Lynn B.
I was always healthy growing up in the country...we ate out the garden and had fresh milk and butter. We ate only produce and meats we raised and didn't eat out. However, I can look back now and see that all the food we loved was very high in calories and we ate lard in most everything. The active life of a child where there were no indoor play time unless the weather was bad and the farm chores that were required of us all kept me slim.
However, in 67 we moved to the city where life was less hectic for me. But still, walking and biking were our mode of transportation and while we still ate the same foods, I remained slim because we didn't eat out--only one hamburger place in the whole town--and we ate regular meals and limited treats.
Then getting married in high school and having a baby then another, I began the decent into my weight problems. In those days folks didn't know much about gestational diabetes, and since both of my babies were large, 1st 8.2 lbs, 2nd 10lbs, I am sure I had that condition. I would then go for years on the yo you diets and never once reached goal. Each time I gained more with each diet..what a mess. I went from 142 in high school to the 170-80's until the mid 80's. Then I jumped to 230 and even reached nearly 270 two summers ago. I was working a very high stress long hour project that pushed me over the edge and I developed full blown diabetes after barely skirting the problems for nearly a decade. I immediately starting seeking a transfer from that division of my company as my health was so bad I really felt I was dying...and most likely if I hadn't stopped that bad job when I did I could very well have.
I moved to Miami and found a good doctor to give me a physical and from there I've moved to the arena of 5 different prescriptions with 1 additional for night screams....gotta tell you, 5 deaths of key family members in a few short years was not helping matters either. How do we live our lives on this type of fast track so long and not have health problems. You always have those that say "you can lose that weight if you just tried"..I oftentimes have to just bite my tounge not to tell them off...some people haven't the metobolic issues that I have...and yes, I could eat better, and have for some time...so 255 is where I was when I started my pre-op fast prior to surgery. I will be able to exercise better once I get enough of th weight off not to hurt my knees and feet so much when I walk, or lose my breath all the time. It's hard to work in this condition....but today is a new day.
