Roxy_
Well, here I am, finally! 
My story is the same as many others. I didn't start out fat, I just thought I was. I gained over 70 pounds when I got pregnant my senior year of high school and spent the next 15-20 years on the "yo-yo" diet plan slowly gaining after each loss. I went into treatment for eating disorders and have gotten off that plan, which has resulted in a 10-15 year period where I have maintained a weight averaging 250-260 pounds.
While I did stop gaining weight, I was not losing any and 250 pounds was not healthy weight for me. I soon developed many co-morbidity diseases including diabetis, high colesteral and sleep apnea. 
I don't know how many times I told myself, "If I could just lose 100 pounds, I know I could maintain the loss." 
Then I started watching "Big Medicine" and thought, how do these people get their insurance to pay, as I was under the impression that insurance did not cover this sort of surgery. So I checked into it and found out that my insurance would pay. Now, 48 years old and 263 pounds, I have my chance to prove that I can maintain a healty weight and cannot wait to make it work. 
10-22-07 Six weeks have gone by, seemed like forever at the time. Surgery was not fun, I don't think it was supposed to be. Anyway, I am finally feeling back to normal (i.e. no odd pains in my back or stomach, all the bandaids are off and tubes are out and I can move around and lay down any way I want.) I have learned that when they say you are not hungry, it means physically, not emotionally. While it has been easier to bypass the "good" food because of the fear of pain and vomiting, my brain still thinks about eating everything it sees. TV commercials are the worst. Everything looks delicious. Nevertheless, I have managed to eat right and lose weight. My blood sugar is down and I haven't taken my diabetic medication since the day before surgery. My sleep apnea is much better, I don't find myself falling asleep all the time. Overall, I am much healthier even after this short time.
01-29-08 Well, time is flying by now. It has been over 4 months since my surgery. Things are going very will overall. I am down 57 pounds. 
My blood sugar is still down but not as low as during the first couple of months. Of course, I have unfortunately found out that I can eat a limited amount of most anything, including sugar. 
Also, my sleep apnea, which was gone during the first three months has returned somewhat. 
However, using the CPAP, which didn't seem to help before, makes it much better. I am starting to beg, borrow and steal to get something to wear that fits without spending a fortune to buy a new wardrobe. I have had two plateaus (I hope I spelled that right), one after the first 30 pounds that lasted several weeks and I am having one now. This one is particularly frustrating because I only have a few pounds to lose to get under the 200 mark. The whole exercise thing is still a problem, I just can't seem to get any and I know it is important. Oh well, I'll just keep on truckin' for now and let you know how it goes.
05-14-08 Well, no good news here. I did finally get under 200, 198 to be exact, but only for a few days. I have been going from 198 to 203 for about three months now. I know what I have to do, but can't make myself do it. I seem to be able to eat anything, just smaller amounts. I don't feel good if I eat to much to fast or too much sugar, but it doesn't keep me from doing it. I just wait about 40 minutes until I feel better and then start thinking about getting something else to eat. I am back to the old habits of telling myself I'll start doing something about it tomorrow or Monday and daydreaming about what sort of crash "dieting" will get me back to losing. I hate to think I went through all of this just to gain the weight back, I knew it was possible and was sure I could make it work, but now I see myself letting it happen anyway. So anyway, I have been back online looking at all the success stories hoping to boost my spirits and find some new hope. Back to Step One, admit you have a problem!
