My weight loss journey began a long time ago. I would go on different diets with my mom. I thought I was really fat. I don’t think you would have called me fat. For a few years I had a chubby face. I think the reason I thought I was fat was that I had bigger legs than the other girls. They had those skinny pencil legs. I had fat knees. I remember my mom always watching her weight and would got on the latest fad diet. I went to a small Christian School and my mom worked there. So, she along with the other ladies of the church school would go on these diets together. I remember that cabbage soup diet that you could have all you wanted. Ugh, one bowl was more than I wanted!
Sometime around 15 years I started eating a ½ sandwich for lunch. Really I just started cutting my portion sizes way down. I must have lost a decent amount. When I started working, I was so nervous, that I couldn’t eat and my weight got down to 118. Lowest I ever remember. I was about 17 years old.
I had been raised in Alabama – my family has always lived there. Then though a series of events my mom & dad decided we should move to New Mexico. I was in my senior year and had just met my husband to be. So we moved to Albuquerque in 1981. We went back to Alabama for me to graduate with my class the following spring. I got engaged while there. We were at my grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary Party and Alan asked me to marry him. He ended up moving to Albuquerque that June and we got married a year later in 1983. (celebrating 28 years this July) In 1982, my mom and I joined Weight Watchers for the first time. I think I lost about 10 – 20 pounds. I was still in the 120’s.
Fast forward – being married for almost 10 years before having kids. I gained a lot of weight over that time. I was around 200 when I got pregnant with my first child. Since then I have fluctuated between 190 – 215. For the past 10 years I have keep my weight right around 194. Since my daughters birth in 1995, I have found out that I have PCOS. I went on Glucophage for several years and lost about 15 – 20 pounds by just doing that. Enough weight loss that my cycles have become regular and I believe that is why I could keep my weight around 194. My body loves that number! It’s a wonder that I was able to have children at all. With PCOS comes a whole lot of other problems and I have several. My thyroid is off. I have had high blood pressure. So it’s very important that I get this weight off.
In 2009, my daughter and my best friend, Laura and I joined Weight Watcher. My daughter, Kaycee, has also been diagnosed with PCOS. She is 15! So all the more reason for our family to get our bad eating habits under control. Kayce was doing great with Weight Watchers. When she sets her mind to something – she will do it.
I did well initially. I was down at my lowest 176!!! The lowest I had been in over 20+ years. But then I hit that time when I just didn’t want to do it any more. Well I wanted to but something inside me just stopped. I was so angry over not being able to eat more food. It doesn’t make sense to me. I sabotaged myself. So I then ended up gaining back to guess where – 194!
I rejoined this past February 2011. I am at week sixteen and almost back to my 176. It’s scary to think the same thing may happen again but I am trying to take it day by day and not worry about down the road.
