Hey all!
I've lurked a bit on and off over the years, and finally decided to make an account!
I'm 21, and have been hovering around 230 for the past few months. I've always had a weight problem, all the way back to kindergarten, but managed to go from 180 to 150 in High school. I'm short, so I still was stocky, but was relatively comfortable with my weight.
Starting in Junior year of High School though, I started having more exacerbated emotional issues that caused me to have periods of time where I didn't eat at all (maybe a bit to eat a day, but no appetite and much meal skipping for weeks at a time). I started going to therapy, and for a brief period of time was on medication for anxiety and depression/manic depression, before deciding (by literally cutting off contact to my psychiatrist) that I no longer wanted medicine because it made me feel odd all the time. This happened before the beginning of my senior year, and by December of that same year I'd ballooned from 150 to 200. It made me feel miserable my senior year despite having many reasons to be happy. The custom Prom dress my aunt bought me kept getting smaller, I couldn't find a pretty graduation dress, I felt ugly at the special ball I went to for a scholarship program I'd been in, I had a boyfriend for the first time, but didn't feel beautiful (no matter how many times he told me). For that reason, I only have one picture of me from my Prom, two or 3 from the ball, and a few more from my graduation and I feel like they're all hideous; I regret it.
I went to college, and my first few years were messed up as a result of my developing gallbladder disease. I finally had a surgery for that this past January after missing a semester because I couldn't have the surgery due to Health Insurance mishaps.
I realized that Senior Year is coming up on me again; I'll soon be graduating again. I feel unhealthy and tired all of the time; my joints hurt, I have frequent migraines, and this summer has been a constant period of anxiety and depression.
I know the kinds of steps that I should be making, but don't know how to start. I'm currently working in an office 8-5 (meaning I get up at 6:30 to get here on time), and in a restaurant 5-10:30. I get home around 11 every night , and barely have enough energy to make my dinner and lunch for the next day. I feel as if a big reason I can't shake this weight off is the fact that I'm not as active as I should be, but I literally can't think of a time to be more active. If anything, some weekend days I only have one shift at my restaurant instead of 2, but 1 day's worth of exercise doesn't seem near enough.
I've been changing my diet over the last month, trying to eat majority veggies, baking instead of cooking on the stove, drinking between 64-96oz of water a day (I tend to drink a lot because of my waitressing and it being summer), and all of that, but I'm still gaining/maintaining.
I'm also planning to restart therapy once I have a more constant and free schedule.
Does anyone have any advice on anything? Any ideas for exercise? Thanks so much for reading all of this!
~Psyche
I'm not Sure where to Start
I'm not sure if you have recommended foods to eat or avoid after your gallbladder surgery, but I've read before that those who have had their gall bladders removed need to limit their fat intake. By the same token, carbs are often responsible for raising and falling insulin levels which contribute to weight gain, so you have to be careful you don't overdo it on carbs in trying to avoid fats. Were you given any diet advice from a dietician after you had your surgery? Asking your doctor about the best diet for you may be the best way to start. There is a forum on here for people who are facing physical obstacles. You might want to check that out. You may find some other people who have had gall bladder surgery on there. Although your time is limited for exercise, many experts say diet is really the key to weight loss, so you can do this! Good luck!
