18 and BACK at my highest weight ~

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2

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  • Hotinadvance
    Hotinadvance Posts: 18
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    Brutal but honest.

    Maybe I'll never have a fit life without it.

    It's kind of a toss up, I guess.

    I do understand what you're saying though. I appreciate the concern. My being 18 probably contributes to my recklessness, and I'm sure that looks pretty bad. There's a good chance I'll regret it, I'm sure.
  • OMGeeeHorses
    OMGeeeHorses Posts: 732 Member
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    My doctor said the only amount you can gain from birth control is 15lbs in the first year and then after that nothing will effect you as your body balances with the hormones from the birth control. I have been on the pill for 7 1/2 years and I noticed I gained 20lbs from it in the first year and then after that was due to me being lazy and eating cheesecake 24/7 lol. Everyone said it would be hard to loose weight on them as well...umm I lost 40lbs just this year alone. So not too hard, just gotta eat right and such.
  • Hotinadvance
    Hotinadvance Posts: 18
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    That's really nice for you. For me, it kickstarted old habits pretty drastically. I'm aware that it wasn't all the birth control, but it definitely set things in motion for me to gain again and I wish that my doctor had warned me about the depo shot specifically before giving it to me. It is not the same as most pills, and is super notorious for weight gain as a side effect. Once I fell out of the loop I stayed there, and that's on me.
  • stephaniehok
    stephaniehok Posts: 9
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    im rying to figure out how to post without replying to just one post HELP lol
  • bmskid
    bmskid Posts: 153 Member
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    I'm Lew and this is my fifth attempt at weight loss... went from 240 to 180... from 360 to 300... 375 to 275... 380 to 310... The problem was those were all plans and plans end. I now simply track what I eat, drink and exercise here and stay under my calorie goal... I was 425 pounds 15 months ago... Now I am at 235.9 pounds. You can lose weight if you want to and the only limit is what you place on yourself... Anyone is welcome to add me. I comment all the time and my diary is open for friends to glean ideas from.


    Well done, buddy. It's my second time. I learned the same---there can't be an end. It's for always.
  • BrandNewFabulousMe
    BrandNewFabulousMe Posts: 259
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    It's too easy to blame birth control for weight gain and although hormonal changes do effect our weight - to put on 30lbs in just one month you must have been eating WAY in excess of what you needed to be eating, it couldn't have been that high on a sensible diet so it's not fair to blame the depo for everything.

    You've lost it the right way before and with the required effort you can do it again. Swimming is kinder to your knees than walking. It'll take dedication but if you really want it you'll find that strength in yourself and being so young your metabolism will be higher than us older ones!

    Please do reconsider having surgery. It may seem the answer but getting there under your own steam will be safer and give you such a great sense of achievement. Be no longer the victim, be the champion!

    I've been heavy all of my life and my eating habits are not good at all. The moment I got on birth control I began to gain within 2 weeks. i thought it was water weight. cravings kicked in so I tried exercising i still felt hungry, i felt pregnant. I was moody and things were uncontrollable. over a 3-4 month period i was up over 27 lbs. I can believe birth control can make someone gain like crazy. once i got off i began to lose but then i just stopped exercising and held on the extra weight.. that was my fault
  • ToFatT0B3S1ck
    ToFatT0B3S1ck Posts: 194 Member
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    I started off at 284 pounds and did it all without surgery. You can do it to. Surgery isn't going to fix everything BTW. It doesn't guarantee that you won't eventually gain it all back and then more. You have to change the way you think. That is why I personally believe doing it the natural way is the best way to go. You can't fix your problem over night. You need to take time and experience not only the physical but the mental changes as well.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    I do understand what you're saying though. I appreciate the concern. My being 18 probably contributes to my recklessness, and I'm sure that looks pretty bad. There's a good chance I'll regret it, I'm sure.

    I don't think you are being reckless...but yes age and lack of experience are going to contribute to any decisions you make. That's my big concern for you...that you will regret it as so many patients do...and you still have a long full life ahead of you to live with that. I feel like surgery is a last resort, and your weight, while unhealthy, is lower than many who do this without surgery (I started out heavier than you) and you just haven't had enough experience, as an adult, to learn how to do this yet. Does that make sense? I feel like you should give yourself a chance to figure this out, and at your age...you're still working on learning who you are and what kind of strength you have in you to beat challenges.

    Ill shut up about it now lol.
  • bakemma
    bakemma Posts: 161 Member
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    Hey, Just something you ought to consider that I'm not sure your doctor has told you about. If you have a Roux-n-y GB, you WILL be lactose intolerant for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. No ice cream, milk, pizza, soft cheese, mac and cheese, and very little if and yogurt or hard cheese. You will develop iron anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency that will make you tired, irritable, and many other things. You won't be able to drink cold liquids for a while, and never fast without pain or gas. You WILL lose your hair. MA\aybe not a lot, but the vitamin deficiency will cause hair loss that will take at least 2+ years to grow out. ( I'm still in the process... ) You'll have to take expensive vitamins for the rest of your life, and it is not an easy fix. You will still hit a weight loss plateau that only exercise and eating right will fix.
    I had surgery as well, but not because of my weight, but because at 17 I had gone with undiagnosed hypothyroidism and diabetes for over 10 years. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and complicated heart problems to boot, and my surgery saved my life. I'm still not thin, but I am happy with being able to live a longer healthier life.

    If you ever want anyone to talk to or ask questions, feel free to add or message me. I'd be happy to help anyway I can! :)
  • Hotinadvance
    Hotinadvance Posts: 18
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    @ Bakemma - I'd love to chat with you about some of the issues I would likely encounter that most people wouldn't expect, like the vitamins and whatnot. My surgeon is giving me the choice between the classic bypass and a gastric sleeve (NOT the lapband) and I'm having trouble choosing between the two. The sleeve has fewer complications but generally less success.

    @Elye - Unfortunately, I've been told everything there is to know about nutrition already (thanks Wellspring, you almost worked!) and I am actually someone that enjoys exercise. When I was able, I went to the gym almost every day of the week to do low-impact cardio (cross-training), weight training, and occasionally classes. I have all of the information, and I have since I was much younger. No one knows how to count calories like a fat person :P I don't want to call it a last resort, because I'm aware that it is POSSIBLE for me to lose weight on my own. Realistically, however, I don't believe that for me I would LIKELY to do so on my own, given that I know my own limitations and what I do or do not need as far as help goes.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    @ Bakemma - I'd love to chat with you about some of the issues I would likely encounter that most people wouldn't expect, like the vitamins and whatnot. My surgeon is giving me the choice between the classic bypass and a gastric sleeve (NOT the lapband) and I'm having trouble choosing between the two. The sleeve has fewer complications but generally less success.

    @Elye - Unfortunately, I've been told everything there is to know about nutrition already (thanks Wellspring, you almost worked!) and I am actually someone that enjoys exercise. When I was able, I went to the gym almost every day of the week to do low-impact cardio (cross-training), weight training, and occasionally classes. I have all of the information, and I have since I was much younger. No one knows how to count calories like a fat person :P I don't want to call it a last resort, because I'm aware that it is POSSIBLE for me to lose weight on my own. Realistically, however, I don't believe that for me I would LIKELY to do so on my own, given that I know my own limitations and what I do or do not need as far as help goes.
    To be fair, if you don't have the discipline to do it on your own, you won't be successful with surgery, as life post surgery will require far more discipline than doing it without surgery.
  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
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    I have read your post, and if you are struggling with ANY medication that has the side effect of gaining weight, then you should ask for an alternative. There will always be another way.

    Also, I was fat my entire life up until the age of 20. I considered EVERYTHING, and "thought" I'd tried every diet to lose weight. But I hadn't. I hadn't tried just LEARNING about what my body needs, and COUNTING what goes in and out of it.

    I started using MFP to help me do just that in January 2011, and hit my goal of 150lbs (after dropping 140lbs of excess weight) in December 2012.

    Since December 2012, I have hovered around that same goal weight, and have remained between -2lbs and +2lbs for the ENTIRE time, so that's 10 months of MAINTAINING a healthy weight.

    I eat chocolate. I can get the odd takeaway. I can have a drink if I want to.. but not ALL of the time.

    It's about learning what your body needs, finding some exercise that you like, and sticking to it. If you get surgery there are risks, possible complications, and if you get something like lipo-suction you WILL regain the weight if you haven't learned anything along the way. If you have your stomach shrunk you can wave goodbye to your quality of life.. you will be just as miserable, so I really wouldn't bother.

    Don't go to extremes when you haven't yet tried the most simple method.

    Weight loss is NOT impossible. No matter what your situation. If I can do it, if everybody on this forum can do it, ANYONE can do it with motivation and support.

    PS Send me a message if you'd like to chat :). I'm 23 now if that makes any difference.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    @Elye - Unfortunately, I've been told everything there is to know about nutrition already (thanks Wellspring, you almost worked!) and I am actually someone that enjoys exercise. When I was able, I went to the gym almost every day of the week to do low-impact cardio (cross-training), weight training, and occasionally classes. I have all of the information, and I have since I was much younger. No one knows how to count calories like a fat person :P I don't want to call it a last resort, because I'm aware that it is POSSIBLE for me to lose weight on my own. Realistically, however, I don't believe that for me I would LIKELY to do so on my own, given that I know my own limitations and what I do or do not need as far as help goes.

    I'm not talking about you being uninformed. I'm talking about the fact that no matter how informed you are at 18, you have not yet tapped into all of your mental and intellectual reserves to find out what you're really made of. Most of the time you have spent trying to lose weight you have been a child. You really don't yet know what the adult version of you is capable of and you aren't giving her a chance.
  • secretchef
    secretchef Posts: 4 Member
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    These are not excuses for some people. there are real reasons for some of us. Alot of us dont have the luxury or ability for whatever reason to just not do something. A person needs to find the real reason they are overweight and work on that. for some of us that reason is hidden way deep inside and it takes a long time to get at it, but if we all just stick to it eventually it will happen. If you are one of those lucky people who can just stop eating less and exercise more, great more power to you. Unfortunately that is not all of us.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    if you look through the success stories, you will find some guys who started here at 500lbs and they lost and lost and lost through nothing but determination. We all have setbacks in our lives, but you have to keep trying. You are 18, sweetie pie, don't throw the towel in just yet.

    Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Eating less will make you lose weight. Will it be a long process? Absolutely, but you can do it. It's not rocket science, calories in/calories out.

    At the moment you don't know how to eat properly, but the surgery won't teach you this. People relapse and cheat all the time, not because they are bad people, but because the surgery is a drastic step where you go from eating 3000-4000 calories a day to 1000 in one big step. If you were to go slowly, lets say start with reducing it to 2000 or 2300 and then see how you go, you are less likely to fail. Have you truly considered all things about the surgery? Have you thought how this will affect future pregnancies?

    Anyway I wish you good luck :-)
  • ctalimenti
    ctalimenti Posts: 865 Member
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    Hello all,

    This isn't the sort of thing I'm usually keen on doing. I don't even have a facebook at this point given my discomfort with my weight, so posting here feels crazy for me! When I was 15 I weighed 260 pounds, and took a year off from high school (taking classes online during that time) to lose 80 pounds (leaving me at 180). I felt amazing. I had been overweight my whole life, and I could finally shop at "normal" stores given that they carried a size XL. I had my first boyfriend and all that teenage jazz. I maintained for two years, before starting on birth control (the devil!) partially for my own teenage whims and partially to control migraines. I got the depo shot, which people might be familiar with, and immediately gained 30 pounds in a month. The shot stays in your body for 3-4 months, and everything of course went downhill from there in terms of weight gain. Almost a year after the shot I am sitting here at 250. In fairness, the last 20 pounds I tacked on in only a month due to slight nudging from my doctor and the internet in order to make the BMI requirement for surgery that I had worked so hard to avoid some three years earlier. I have now been given approval, and am waiting to hear from my insurance (tufts) whether or not I will be required to complete a 6 month program prior to surgery or if my years of recorded programs (get in shape for women, weight watchers, fat camps) will let me bypass it on recommendation from my doctor. That being said, during those 6 months I will be forced to maintain a weight of 248 or above in order to still meet requirements.

    To me, this is insane. I feel as if I am almost being forced to be unhealthy in order to achieve greater results in the long-term. Regardless, upon being approved I still feel as if this is the start of my /second/ journey and would love to hear input from anyone who has been through a similar thing with insurance.

    Thanks!

    You sound like an intelligent 18 yr old. I agree that the 6 month insurance program forces you to stay above 248/unhealthy.

    I also think whatever the reasons you came here are important. In your heart of hearts, are you second guessing the surgery?

    I know how it is to have your mind set on something. There's very little people can say to convince you otherwise.

    Last year I had a hysterectomy and people tried to talk me out of it but I thought, "Hurrah! I won't have to deal with my period anymore!" Guess what....there are really no absolutes in the medical world. I can say this because I've been a nurse for almost 30 yrs. And you know what else....I still get my friggen period!!!! What the heck is up with that, right?!

    Hopefully, during this 6 month wait, you can continue to collect information to make your decision. It seems you are a bit on the fence.
  • ctalimenti
    ctalimenti Posts: 865 Member
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    For what it's worth, you may want to read this.

    http://stophatingyourbody.tumblr.com/post/23301392416/it-happened-to-me-i-had-weight-loss-surgery-at-17
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
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    In 6 months you could be down nearly 50 pounds. In another 6 months you could be down another 40-50 pounds. I just don't see how waiting 6 months for surgery and then waiting more time to lose the weight is preferable to getting started NOW. Surgery isn't a quick fix nor is it fool proof. I'd strongly urge you to reconsider.

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