pre surgical appt for cataract surgery. I told the doctor I got the Chicory Root Powder and was modifying my diet continuing with the bag of veggies every day and no longer eating bread or rolls.
A week later at my return visit, with the addition now of the Chicory Root Powder I had dropped 13# in one week.She wanted to see me back in a week so I went back and had lost another 6# so she did some tests to make sure nothing else was going on.Everything was ok so I had my cataract surgery but with the addition of the Chicory Root Powder and having cut out bread and eating more vegetables I lost 45# in 7 weeks.
Instead of making an appointment in Pittsburgh I wanted to see how far I could get with this change of menu.I joined Sparkspeople.com to track what I ate as I was supposed to keep a journal for the bariatric doctor when I returned. I then joined CarbManager as I found lowering my carbs was helping me lose weight more than just counting calories.
I was eating about 12 oz of lean meats and 12 oz of steamable veggies every day along with 3-4oz Greek Yogurt and or 3-4oz cheese, eggs and simple salads. I used butter instead of margarine but used very little of it.
I found a group on facebook that was also mostly protein instead of fat but doing a low carb regimen like keto. I joined and they explained what macros were and helped me establish mine. Then CarbManager began to make sense to me and I could plan amounts to what I ate.I prepackaged 4 oz packs of lean hamburger, boneless chicken using 2-3 meat packs a day and also used Oscar Mayer Cotto Salami & Wieners and got a 5# block of 120 slices of Deluxe American Cheese, using up to 4 slices per day.
Instead of using salad dressings I used the Greek Yogurt with some spices and would make up a salad in a container and shake it to coat it. I found out Parmesan cheese had alot of protein so added that to salads and veggies. I learned to make cauliflower rice and cauliflower pizza and began watching youtubes on low carb low fat meals.
I traded out potatoes for cooked radishes and turnips. I stopped eating potato chips along with most grains and rice.
By January I lost 80# and got the clearance for my total right hip replacement, that I waited 14 years to get.
I continued my new way of eating.
Some months weight came off fast. Other months it seemed to stall but overall I am averaging a loss of about 8-10#per month and is a sustainable way of eating.
From starting at 321# last year,I am now down to 196# so about 125# loss so far.
I have found healthy substitutes for foods that were too fattening for me.
Instead of veggies cheese and pasta dishes I double the veggies.
I also use lowfat 30g protein shakes instead of coffee creamer and frozen strawberries or protein bars instead of cookies or candy.
If I occasionally want something chocolate, I eat a small piece of Sams Choice 90% cocoa dark Swiss Chocolate as 1 bar has 10 squares that are less than 1/3 carb each and a bar can last me a month as a little chip usually satisfies any craving.
I still need some corrective surgeries on my leg, neck, back and abdomen but want to lose the weight first , so I will have a better outcome. I just had a left shoulder repair on July 30th so am still recovering.
My problem with this continued weight loss is excess skin! I am turning to a prune with globs of loose skin on my arms,legs and deformed around my abdomen and buttocks. My breast since I had the redux done with 2 revisions years ago, were down to 46DD but have now deflated and hang and I fit in a 40D bra . My hips were 65 inches last year and now are 39 inches and I lost all my butt fat so the skin on my butt hangs down on the back of my thighs and some folds in my skin easily develop chaffing or sores. I have been using shapermint compression leggings and bras and my size so far has gone from 32 to 12. I didnt think the skin would be such an issue but its getting more apparent as I lose weight that I will need some skin removal. For now I am taking collagen but honestly it doesnt seem to be helping much with the skin thats deflating and drooping. The remnants of the abdomenalplasty with its ventral hernia is disgusting to look at and painful as the under muscles are also torn so when straining will protrude like I was 6-7 months pregnant. The scar tissue under my breasts are covered over by excess skin so they tend to crack and get sore frequently as do under my arms. I was thinking I could avoid skin removal but as I am still trying to lose another 40 # or so I have my target at 155# but the excess skin will be causing health problems so now I will have to consider being evaluated for removal once I reach my target weight which should be within the next several months.
I try to never go over 1200 calories per day, often I eat less.
I aim at 125g+ protein per day
I keep fats between 50-70g per day
I measure Net Carb to 25g or lower each day.
