Hey everyone, I am just getting started on this wonderful but painful, exciting but frustrating, rewarding but taxing journey of losing almost half of my starting weight. I posted (last night I think) in the bio thread, but I wanted to elaborate on me and my story, and why this time is different.
Since most of the other info is in the bio, I'll start with my wake up call.
On March 14th I had a doctor's appointment at the lady doctor to start on birth control, since I'm getting married in May, and we believe in waiting until after marriage for sex (hubby to be is a pastor in training!). When she inquired about the length of time I would need the birth control, I told her approximately 3 years until he finishes school and we are settled somewhere permanently. She said 3 years should be enough time to lose the weight if I started soon, and preferably ASAP, as I need to lower my blood pressure to continue on birth control (it was 130/78, but apparently the BC pill has a side effect of raising blood pressure). She also told me that if I got pregnant at my current weight (then - clothed, 304lbs, at home in my undies before food right at 300lbs) the complications that would likely crop up could be fatal to the baby and/or myself.
That was an eye opener for me. I went out to dinner that night with my family and considered it 'my last splurge' and then started my diet the next day. Since then I've been exercising daily with my Wii (using the Walk It Out) game, counting my calories (I have lowered my intake to 1600-1800/day), and taking Alli (for the last 3 days anyway) with the 2 meals a day that have between 10g and 15g of fat. My breakfast is usually fruit or light yogurt, wheat toast and jam, and skim milk which rarely goes over a couple grams of fat, so I don't take the Alli. Over the last 2 weeks I've lost almost 10lbs. I know it's probably mostly water weight, but it's a start and it's encouraging.
Last night I took my 'before' pic, and nearly cried. Seeing myself in the mirror just didn't look as bad as the photo did. I hadn't seen a photo like that before, and I really do not like it at all. I am tired of my stomach sticking out further than my breasts. I am tired of my thighs rubbing together and wearing holes in my pants. I am tired of being tired. And I am tired of having to stop playing competitive games with my fiance on the Wii after a few minutes because I'm too tired to continue.
I need to do this for my health. I need to do this for my self esteem. And I need to do this for my husband to be, because he wants children as badly as I do, and until this weight comes off, we can't have them.
I will be taking photographs of myself in the same pose as my 290lb pic, every 10lbs, at 280, 270, etc. I don't have the courage to post them yet because they make me so depressed that I'm not quite ready to offer them up for public consumption and ridicule (even in this group of very supportive folks that I am pretty sure wouldn't judge or joke me). However, I am very glad to have found this forum and the support, encouragement and motivation it provides to keep me going.
So, thank you in advance everyone, and hopefully this can keep me accountable!
Just getting started - my story
