A little bit about me. Growing up I almost always struggled with my weight. I definitely did not have the perfect supermodel body. Nope. I am short (5'2" at my tallest, now shrunk to 5'nothin'), and I've got a large frame. I never was, nor will I ever be, a size 0, 2, or even a 4 for that matter. I remember as a kid wearing long pants to hide my legs, because even then I was self-conscious of my legs, big calves and thighs. And my brothers didn't help much by nick-naming me "Bubble Butt".
There was a point, when I was 15, that I got fed up with my weight problems. So I did what a lot of teenage girls do...I starved myself. I never ate breakfast. I ate diet caramel "candies" for lunch to take away the hunger, but they still gave me the feeling of eating candy. And I barely ate anything for dinner. To increase my weight loss I started working out with weights several times a week and also played racquetball almost every day. I got down to 115 pounds, and I wore a size 5. But you know what? It looked terrible on my frame. You could see my ribs in my back...ick. Even then, though, I still thought I was fat.
I managed to stay at a reasonable 125ish for quite a few years. Up until I married Jeff in 1994 and started having more kids. Then I couldn't keep from gaining. Speed up a few years, and my weight troubles got even worse when I started taking some medications that made me absolutely ravenous. I couldn't eat enough. And, to top it off, (although I didn't find this out until just a few months ago from my new doctor) one of my medications is also used to give to anorexic patients to MAKE them crave sugary foods to gain weight. No wonder I've ballooned up to where I'm at!
I went to a new general physician in February, 2012 to try to get a handle on my health, which I have sorely neglected for quite a long time. Denial, really. It was a real eye opener when he told me if I don't lose weight he's going to be telling me soon that I'm diabetic. I told him about my frustrations. It didn't seem like I ate that much, but I kept gaining and gaining and gaining for over 5 years. It was a life-changing moment when he handed me a pamphlet on the lap-band surgery. I almost burst into tears right then. Has my situation become so desperate, I thought, that my only option was to have major surgery to force me to stop eating?
Sure enough, when my blood tests came back I had Type 2 diabetes with an A1C of 6.5, my blood pressure was out the roof, and all my cholesterol levels were bad. Not good. After I cried a few times over a few weeks, I started to get my resolve back. I am NOT going to let this get the better of me. I am NOT going to be on Metformin and Victoza for diabetes forever, nor am I going to be on Simvastatin for cholesterol problems forever. Being bi-polar does sometimes work to my advantage. I get manic and super-focused. My new hobby became my health. I am NOT going to get beat by all the problems my weight has caused. Google became my best friend.
I am really embarrassed to admit this to the world, but when I first started seeing my doctor in Februrary, I weighed in at 275 pounds!!! How did I let it get so out of control? My goal is to get to 135 pounds by my huband's birthday next year...8/24/13. I need to lose 140 pounds...that's more than some adults weigh. I need to lose an ENTIRE person! 140 pounds is also equivalent to 560 sticks of butter! Imagine all that ooey, gooey, greasy butter sitting in a big pile. Yep. Lovely thought, huh? It is also my goal to have an A1C of 5.5...without the help of medications.
What I would like to share with you through my journey are the things I have discovered (and am continuing to discover) from my endless hours of searching the 'net for information on diabetes, diets, recipes, etc. I now also have a professional nutritionist and life-change coach that my insurance actually pays for. So I consult with her once a month. In addition to that I am now going to my doctor on a regular basis, about every 2 months or so. My A1C is being monitored, along with my daily glucose readings at home.
Feel free to leave comments here...I will answer you back personally if you have reply enabled to your email, otherwise I will just comment back here. If you'd like to contact me directly, please feel free at happyfairylove@live.com.
Best wishes,
Lisa
There was a point, when I was 15, that I got fed up with my weight problems. So I did what a lot of teenage girls do...I starved myself. I never ate breakfast. I ate diet caramel "candies" for lunch to take away the hunger, but they still gave me the feeling of eating candy. And I barely ate anything for dinner. To increase my weight loss I started working out with weights several times a week and also played racquetball almost every day. I got down to 115 pounds, and I wore a size 5. But you know what? It looked terrible on my frame. You could see my ribs in my back...ick. Even then, though, I still thought I was fat.
I managed to stay at a reasonable 125ish for quite a few years. Up until I married Jeff in 1994 and started having more kids. Then I couldn't keep from gaining. Speed up a few years, and my weight troubles got even worse when I started taking some medications that made me absolutely ravenous. I couldn't eat enough. And, to top it off, (although I didn't find this out until just a few months ago from my new doctor) one of my medications is also used to give to anorexic patients to MAKE them crave sugary foods to gain weight. No wonder I've ballooned up to where I'm at!
I went to a new general physician in February, 2012 to try to get a handle on my health, which I have sorely neglected for quite a long time. Denial, really. It was a real eye opener when he told me if I don't lose weight he's going to be telling me soon that I'm diabetic. I told him about my frustrations. It didn't seem like I ate that much, but I kept gaining and gaining and gaining for over 5 years. It was a life-changing moment when he handed me a pamphlet on the lap-band surgery. I almost burst into tears right then. Has my situation become so desperate, I thought, that my only option was to have major surgery to force me to stop eating?
Sure enough, when my blood tests came back I had Type 2 diabetes with an A1C of 6.5, my blood pressure was out the roof, and all my cholesterol levels were bad. Not good. After I cried a few times over a few weeks, I started to get my resolve back. I am NOT going to let this get the better of me. I am NOT going to be on Metformin and Victoza for diabetes forever, nor am I going to be on Simvastatin for cholesterol problems forever. Being bi-polar does sometimes work to my advantage. I get manic and super-focused. My new hobby became my health. I am NOT going to get beat by all the problems my weight has caused. Google became my best friend.
I am really embarrassed to admit this to the world, but when I first started seeing my doctor in Februrary, I weighed in at 275 pounds!!! How did I let it get so out of control? My goal is to get to 135 pounds by my huband's birthday next year...8/24/13. I need to lose 140 pounds...that's more than some adults weigh. I need to lose an ENTIRE person! 140 pounds is also equivalent to 560 sticks of butter! Imagine all that ooey, gooey, greasy butter sitting in a big pile. Yep. Lovely thought, huh? It is also my goal to have an A1C of 5.5...without the help of medications.
What I would like to share with you through my journey are the things I have discovered (and am continuing to discover) from my endless hours of searching the 'net for information on diabetes, diets, recipes, etc. I now also have a professional nutritionist and life-change coach that my insurance actually pays for. So I consult with her once a month. In addition to that I am now going to my doctor on a regular basis, about every 2 months or so. My A1C is being monitored, along with my daily glucose readings at home.
Feel free to leave comments here...I will answer you back personally if you have reply enabled to your email, otherwise I will just comment back here. If you'd like to contact me directly, please feel free at happyfairylove@live.com.
Best wishes,
Lisa
Lisa, your story is almost exactly like mine. I'm very happy that you started this blog. I'm very eager to learn as much as I can about this disease and get my life back. hugggs
ReplyDeleteThis is not Megan, btw..google is confused today. lol It's Sherrill
hey there, sherrill! so happy you've come by. you know, i think my (our) story is going to be similar to a whole lot of people's. i hope some of them find my blog and get something out of it. you're awesome, lady!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa! I'm putting your blog into my google reader so I can keep up everyday. I am in almost the same situation and about the same weight as you when you started. Fortunately i don't have diabetes but I worry about it as my Mom had it. I've been trying to make those lifestyle changes and have lost about 20lbs but lately I've been slipping. You've given me a new enthusiasm and determination! I was very interested in what you said about diet sodas. I drink diet coke and am constantly being told how bad it is and that it makes me gain weight. It's not something I'm ready to stop yet though and your comment made me feel a little better about it. So glad to see your blog and congratulations on how far you've come! I know how hard it is.
ReplyDeletehey robin! i'm so glad you found my new little blog! i think there are a lot of us in the same situation, but i think because there is something of a stigma to be overweight and having weight related issues that we don't get out there and give each other support. i hope you tell your friends about my little blog, too, even if they aren't overweight. after all, adopting a lifestyle as if you did have diabetes will almost certainly improve everyone's health in some way. i've got a fun post coming up today that is a product review, so check back in! big hugs to you!
ReplyDelete