Background of my Weight 
Story
2007 School Picture (Purple Shirt) 2005 School Picture (Teal)
As I began this website of my journey of weight loss, I wanted to motivate myself and make it "fun". Maybe sometime along the way, it could be used as a motivation for others. I have been overweight since fourth grade... I clearly remember the day that I realized I was "fat" (connected to the horrific day that I had to start wearing a bra!!). Living through the teasing, my wonderful parents, and standing up for myself gave me a very strong self-confidence that made the weight not seem "important."
The mind-set of "I am big and beautiful" along with if they don't like me (size and personalitity) I don't care got me through junior high, high school, and college very smoothly. I was usually the center of attention and loved every minute of it (wait, I'm talking in past tense, I am still the center of attention and love every minute of it).
When I graduated from college in 2004, my mother threw me a large party. My entire family came from all over Southern California to celebrate. Friends from home and school were there. At the time I thought that I looked wonderful. However, when I saw the pictures of the joyous day I was astonished. Not only did I look extremely large, but I was didn't look healthy and could bearly handle the 100 degree heat of the day.
Just days after graduation, I started my new job as an assistant executive director of a non-profit. I was in heaven with the job and the salary, but I was beginning to understand that even though I "liked" myself the way I was, my health wasn't going to stay the same as long as I was as heavy. At 262, I was the max weight that I thought I could ever be. I attended Kaiser's weight management classes and considered all their options... I tried to diet myself (following a similar plan to WW).
In June (one month after graduation), I was sitting in my new apartment after work watching TV. At that moment I thought, "I could sit here forever, or I could do something about my weight." I got up and drove to the gym (1/4 mile from the apartment) and joined on the spot. I also got talked into hiring a personal trainer (Mike) and began to lose the weight. Six months later I was down to 215 and felt like I was at the top of the world. Mike and I worked out together twice a week and I was working out by myself another 3-4 times. I was eating a lot of protein, about 1700 calories a day.
October 16, three day before my birthday, the newly hired executive director fired the entire staff (me included). I loss my momentum on that day. Not only had I lossed the ability to pay for a personal trainer, but I loss the sense that I could do anything I wanted. My weight loss continued very slowly until December (210).
After a few months of unemployeement, which I deemed "retirement," I started subsituting and began the admission process to get my teaching credential (the real goal of my life was to teach I just wanted to be older). I was asked to apply for an internship by the high school principal that I worked for... long story short, I was hired as a 7th grade English teacher to begin in the Fall of 2005. I started then and love it to this day.
I maintained my weight loss until my wedding(August 5, 2006), weighing 217 on the day before. My husband and I love to eat and eat out often. Quickly, without really noticing, I gained all the weight back. In April of 2007, I stepped on the scale and it said 262. Now, that must be the magic number or something because I freaked out! I began what I knew I needed to do that day.
I was down a little bit when a fellow teacher began "The Biggest Loser" competition at my school. Oh, boy, was I in! Anne saved me! I was in first place for the women for the entire competition and weighting in every week was exactly what I needed to get my butt in gear. In the eight week competition I lost 24 lbs. When school ended, I knew that I couldn't stop or I'd just put it back on.
Also, April 30th my dad had a heart attack and five stents were placed in his heart. The family history of obsesity, high blood pressure, diabeties puts me at a giant risk!
I joined WW on July 3, 2007 at 245.4 and I will lose it and lose it all!
