shrinkingviolet5466
Looking back at baby pictures it is obvious that I was a cute chubby baby with Sharpei thighs. Funny how what is adorable at eighteen months isn’t at twelve years, let alone at forty nine. As I grew up I was never thin but I was extremely active so it was never a big problem. In the eighth grade my weight went up appreciably to approximately 140 lbs. By the time of my sophomore year in high school I was down to 117 lbs. All through high school and college I would fluctuate between 130 and 120. At the time of my college graduation in 1980 I was engaged and weighed about 125 pounds.
In April of 1981 I got married and on my wedding day I was 149 pounds. In October of 1982 I weighed 162 lbs. At that point I went on Nutri System for the first time. I stayed on until Christmas Eve that year. At that point I was down to 139 lbs.
In February of 1984 I became pregnant with my first son and I weighed 188 pounds. When I delivered him in
About this time I tried Nutri System for the second time and got nowhere. Previously I didn’t have difficulty with it but now with three little kids I found it impossible.
Within two years of having my third child I had both a hysterectomy and my gall bladder removed.
Shortly after that when my baby started school I decided that I now had time for me. Over the course of a year I got my weight down to 206 pounds. Through walking everyday and taking time to think about myself and my actions, paying attention to everything I ate.
By 2003 my weight had ballooned to 281 lbs. In March of that year I went on the Atkins diet. By November I was down to 226 lbs and felt great. My Doctor was seeing me at approximately 6 month increments to check my blood work. By the time the Holidays were over I had put on 10 pounds and once again I was on my way up.
In June of 2006 weighing 278 pounds, I went for my physical, determined to ask my Doctor about Bariatric surgery. When I got to his office and brought up my weight we spent a great deal of time talking about first steps. He suggested Lexapro to help with compulsive eating and he also suggested that I give Weight Watchers a try. Although I had tried Weight Watchers a try several previous times I signed up again. This time with a slightly different approach. My newly enlightened approach was that I didn’t gain it over night so I certainly shouldn’t expect to lose it overnight. I stayed faithfully on Weight Watchers and saw my Doctor after six months on the plan. At which time he sent me for blood work again. My downfall was a twelve day family trip to . At the time of the trip in March I was 245 pounds. By the time I came back I was 256 pounds. When I went for my physical in June I was 261 pounds. Which as my Doctor pointed out was 17 pounds less than the previous year.
This summer I have been really thinking about the effect my weight has on my lifestyle and health. My blood this June showed that I was in a range known as pre-diabetic. My mother has had both hips and a knee replaced. I am now on TriCor for cholesterol. Every time I go for a mammogram or gynecologist appointment the first question I am asked is “Are you diabetic?” I am tired of my husband waking me up in the morning and asking me first thing everyday “How do you feel”?
I am able to walk for at least a couple of miles on a level surface, but I want to be able to go up stairs without having to stop and catch my breath. I am NOT looking to be skinny I am looking to be able to lead an active lifestyle. I want to go kayaking, I want to waterski again. I don’t to have anyone hanging back on my account. I don’t want to scope out every room I enter looking for the place where I can sit and not block traffic flow, or worry about the strength of the chair.
I am not pursuing this to gain attention I am doing this to lose negative attention. When I picture myself after surgery I see myself in loose fitting jeans and a sweatshirt climbing on the rocks along side a beach. I don’t have some slinky sexy image I want to be comfortable in my own skin and able to lead an active lifestyle.
My husband and I are empty nesters with heavy but flexible work schedules. We decided a few years ago to start taking advantage of opportunities that arose. We are looking forward to lots of time together and I want to be able to take full advantage of it.
