A journey to a healthier me
Hi Everyone! So this is my webpage dedicated to my commitment to making myself a better person. You have probably wandered here from the WW boards or from my WW meeting, or you're a friend that I care about enough to share my journey with. I look forward to sharing my story and my journey to all who pass through!
October 27th, 2008 ~ 1 Year On Plan!!!
August 23rd, 2008 ~ 100 Pounds Gone !!!!
Me May 2007 about 335 lbs. (Not my heaviest)
MY STORY
I have always been a large gal. I am 6 feet tall (and have been since the 5th grade) and have never been skinny. Thinner, yes, but never skinny. I have never worn clothes without a double digit size and I have never had the thrill of shopping in a store without the words "Plus" or "Woman" in the title. I have struggled with my weight, and therefore my emotions, for a very VERY long time. But that will all end here, with my recommitment to myself and Weight Watchers for the 10 bazillionth time. But this time, it is for good.
I never really learned to eat well when I was younger. Being from the south, good ole North Carolina, everything is fried, dipped in batter, soaked in butter, then fried again just to make sure its greasy enough. I didn't learn about nutrition or veggies or what was good for me. I have memories of sitting in the living room and being hungry and eating an entire tray (Family Size Portion) of Salisbury Steak. I think I was 10 or 11. That image is burned into my brain to this very day. My family is full of heart disease and cancer and diabetes....so ding, ding, ding....wake up call!
I was at my lowest weight through high school when I was very active in Marching Band and other activities so I was always on the go, and I ate smaller portions. I weighed at my lowest around 215, and I was a size 14. But HELLO COLLEGE. There was this rumor about a freshman 15. I call it a rumor because I think I got hit with the freshman 50. Not really sure what I weighed my freshman-junior years because I avoided a scale like the plague. But a few sisters from my sorority joined WW during my senior year. That's when I found out I weighed 270. Holy Cow, how did that happen. I didn't really stick to the plan then, but i saw my friends lose weight, so I knew it worked.
After college I moved from Virginia to Wisconsin for my first real job. I made a few friends quickly and low and behold 2 months after being in Wisconsin, met the wonderful man I would marry 3 years later. How could an overweight, ahem, obese 6 ft. tall girl be so lucky. As I got comfortable in my relationship, I got comfortable with my eating habits. Long hours at work, parties on the weekend, and then finally I hit a wall, HARD. I once again turned to WW and tipped the scales at 327 lbs. I had gained 57 pounds in 2 years. This time I figured out the plan and stuck to it. I lost 45 lbs prior to getting engaged, and I felt great. Trying on Wedding dresses I felt even better, like a princess. But the stress of the wedding got to me, and back came a few pounds. Refusing to have my dress altered, I sucked it in my entire wedding day, a little painful but I made it through.
Three weeks after we came back from our honeymoon, I accepted a new job and we moved to New York. It didn't take long for the toll of a new job to get the best of me. I felt miserable. I was living in stretchy pants and big sweaters. I was a fashion disaster, not to mention an emotional one. Then the unthinkable happened.
I found a lump. I was 26 years old in January of 2005. How could this be happening to me. After a mammogram and sonogram, the radiologist recommended I have an MRI and go to a breast surgeon. And that is when the straw broke the camel's back. I walked into the MRI office, and filled out the paperwork. I got to the weight portion and scribbled down what I thought it would be, 350. I walked back and they called my name. The first thing the technician said to me is, "We need to make sure you will fit in the machine before we give you the IV." I was mortified, and he was right. I didn't fit. I started WW AGAIN the next week. I had a biopsy and finally the lump removed in April of 2005. I thank my lucky stars to this day that everything was OK.
But now I knew it was for my health. In more ways than one. I stayed OP until our family vacation in July. I was down 64 lbs and I thought, I got this. I don't need to go to meetings anymore. BOY WAS I WRONG. Fast forward to 2 years later, with a lot of attempts to stay OP and a lot of excuses in between. The picture you see below, and an emotional week at work forced me to call my husband at 9:30 on a Friday morning, and say..."I don't care anymore about how much it costs. I am going to WW tomorrow, I am joining a gym, and I am hiring a trainer. I can't put a price on my health anymore. I can't live in this body that is my prison."
Me and Jason at a friend's daughters sweet sixteen. 2 weeks before I rejoined WW.
On October 27, 2007 my journey began. I weighed 356.2 lbs. I will never see that number again. It is my final journey. I will make it to the finish line this time. And I will need all the support I can get. Check out my progress page and my motivational pages to see how I am doing!