Showgirlaz, my story starts out pretty close to yours. By the time I was in the 7th grade, I was a 34DD and my hips were WIDE. I got ridiculed because my hips wiggled when I walked and most girls weren't at that stage yet. What's ridiculous is that otherwise I was pretty tiny. I was an active kid, my mom didnt drive anymore so I walked EVERYWHERE. My sister was the exact same.
I guess I watched my mom go through some pretty deep depression, and I pretty much took care of her through my childhood. My siblings are 9 years older and onwards, so they moved out and I took on the job. We ate foods that as I look back on it now were HORRIBLE for us. I spent HS trying to hide my hips and chest, eating like crap, but being consistently active. My family continually urged me to GAIN weight because I looked to thin compared to the rest of my body.
Mid HS I went into the hospital for a long period of time, and emerged 96lbs, with a 32E bra size. I spent forever eating and eating to gain the weight back, and I guess I just never stopped and realized that I was at a healthy weight and should start maintaining. At Christmas I would drink a litre of eggnog a day, easy, along with much more food on top of that.
I finally got a breast reduction at a 32F, after I had fought to gain weight, then promptly lost a bunch due to so much tissue being removed and being on medical leave. I feel even more choked about this weight gain because not only did I get bigger, my chest is on the way to being the same size again.
So to cap it all off, bad examples, self image, sickness, emotional eating, boredom, and just not paying attention got me here.
I have struggled with weight issues my entire life and I think, in the end, it comes down to self image. As a working mom, I'm so used to putting everyone else's needs first that I've just been too tired to take care of myself and my own needs. Now that I'm finally taking the time and making the effort to care for myself via IP, I see that I was treating myself like a second-class citizen. Along with the weight, I'm hoping to lose this tendancy so that I can be healthy and happy in my body, soul and mind!
I have struggled with weight issues my entire life and I think, in the end, it comes down to self image. As a working mom, I'm so used to putting everyone else's needs first that I've just been too tired to take care of myself and my own needs. Now that I'm finally taking the time and making the effort to care for myself via IP, I see that I was treating myself like a second-class citizen. Along with the weight, I'm hoping to lose this tendancy so that I can be healthy and happy in my body, soul and mind!
That is something I can also relate to! I decided to give myself freedom...
The first picture is at the end of my B. Sc., the second is last week!
That is something I can also relate to! I decided to give myself freedom...
The first picture is at the end of my B. Sc., the second is last week!
Wow --- you look amazing!! Thanks for sharing, your progress is really an inspiration.
I have tried many diets and IP just clicked for me. I think I may be a carb addict because if I have too many --- it seems that I can't stop. It was so easy to have 2 or three bowls of cereal or a couple of helpings of other high carb foods ----but with IP, I really don't crave a second IP packet or second helping of veggies or even another protein for dinner. I have what is scheduled to eat and am satisfied. When cravings do hit, I have a plan and that is really helping me stay in control.
Hopefully, like my instruction booklet for IP says --- "this will be my last diet."
Breast cancer started the ball rolling. I gained around 30 pounds while on the steroids they gave me during chemo and am now on a cancer drug that can cause weight gain, but hopefully will prevent a recurrence. The pounds did not simply "melt off" after chemo like I hoped. LOL.
Also became an emotional eater and I eat out of control when exhausted, I guess for comfort. I took off 28 lbs last year, but my job became very stressful and exhausting last November/December....no days off in more than a month, including weekends, 18-hour days and staying in a hotel near work due to snow storms. Was eating whatever was there. We ordered out for pizza a lot. Pretty much ate garbage for a month. The candy dish at work became my solace and by January or February I had gained back 33 lbs.
Was starting to take it off this past spring, when I fell and broke my leg and ankle while walking up and down stairs at work for exercise and ended up on my back for 6 weeks and then on crutches...very little walking for a total of 3 months. Just got out of my walking cast this month. I gained an additional 7 lbs during this period.
Feels so great to finally see the scale going in the right direction and it's the first time since chemo 4 years ago that I've experienced a normal appetite, as this diet has taken away all my cravings and compulsion to overeat. Finally know what it feels like to feel full. Before, the more I ate, the hungrier I got. To me, IP is nothing short of a miracle.
Hmm, interesting question. I was born premature and lost weight (I think down to 3lbs, 8oz. Back then that was pretty scary for them so they made the hole in the bottle larger so the mil would just drip in to my mouth and I would not have to 'work' for it. I was always encouraged to eat. We did not have healthy things at home so I never really learned healthy foods and healthy portions. I thought I was really fat in High school at about 140lbs. I was miserable and started working at 16 so I would not have to be at school all day. Every day on my way to work, I stopped at McDonalds (2:30pm), then ate dinner at work around 7:30pm and often stopped at McDonalds on my way home (11:00pm) or ate junk when I got home. By the time I left for college, I was 190lbs. I've struggle w/ my weight most of my life. I maintained at 170-180lbs for many years (dieting constantly) but thought I was absolutely huge. When I got up to 200lbs, I started another diet that was very strict and got down to about 165lbs. I got engaged and started eating like my fiancee and by the wedding, I was up to 180lbs. I gained about 10lbs a year until I hit 249. That was a breaking point for me. I joined weight watchers and lost 47lbs. As I got close to the 200lb mark, I thought I will never get down to where I want to be so I gave up. I started IP at 238 and down to 26 lbs in 5 weeks. When I set my goal, I was thinking yeah right, keep fooling yourself. But now, almost 6 weeks in, I can do this. And, I think maybe 145 would be a better goal weight but I won't know, don't need to know until I get there!
Sorry for the long post but I got on a roll and it helped to see how I got to where I am today and look forward to where I want to be!
Crazy work schedule, hectic life with two active kids, husband, and a dog and an alarming appetite for sweets. I LOVE THEM! The pounds snuck up on me, and I suddenly found myself not able to look in the mirror, especially after a shower. Feels great to be back to a Size 8. Didn't think it would ever happen for me again.
I'm one of those people who was a healthy weight (and the same weight!) from the time I was 9 until I got married at 27. A combination of things led to the weight gain:
So, yeah, all of that is pretty serious. But I think the underlying thread for me is that most of the time I was paying attention to something else and ignoring the weight gain 'for now'. Suddenly I woke up and I was twice my healthy weight! So now I'm doing baby steps, adopting healthier attitudes and learning about healthier ways of eating, in anticipation of really focussing on this once my treatments are over. And I'm going to get at least some clothes that are fitted (I've always liked very lose clothing) so that I notice sooner if I do gain again.
I'm with Amy! I love food. Also, I've had happy times and miserable times in my life, when I'm happy I just eat because I'm happy; when I'm miserable I eat because I'm miserable. I guess I just love food sums it up! Thanks Amy!
always was a skinny girl and have gained this crazy weight a couple of times and both from stress. No, my thing is not to eat more, but my body just holds on to it for dear life... I pad up for protection if that makes any sense.
This last time it was stress due to a teenage daughter, also traveling every month cross country to see my then fiance AND he is also one of the lucky few who can eat and eat and eat and always looks skinny... so yeah, we mostly went out to eat when I was over...a lot!
Stress to being a single mom and deal with a teenage daughter who combined all typical teenage nuttiness into one year and a half TOPS (and I mean CRAZY stuff, carrying knives for no reason included!!!!)
Traveling cross country once a month for a 3 day stay at a time
Stress about income: With the economy and being a personal trainer I did not have a set salary coming in guaranteed at all times (or any benefits for that matter) ...people cut out training a lot from their budgets.
Stress about my daughter moving out as soon as she turned 18 so she could get a stupid tattoo, even though she was STILL in HS. She moved in with friends of hers. Also keep in mind I was ALWAYS very protective of her for more reasons than one.
Stress about moving cross country to live with my fiance because honestly I could not afford to pay $1350 a month rent alone if she didn't live with me...made no sense (yeah, it was a one bedroom apartment in Santa Monica) That included packing EVERYTHING myself and shipping it via mail because to was too darn expensive to do so otherwise. My car was shipped and thank God I did not do that 3 day drive by myself.
Bottom line all that STRESS took a toll on me and my hormones making me be Estrogen Dominant and experience Adrenal Fatigue as well. According to my Naturopath and all the tests they did on me, internally I was like a 90 year old woman... not a pretty picture, right? So I am beating estrogen now baby! and meditating will help SO MUCH!
Last edited by deinekatze; 08-29-2010 at 11:17 PM.
I missed this one before..... hmmmmm its a very good question.
Started as a kid, single mom no money thing, it was either feast or famine... no scheduled meals, no structure, once a day eating if I was lucky ect. I started puberty really early I think I was 9 or 10 ......always chubby (now I can see that as a hormonal issue). Love good food, emotional/boredom eater, kept the weight on to protect myself, gained and lost many times from an early age... crash diets usually, bad I know now. Had my own child made the decision in the begining it was for him (as I felt I didnt count) but then realized it really was for me it just benefits him to have a healthy happy mamma, one that I never had. Now just trying to find my balance
Had my own child made the decision in the begining it was for him (as I felt I didnt count) but then realized it really was for me it just benefits him to have a healthy happy mamma, one that I never had. Now just trying to find my balance
