A Journey from Thin to Fat, On My Way to Thin Again!

Myradin

Hello out there, I'm Angela.

I would like to share my story with anyone who cares to read it. There are Ups and Downs, learning curves, failures, and successes.
To begin with I would like to say that at my heaviest I was 265 pounds, 5'3". I was an overeater as a child and as I went through adolescence learned to moderate and make better food choices, I also exercised regularly and as a teen was a healthy 135 pounds. After my first child I retained about ten pounds of the baby weight and with exercise and healthy eating remained around 145, or a size 8 (loose 10).

My second child changed all of that. Dramatically.

I didn't worry about the weight I gained during pregnancy since I had lost about 32 pounds after having my first child, I counted on seeing that weight loss again. After my daughter was born I elected to have a tubal ligation sterilizing procedure which left me with extreme hormone fluctuations and mood swings. I was 175 pounds the week after she was born and over the next year I steadily gained despite grueling exercise and a strict diet. I was always tired, so tired. And often angry for no reason when I had the energy to be. This was the hormones talking. After seeing a doctor and a nutritionist I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and low hormones. We tried a diet and supplement therapy which gave me more energy and a stable mood but did nothing for my weight. For the next 4 years I would be 195-210 pounds and why it fluctuated seemed to be completely random. I biked to work, walked to get my groceries, cooked healthy meals from scratch.

After a move to a new home I became depressed about myself and "gave up". I got virtually no exercise, lay in a recliner and ate what I pleased. My weight ballooned to the 265 I first mentioned. So many family members tried to help, in fear I started chewing baby aspirins every day thinking I could have a heart attack at any time. After many discussions about my weight and my eating habits (by this time I was starving myself trying to lose weight) My Fitness Pal was suggested to me. I opened a profile and also researched how to eat to promote a healthy thyroid. The results of my first week of food logging astonished me! I was under-eating at about a total of 500 calories per day. Most of it being a late dinner.

My first month eating for thyroid health was a revelation. I changed my food profile to reflect meals every 2 hours. I ate no more than 250-350 calories per meal with the majority of the meal being vegetables and whole grains. I lost 35 pounds that month, my "muffin top" all but disappeared. I had no pain in my feet and joints when I woke up in the morning and after a whole day working on my feet still had energy to play with my children. I was feeling full by 6pm and not wanting midnight snacking anymore because my body was finally getting enough to eat.

I fell off the wagon so to speak and gained some back but I am back on track again and although I do not know my current weight loss (we have no scale) I do know that I have dropped a full dress size this month. I wanted to have attached some before and after pictures so that you can see my worst and my current but I do not know how, if I can figure it out I will post it later.

If you are heavy, bewildered, and depressed...you are not alone! There are many avenues of help and information. I have been seriously overweight for 9 years now but I am done giving up on myself. I can achieve good health and so can you.