New Face (and hopefully a newer one in my mirror)
 

So, where do I start?

Today, when I get home, my first order of Wonderslim will be sitting on my doorstep. I must admit, I never saw myself here. All throughout life, I had always been healthy, active, slim. Looking back at photos taken less than 5 years ago, I don't even recognize the smiling face looking back at me. How did this happen? How did I get here? And why did I allow myself to become this blob?

The hardest part about being close to 300 pounds, is I never hit above 156 pounds until pregnancy. And even in pregnancy, I never gained more than 12 pounds. It all happened afterwards. And frankly, I still can't figure it out. I lied to myself, told myself I was bloated. Told myself I still had baby weight around my figure. Stopped wearng jeans, started wearng elastic waist pants. It wasn't until my 3 year old ran up to me several months ago and asked me why I was so big (I know she meant tall, but I preceived it as fat) that I realized I had REALLY let myself go! I mean, my god! I am huge! I used to go out in size 8's day in and day out, and now I am squeezing into size 24's. WHAT!?

So, hubby and I starting hitting the gym like no tomorrow. And I gained 19 pounds. YIKES! I started couning every little calorie, carb, and fat I put into my system. I lost 1 pound. Bummer. So, I went to my doctor, tearfully I might add. And she recommened Wonderslim to me. Apparently, she had another patient use it last year and drop an amazing 86 pounds. Now, she swears by it. So, okay, here it goes. I am ready for it. I must admit, I am apprehensive. But at the same time, I am excited. And, I am also trying really hard to not get discouraged too soon. Nothing else has worked. My thyroid is fine. What if this doesn't work either. What then? Surgery? I hope not. So, starting at 5 AM tomorrow, I attempt to diet one last time, using Wonderslim. Man, never thought I would be here. But so glad this forum exists. So, here goes nothing!!!:^:

Wow...Zoesmom! Go get 'em. It took a while to put the weight on, so it's going to take a while to get the weight off, but you CAN do it! I'm so glad to hear that your doctor is helping and encouraging you. Mine is too, and it's a great motivator! I've got some other issues going on, but I'm gonna just work around them and keep going. You hang tough, believe in yourself, and you'll be back in those jeans soon!!!

Welcome, zoesmom! This forum is a great resource and source of strength! You're not alone here! Also, great to hear you're working with your doctor-- when I speak to my doctor, it not only provides me with useful information but kind validates my experiences, if that makes sense? Best to you on your weight loss.

Welcome!

Did your doc run a standard panel of bloodwork on you to ensure you don't have a metabolic issue, like thyroid disease, that could be hampering your efforts?

Thanks everyone! It is nice knowing there is support out there who gets it. I come from a rather slim family so they throw out the cliche of "diet and excercise" as if I didn't already know this and haven't already been attempting that like mad. When I moan to them about my lack of weight lose, they start in with the "you aren't doing it right" speech. Very discouraging.

My doctor did test my thyroid. She said my thryoid is fine, but I am borderline for potentially having hypothyroidism. She wants to do another thyroid panel in about 6 more weeks to see if my levels have changed any. Until then, I guess I work out and attempt this new diet she recommended. I was suppose to start it this morning, but there was a mix up with Fed Ex yesterday, so HOPEFULLY my package will arrive today. I am so ready to try something that gives me hope.

Welcome! You mentioned you are borderline hypo--what is your TSH? There is disagreement in the medical community over what TSH level is considered hypo.

Did you gain the majority of weight during or after pregnancy?

There are so many thing that can lead to weight gain! Have you considered meeting with a nutritionist? I hired one and have been seeing great results! She has taught me so much and holds me accountable for what I eat. Good luck with your journey!

^^^This. Some docs use 5.0 as the value, some docs use 4.5, some use 3.0, some use 2.5. Personally if my TSH goes above 2, I start gaining weight and feeling like crap. My dosage of thyroid is dialed in to keep me at about 1.6 and I don't have any hyper or hypo symptoms at that range. A good doc will treat your symptoms, using blood tests as a reference. A bad doc just looks at your blood tests and treats you or not based on that, regardless of how you feel. IMO.

My most recent thyroid panel indicated 3.83. Last year, I was closer to 3.0 range (although I don't recall the exact number of that one.) That is the main reason my doc wants to retest in a couple of weeks. She wants to be certain prior to prescribing me something, especially something that can end up causing hormonal changes. I can apprecaite that. She really is a good doctor, very supportive and understanding. I think it helps that I go to a female doctor. The problem is, she likes to be VERY thourough, so sometimes, it feels like it takes forever to get a diagnosis. That can be infuriating. But, at least I know once I get it, it is the right one.