Hey everyone!
So I'm new here and have been lurking for the last few days and thought it was time to introduce myself here! I haven't been a part of a forum community in a long time so I'm kind of excited!
So here's a little bit about me: I have been overweight most of my life. I was a very active child and was pretty skinny up until about grade 4ish. That's when things started to change. My sister was always overweight as a child and about when I was 9ish we kind of made a switch - she got skinny and I gained weight. People around me always poked fun at my weight (even when I wasn't overweight) and I think it just became something that I let happen because everyone said that anyways.
Grade school was horrible because I was made fun of a lot for my wieght. People that were my friends stopped being friends with me because I was fat and 'uncool' and it was really hurtful. In highschool it just got worse. When I entered grade 9 I was a size 16 and fluctuated between that and size 20 throughout highschool. Highschool was also the time that I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and struggled with self-harm. I had very low self-esteem and self-worth because of my weight (among other things) and engaged in a lot of self-harming behaviours.
Things got worse for me when I got to college. I ate horribly (as most college students do!) and put on more weight. After my first year I moved back home and started driving to school - me with a car equaled me in a lot of drive-thrus. I was obsessed with food and ate fastfood at least once a day (and a lot of it - I would binge a lot and eat a fast food meal before going home to eat dinner). Not only was I a binge eater, but I was also an emotional eater.
I tried different diets and always failed because I just couldn't not eat junk food. I had a compulsion to eat bad food all the time in large quantities. I couldnt go into a store without buying junk food for the ride home! I tried weight watchers a few times and at one point lost 40 lbs, but then I gained it all back and more!
Exercising was always hard for me. I had no motivation to do anything and I was always tired and depressed.
In May 2007 I became a christian and my life inproved a lot in respect to my attitude and my moods, but my weight continued to go up.
Every time I tried to lose wieght I failed and I think because I was always doing it for other people - I was always trying to lose weight because everyone told me I had to (My sister needed a liver transplant in 2007 and I actually had someone ask me why I couldnt donate and I told them it was because I was overweight and needed to lose 60 lbs before theyd even consider me. After my sister got a donor that person came up to me and said 'im glad your sisters getting a liver, but you should still lose those 60 lbs!' What nerve some people have!)
Anyways, sorry this is getting long winded! haha . For the past few years I've been battling stomach issues, headaches, lethargy, etc. I had kind of self-diagnosed myself with IBS because I couldn't eat without having to go to the bathroom within minutes and feeling horrible. I felt horrible all the time and had no motivation. It was at this point that I weighed my heaviest - about 258!
Then one day, while talking about my issues, someone suggested to me that maybe I have an allergy to something. So I talked to a coworker who's also a personal trainer/nutritionist and she suggested doing an allergy elimination diet. I had narrowed it down to wheat and dairy. We started with the wheat and within 3 days I had no stomach aches, no headaches, and so much more energy! Turns out I have a wheat intolerance (or allergy - that i'm not sure of yet!).
I cut wheat out of my diet and couldn't believe the change and withing a couple monthes I lost about 12 lbs, just because of that change. I feel more like myself now and feel like I can take control of my weight! I'm ready to eat healthy and be healthy because I now see how it makes me feel! I was stuck for sooo long in that jail of a food allergy and now I feel like I've been set free! My anxiety has even lessened!
I am excited to take control of my weight and I just plan on eating healthier (which is a lot easier now that I cant have the stuff I used to binge on because it makes me violently sick!).
I have the energy to exercise now - I've always beat myself up for being so lazy and not exercising, but it was because I had zero energy! I started a running program wiht my room mate called Couch to 5k and I actually look forward to running! I am even signing up for a 5k in July!
I have been so inspired by you guys and reading the goal posts and can't wait to be able to post mine! i am excited to be a part of this community, because as much as I'm motivated, I'm still going to have my struggles!
Anyways, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Have a great day!
Laura
Oh I almost forgot! My heaviest weight was 258. I am not down to 241 and my ultimate goal is 150!
