I brought this up from a really really old post for you. It tells my story.
What is yours?



Good Morning Everybody!


I am not hyped on weight loss as weight loss alone. I am hyped on the way it makes me feel and on being back on the road to good health. I have not really gotten into the whys and the wherefores of becoming heavy, but they are not very pretty.

I will try and share my story as best I can and hopefully you can see why I feel so good now.

Ok, Why and How
Since my son was born almost 19 years ago I have been Hypo Thyroid. Before being diagnosed I reached almost 170 lbs. After diagnosis and medication I dropped 25 lbs. almost immediately and exercise and my job (my work at that point was extremely physical) and a brutal divorce took care of the rest.

For many I years remained between 132-137 with little effort on my part. Also left to my own devices I am a naturally lean eater, I like my veggies, I love homemade soup, I prefer a stirfry to a roast etc..

I accepted a position in a new location, moved, married my husband. I now had a desk job, and a man to cook for. Before I knew it I was 150. Back to the gym for me.

Then a new baby, quitting smoking, up 15 lbs. Back to the gym for me.

Flash-forward to 1997, new job, tons of responsibilities, stress, stress, and more stress. I was away from home for extended periods, re-engineered my department and had the most abusive and power-hungry boss you can imagine. I filed a harassment suit. If any of you have done this, you know how awful and hard it is to admit you can not handle a problem on your own. Stress and thyroid problems do not mix well, and my thyroid was out of control. My numbers where off the chart on dose of 75 mg and eventually I was bumped all the way to 300 mg and still was in the low range of normal. There where months I gained 30 lbs.

I began having severe cramps and a mass the size of a brick was located on my right ovary. More stress, surgery, and I was still dealing with my harassment suit.

In 1998, my boss was dismissed. I went back to my job but I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I was also 220 lbs.

In 1999 my husband was offered a lucrative position in our current location. He accepted and because of contractual obligations I remained behind for almost a year, working, running the house and taking care of the kids. In July of 2000 I sold the house and moved. I was at the end of my endurance.

We had purchased a small acreage and wanted to start construction after I was in town. I was so excited, we could have pony, some chickens, I would never have to work, we were set. Because of the rental situation we had to move into a tiny, run down house. Most of our things went into storage. No big deal, i told the kids pretend like we are camping. While we where designing and contacting our new house my husband was informed that we would most likely be moved within the next 5 yr. AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUURGGGGGGGGGGG
There is no resale value on new homes in Moose Jaw. I consulted a realtor who strongly advised us NOT to build.

So now I had no identity. I was not a person with a job of any description, I lived in a bug infested rental I was too embarrassed to invite any one into (not that I knew anyone)I had no freinds, I had no direction for my life.
I spiraled into a severe depression. Everyone was worried out of their minds for me, but I didn’t care. I ate. I slept. I ate some more.

I don’t know what snapped in me but I got it together. I got out of bed and I bought a house. A 100 year old, 4 bedroom. Then I moved all our things.

The one person I knew was my neighbor, the mother of my daughter’s new friend. She suggested I join Tops with her. When they told me I weighed 253 lbs. I think I went into shock. I was a walking time bomb. Stroke, heart disease, diabetes. I had to take action. I want to attend my daughters grad, I want to see my grandchildren. I want to go on a cruise.

I booked a doctors appt,. Saw a dietician, researched workouts that I could do and went to it. I guess I had a job again.

I ate sensibly. I refused to eat the stuff my man likes, high fat, high sodium, high cal foods. I cook seperately for myself and from day one I tried to exercise. Just climbing the stairs in those days was an effort, so I made my self use the upstairs bathroom. I did the portions of my workout, Bottoms up, that I could do and I pushed myself to do more. I put my treadmill back together and at first I could only do 10-15 min. of walking. It was very hard, but gradually it became easier and I became more fit. I still have long way to go, but I will get there.

Where I was just too ugly too ever go back.

If I have depressed anybody with this long monologue I am sorry. I find a great deal of comfort coming here and talking to you all. I enjoy your support and company and best of all, you get it. You understand what it is to be unhappy with where you are, and know where you want to be. I wish you all Gods’ Speed in getting there. If I can help you in anyway, let me know, I will try my best.
I am amazed, excited, and gratified to be here and finally, after so long, every day just gets better and better.

What a great story, and what an inspiration you have been to me as I have started reading about your success over the past few months (all those consecutive weeks of weight loss!). And now, almost 100 pounds lost! Do you know that TOPS has a special awards for you when you have lost 100 pounds and kept it off for a year (Centennial Club)? Way to go!

I read the speech you gave at your PRD and printed it off so I can read it whenever I need a boost.

I believe stress is a large part of our weight problems. I have a plaque that says "If stress burned calories, I would be size 5". Unfortunately, it usually works the other way around.

Again, congratulations! And thanks for sharing your pictures with us.

Dear CC,
thank you for your story. I have printed it, and will keep it. I found it very interesting Do you have time to continue with your story, and tell me about how long it took you with tops, what helped, and where can I get a copy of your speech? Well, I will tell you a little about me. I am 63 years old, and weighed 250 most of my adult life. Once, about 35 years ago, I joined TOPS in California and lost 50 pounds in 8 months. Then a move to New England, a divorce, and lots of potatoe chips brought me back to 250#. At that point, I was 32 years old, and stopped dieting. I never wavered much from that weight. I was never into exercise, but as a nurse did expend much energy at work. Then, in 1987, I ruptured a disc in my back, was on bedrest for 2 months and gained a pound a week. Over the next 4 years I ruptured a disc 4 more time, spent a total of 12 months on bed rest, and gained 52 pounds. By then, my arthritis worsened, and I was put on disability. Over the next several years I slowly gained another 14 pounds to put me at my highest weight, 316 pounds. Having the arthritis, (I walk with 2 canes) and a very slow metabolism, I can only walk a short distance or stand for 5 minutes. However, I do not sit at home. I am the worship leader at chruch at 2 services a week, I have a Bible study at my home once a week, I baby sit my grand neice all weekend, I go to a rec center to do ceramics once or twice a week, and I am involved in the lives of 3 of my former foster daughters. ( was a foster mom to several teen girls for the past 6 years, just retired from that a few months ago.)so i am as active as I can be. I finally joined WW in November of 2000 and lost 14 pounds. But the cost was more than I could comfortably handle, so I looked for and found a TOPS group. I joined in Jan. 2001. My progress has been slow, I have lost 25 pounds with TOPS, making a total of 39 since i started 11/00. I am pleased with my progress, because I had a specialist I went to for my metabolism tell me that if I lost 5 pounds a year I would be doing good. I know I must make this a life time commitment (but, hey, at 63 that is not all that long!!) and I am actually enjoying the process. I have to say, this site has been a tremendous help. thanks for your support.
mary ann