Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

Hi my name is Anne and like most of you i have been battling my weight most of my life. When i was graduating grade 8 and going for my physical for high school my family doctor refused to sign my form because he told me i was too "fat", and i needed to lose weight over the summer. Over the next three months i went from 208 to 105 lbs. I now recognize that i was a full blown eating disorder at this time. I was lucky not to have died to fulfill a physicans need. I have had periods of where my weight has gone up and down but over all have continue to be large most of my life. I appreciate all your stories and as i finish my last 10 days of Optifast i have used them as inspiration for myself. I look forward to the day that i can put up my own before and after pictures and pray i do as well as most of you have.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

Worse part of being overweight is the physical complications that start to appear. I have always been a very active person and do not want to be taking medications if i can help it. I am also a single mom and want to be around for my daughter as long as i can. The other factor that has been horrible is the fear of not fitting into restaurant tables/seats of planes and rides. When you start to avoid because of these fears it is not good.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

I am booked September 17/12 to have surgery.