Three years after our daughter was born, my weight wasn't horrific, but that changed drastically when I quit smoking. I gained probably 50 pounds and eventually tried Weight Watchers and was mildly successful . . . for awhile. By the time I was 29 and pregnant with our second child my weight was a serious issue. So serious that my doctor put me on Weight Watchers (again) during my pregnancy. I actually lost 18 pounds and delivered a healthy 7-pound, 9-ounce boy.
Fast forward ten years. Weight still an issue. Still unresolved. Then I read a great book by Gwen Shamblin called "The Weigh Down Diet." It incorporates a lot of biblical principles and it really, really worked for me. Its method is simple: don't eat unless you're hungry and then don't overeat. So that's what I did. And exercised my fanny off. I walked about three miles a day and spent about 30 minutes a day on a stationary bike. And I peeled off 85 pounds. But, like all the other times before, the weight started creeping back on and kept coming and coming and coming. I'm not sure what my highest weight was then, but I'm guessing it was around 260.
Three years ago we planned a 25th anniversary trip to Italy and I managed to knock off 40 pounds (and only gained five during our three-week stay, which I thought was pretty good with all that fabulous Italian food we ate). But, once we returned there was no real motivation for me to continue my plan, so I quit. Pretty soon I was back to eating McDonald's every day for breakfast and ignoring the gym membership we had.
Seeing that picture I described in my first post might have been the straw that broke the camel's back, but the reality of my dire situation truly set in during our vacation to Colorado this summer. By that time, I had already begun the process of qualifying for the surgery, so I knew there was a possibility that things would be different. Now, however, I realized it was a necessity if I wanted to have a fulfilling life. It always takes a day or two to adjust to the change in altitude (breathing is not so easy up there), but I never felt like I could get enough air during the whole trip. I couldn't do the things I wanted to do and I felt like I'd really put a damper on our vacation. I was more eager than ever to make this change and make is permanent. For life. Yeah, I want to be a lifer.
Next time on The Egg and I . . . The Waiting Game and Dr. Roulette
Summer fun revisited
11 years ago
3 comments:
You said:
"Seeing that picture I described in my first post might have been the straw that broke the camel's back"
It was a picture of me in the newspaper a couple years ago that really got my attention. It was embarrassing to see how obese I was, and to know that everybody else (even people who hadn't seen me in years) could see it in the picture. That kind of helped get me motivated, but it's still a daily struggle, with lots of seturennekgbacks. Best wishes to you.
That had a typo. I meant "setbacks"
this is fascinating...i'm sad I am just now making the time to read through your story. What an incredible resource this is for anyone looking into bypass surgery. onto the next post...
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