The "Anatomy" of Weight Gain

emmullins55

Hello All:

I have always struggled with my weight, until ten years ago I was never more than 20-30 pounds over weight , and when I would gain, I could easily loose weight by eating less, and exercising more. In 2004 I was thought to have ovarian cancer, and had a hysterectomy, and bilateral ovary removal, thankfully the pathology was negative for malignancy. As a young woman I complained about my menses, and all the hormonal mood swings, but I can tell you that for me the abrupt surgical menopause was life changing. I initially was given hormone replacement via a patch, but after two years I was "encouraged," to wean myself off hormones. My hormone levels were basically zero all of them. I considered bioidentical hormones but would always be discouraged by others, telling me negative stuff about hormone replacement. I am now convinced hormones are a major factor in weight gain as we age. In the years following my surgery I had many circumstances that effected me emotionally, and I found myself turning to food as my comforter and solace, and was diagnosed with depression. Just as there are functional alcoholics, I was a functional obese person. Although I could not do many of the sports and activities I enjoyed due to obesity, I still tried. Not bad for a 58 year old, or so I told myself. In 2013 I reached "rock bottom", weighing 280 pounds I would lament about it, but still continue using food as my "drug of choice." I sought intervention and made plans to have bariatric surgery, but two weeks prior to the procedure, I backed out. In October 2013 while participating in an activity with my friends, I fell, landing on my right shoulder........the outcome was catastrophic. I injured the bone, rotator cuff, and biceps muscle. I required a complex surgery and a long rehab process. I guess that is when I finally decided enough is enough. I am currently making many, many changes in my eating, and activity lifestyle. What is the most important thing I learned? Overeating is not just gluttony or greed. It is a coping mechanism for other emotional, and often medical issues. I always had a distain for very obese people, and now I am a very obese person. There are many, many people using this website. It is a wonderful adjunct to making healthy lifestyle changes and offers alot of benefits to all, whatever their level of fitness or lack of fitness. The bottom line here is each of us,especially those who become morbidly obese must always first know the true reason we are obese. It may require medical intervention, or psychological intervention or both. If you don't know why or what got you to gain the weight, you won't ever be able to permanently take it off, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Being healthy and fit is a full-time job. I am grateful to have a venue to share my thoughts, and have feedback from others. We humans need eachother no matter how much we sometimes pretend we don't.

HaibaneReki

thanks for sharing, got me thinking!

PSmith184

I liked your comment about food being your drug of choice. Mine too. Although food unlike other choices must be a part of our lives daily. Others can avoid places where they would drink or do drugs. They can make changes in their lives that include healthier choices such as avoiding tobacco, alcohol, or their drug of choice. But foodies, we have to have food to survive. We have to find the balance between healthy choices and unhealthy attitudes toward food. Six years ago I underwent the Rouen Y Gastric bypass surgery...it was life changing. I had lost one hundred and fifty-five pounds. I am still considered morbidly obese, which is hard to consider on my five foot frame. In the last several years I have experience my first losses in my immediate family, six in two and a half years as a matter of fact. The loss of my sister, was devastating to me. Connecting our emotions and allowing ourselves time to process them in a positive manner, talking, writing, exercising, sharing on a virtual message board would help curb the emotional eating side of ourselves. I have just recently begun exercising again, and watching everything I eat, trying to be cautious again, I have come a long way, but am ready to lose more weight and allow myself to gain confidence personally, professionally, physically. I look forward to chatting with you while we are both on this journey. Best of luck....you are not alone.....

emmullins55

Thanks PSmith I look forward to talking to you more in the future.