Hi there! Just introducing myself and my dillemma. Apologies for the long post!
I'm a 30 year old mom of two boys, who is a stay-at-home professional comic book artist. It's a flurry of chaos quite often, managing everything, but it's a beloved chaos.
MY HISTORY: I was a big kid, and lost over 65 pounds in High School. I did this in 3 months time just eating less and roller blading. I am a firm believer that your first weight loss attempt is your "magic ticket" because I cannot believe how simple things were back then.
I had my first son at 20 years old, and put on 75 pounds (this was my weight AFTER baby was born)
It was awful, but over 2 years I lost 85 pounds. At first I did it healthfully, but for the last 30 pounds I became bulimic, which put me at my lowest ever weight. 7 years ago I recovered from bulimia, only to replace it with severe dieting and exercise, which kept me pretty thin.
Then 4 years ago I became pregnant with my second son. I tried HARD to make sure I wouldn't gain weight like last time, but even with me being careful, I gained about 60 pounds (of extra weight). I know it's hard to believe, but in the final 3 months of pregnancy, I put on 10+ pounds a month, but I was consuming between 1200-2000 calories a day. I didn't know what was going on (but NOW I do, I'll get to that).
So after baby I started my THIRD weigh loss journey, this time starting at 210 pounds (better than 260 like last time!) I started eating less, exercising more, the usual. At first, things went according to plan. I got down to 170, and that's when things went crazy.
My weight loss stopped, and reversed. My hair started falling out, I couldn't sleep, I felt panicky, and my period got really weird. With the weight packing back on (despite eating low and running 3-5 miles a day) I tried HARDER! This left me with no results.
I was left confused, sad, and disgusted with my body, which had been through so many difficult traumas (3 weight gains/losses, 2 pregnancies, a major surgery) that it's left me with what I feel is an older woman's body at 30 years old.
About 1 1/2 years ago I stopped exercising due to work, and I slowly gained, but I ate so little (like under 1100 cals a day) that it wasn't too much. It wasn't until a year ago, when I tried hard to lose weight again, that my weight barrelled back up to the current 192
It went up because I did the Insanity workout. Don't get me wrong, it was AWESOME. I did a full round, plus 2 months. I felt the most in shape I have ever felt in my life! BUT! I gained 12 pounds!!!
I know SOME of it was muscle, but a good amount of it was fat. I was so mad at myself, because I ate according to their program that makes you eat MORE so accomodate their workout plan. They wanted me to eat 2100 cals a day, but I lowered it to 1900, and ate only the foods they told me to eat, but still I gained.
So after Insanity, I've been lost and confused as to what to try. I was successful on Atkins before, so I did that, with no results anymore. I tried eating a normal, clean diet (w/ carbs) and gained. When I try exercising at my normal intensity , I either gain, or stay the same.
At the height of my confusion and turmoil is when I discovered adrenal fatigue. I have not been told by a doctor I have this, but I am certain I have it. I have almost ALL the symptoms. I have been under constant, severe emotional stress for 12 years, and with my severe dieting/exercise, weight loss, pregnancies, bout of bulimia, I am sure it blasted my adrenal system to smithereens. What was a huge indicator for me was finding out that late pregnancy makes adrenal fatigue WORSE, which would finally put sense as to why I gained so much at the end of my pregnancy (which doctors could not explain, and gave me the "you are just eating too much" look, which, as a psycho calories counter, I was NOT).
There's just too much to say to fully explain the relief I felt coming across this answer. THIS is why the harder I tried, the less results I saw. THIS is why Insanity had the COUNTER results I was looking for. THIS was why my hair was falling out, and my period was wacky, and soooo many other issues.
But what to do about it?? I am struggling so hard with what to do, because the prescription to fix adrenal fatigue is to RELAX, and don't diet or exercise severely, as to heal the adrenals. I am struggling with this, because A) I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT NOW!; and B) I gain extremely easy, so i'm afraid I'll gain MORE if I relax. It's hard for me to trust in relaxing, and I detest the thought of even staying at my current weight through another summer, covering my arms and legs
So here I am, struggling to lose weight AGAIN, but this time I have a road block bigger than I feel my willpower can overcome. I'm 192 right now,and I want to lose 25-30 pounds, so wish me luck!
And thanks for reading/listening to my vent!
New here...
My job can be tough cookies sometimes, but it's fun! 
