A Timid Start and Hello

This past year has represented The Perfect Storm for me. And the tale is in my weight. Just as I hit menopause, I researched balancing my hormones, but not in time before the weight crept up on me. Then while dealing with elderly parents issues, my own eldest son died young and quite unexpectedly. It sent me into the mother of all tailspins. In subsequent weeks, I went into insulin resistance, hormone imbalance, adrenal fatigue, rapid weight gain, psoriasis, depression, foggy-thinking, hot flashes, fainting spells...Well you get the picture.

Most of my life, I'd been a size 6-8, depending on the style or time of the month (wink). It's so hard seeing myself barely able to squeeze into a 16. To top it off, my husband has to eat, eat, eat to keep from losing weight. That's probably a common story, but no less a huge source of aggravation for me.

I took some months off (from life) to lick my wounds and basically stare into space with a blank expression. I've been to my doctor and my hormones are balanced, but the insulin resistance and adrenal fatigue is persistent.

I've educated myself on calories, BMI, BMR, deficits, etc. I've been going to the gym twice daily M-F and treamilling at a brisk 3.5 mph. Please don't beat up on me; that's as hard as I feel mentally able to push myself consistently for now.

I'm determined to get back down to "normal" size. I'm tired of wearing unflattering clothes (used to be a well-known clotheshorse, too). My remaining living son designed a workout and nutrition programme for me (he's a certified fitness trainer who lives in another state), that's mostly palatable, if tedious and slow going. I just want some encouragement from people who aren't sick of me being in mourning, and not my "used-to-be" energetic and enthusiastic self. There were the days...