[luvfree]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to get acquainted with everyone here and share my story....here goes..I hope there are no judgements...

I grew up in a small farming community. Life growing up with a farmer included lots of good eating potatoes, chickens freshly killed and cooked, lots of fresh vegetable...LOTS OF carbs as I come from a hispanic family!

When puberty hit me at age 13 I gained good weight in my hips and thighs.

I slowly became self conscious and with wanting to begin dating and joining the cheerleading squad when I was a sophomore, I found myself thinking more and more that food was an enemy..yep, I slowly became an anorexic with bouts of bulimia every now and then. At age 16-17 I weighed a merely 100 lbs and had around 8% body fat.

I struggled with my eating disorders well into my 20's. I moved away from this small community as I pursued a career in jewelry. With support and love from a boyfriend at the time as well as some counseling, I slowly overcame my thought that food was an enemy and seeing myself in a new light. by the time I was age 22-24, I weighed around 120, looked healthy and felt great. I allowed myself to socialize, drink and eat with my friends.

I then broke up with my boyfriend who had been there with me through my struggles and was single for some time, able to maintain my weight because I had a lot of spare time to work out and manage my eating habits. I then met my (now husband) of 4 years.

My husband LOVES to eat out, drink socially ect. We got engaged and by the time we were about to get married, I stepped on a scale and to my horror, I had pushed my weight up to 145!! I began to watch what I ate, worked out and was able to shed a mere 5 lbs before we actually wed. I mantained my weight at 140 then got pregnant only 4 months after being married!!

My pregnancy was hard. I gained over 50 LBS! seeing myself tipping the scales at amost 200 lbs, I could not believe what had happened...I slowly let myself go.

My oldest son was 15 months old when I got pregnant again, This time I didn't gain hardly any weight, but the damage was done. I was already at 188 lbs when I got pregnant with my 2nd child...

Now having had my second child, finished nursing him, I was weighing in at 193.

I heard about Ideal Protein from a few co-workers and decided to try it. Today is my 6th day on the diet and I have already lost 6.5 lbs!! I am being really good but decided to google ideas on how to do different things with my IP meal packets and found this forum

I am hoping to get to know more other like myself and find lots of support and friends along the way as well as some ideas of new things to try!

Well this is probably long enough, but this is my weight story and I hope to learn more about YOU too!!

God Bless and talk to you all soon )

[Lovely]

Welcome to 3FC!

No judgements here. We've all had to deal with weight problems.

There's an Ideal Protein section under Diet Central that you might appreciate.

Best of luck!

[gabbybb]

What an interesting coincidence-we both signed up the same day from SE Idaho. Good luck to you. I am having lap band the first part of October. I was in an accident 7 years ago that broke my neck, and made me unable to exercise. It was also very depressing to have the injury and chronic pain. I think this will be a great forum to keep my spirits up through this.

I hope your journey goes well, and keep posting so I can see how you are doing!!

Gabby-Blackfoot/ Riverside

[sandcar150]

Of course there are no judgements here. Most of us have our own similar stories.

I was at goal weight only a few years ago, too. It amazes me how quickly that weight can go up. I know realize that I can NEVER eat the way I ate before. Just because you hit goal weight, it doesn't allow you to binge eat a few times a week. And even more than looking good in a size 6, I want to be healthy.

You're much younger than me, so I hope that when you reach goal this time around you have much more success at staying there than I did.

Good luck to you!

[luvfree]

Gabby! that is a great coincidence! I live in Idaho Falls! Good luck to you!

[Gissy1810]

Hi there

I have suffered with eating disorders & clinical depression since I was 15.
I started out with anorexic tenancies, & then soon became bulimic. My weight would range between normal & underweight, for many years to come.
At the same age, I was also diagnosed with psoriasis, which became chronic very quickly. By the time I was 21, the joints in my body became severely inflamed & I suffered debilitating pain, which prevented me from doing any form of exercise. I was diagnosed with a secondary form of psoriasis, similar to rheumatoid arthritis, & was prescribed toxic chemotherapy drugs, which suppressed my overactive immune system, & enabled me to move again. I was good for several years & threw myself into the strict exercise & diet regimen that had been my lifelong friend.
In 1998, a routine liver biopsy revealed signs of fibrosis, caused by the toxicity of the drugs & I was immediately taken off them. Within 3 months the disease ravaged my entire body, both inside & out. I was bedridden, unable to move, & in constant pain living on full disability benefits for 2 years. My weight ballooned due to the steroids I had to take & lack of movement & there was nothing I could do about it, except lie there & watch!!
In 2001 I started a new drug &, lucky for me, it worked like a charm. I had a 2nd chance at life. I jumped back into the manic starvation/exercise pattern, &, feeling like I had something to prove, & make up for lost time, I went above & beyond & qualified as a fitness & aerobics instructor! - My classes became really popular & I found myself working extra hours & eating less & less. Eventually, 5 years ago I nearly collapsed from exhaustion & had a complete breakdown.
Since then I have become a virtual recluse, locked away in a darkened room, comforting myself by binging on junk food & alcohol, gaining a colossal amount of weight & basically checking out of life.
After 30 years of battling with food, I became so very tired & gave up completely, for a while. I am ready to stand up & fight, again now .....

I may have lost a few battles along the way, but I will win the war!!

[luvfree]

Originally Posted by Gissy1810

Hi there

I have suffered with eating disorders & clinical depression since I was 15.
I started out with anorexic tenancies, & then soon became bulimic. My weight would range between normal & underweight, for many years to come.
At the same age, I was also diagnosed with psoriasis, which became chronic very quickly. By the time I was 21, the joints in my body became severely inflamed & I suffered debilitating pain, which prevented me from doing any form of exercise. I was diagnosed with a secondary form of psoriasis, similar to rheumatoid arthritis, & was prescribed toxic chemotherapy drugs, which suppressed my overactive immune system, & enabled me to move again. I was good for several years & threw myself into the strict exercise & diet regimen that had been my lifelong friend.
In 1998, a routine liver biopsy revealed signs of fibrosis, caused by the toxicity of the drugs & I was immediately taken off them. Within 3 months the disease ravaged my entire body, both inside & out. I was bedridden, unable to move, & in constant pain living on full disability benefits for 2 years. My weight ballooned due to the steroids I had to take & lack of movement & there was nothing I could do about it, except lie there & watch!!
In 2001 I started a new drug &, lucky for me, it worked like a charm. I had a 2nd chance at life. I jumped back into the manic starvation/exercise pattern, &, feeling like I had something to prove, & make up for lost time, I went above & beyond & qualified as a fitness & aerobics instructor! - My classes became really popular & I found myself working extra hours & eating less & less. Eventually, 5 years ago I nearly collapsed from exhaustion & had a complete breakdown.
Since then I have become a virtual recluse, locked away in a darkened room, comforting myself by binging on junk food & alcohol, gaining a colossal amount of weight & basically checking out of life.
After 30 years of battling with food, I became so very tired & gave up completely, for a while. I am ready to stand up & fight, again now .....

I may have lost a few battles along the way, but I will win the war!!

I am so proud of your strength and courage. You are a true testament that anyone can overcome demons and survive. I will be thinking of you