jac4cy
Fortunately, I wasn't really overweight as a child. In fact, I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain a pound (I was actually tested to make sure I didn't have a tape worm - no joke!). Unfortunately, the fact that I was able to eat whatever and the fact that I had an insatiable appetite eventually caught up with me in my early teen years. I can actually remember the first time it was publicly brought to my attention that I was a bigger girl. I was on an All-Star softball team in 7th grade and had twisted my ankle while sliding into a base. The assistant coach came out to help me off the field and while she was holding me as I hopped to the dugout she made it very clear that she thought I was "big boned" for my age. Translation - you're a fatty little girl. That's when my battle with food began. I went on a very strict diet of only lean meat (chicken, turkey), veggies, and fruit. Absolutely no fat or carbs or dairy - not the healthiest way to eat when you are still maturing. This strict eating would eventually lead to me binging - then dieting - then binging - then dieting. I never threw up, but it was a similar process to bulimia. Because of this, I was able to maintain a pretty stable, normal weight through high school. Then I went to college - and I gained the freshman 20, the sophomore, 20, and so on. During this time I have been to a number of nutritionists, doctor's, psychologists (that's when I was diagnosed with my eating disorder). I have lost some of the weight with various programs, but gained it all back plus. As of today I weigh in at 216 pounds - and I am only 5'2". I'm 25 and it hurts to walk up the stairs; I sweat doing simple household chores; and I am starting to have reproductive problems. I have so many goals I still want to accomplish, but I feel like my weight holds me back. I can't walk into a room without feeling like an ogre. I desperately want to lose the weight for good so I am able to live the rest of my life to its fullest.
My mother has been morbidly obese my entire life. I look at all the hardship and hurt she has been through because of her weight and I know that I don't want my future children to have to see me like that. While right now I am a "light weight" in OH standards - I fear that without the intervention of surgery I won't be for long. I would rather have the surgery while I am young instead of waiting until I am older (and probably fatter) and say to myself "why didn't I do it earlier?"