“I LOST 137 LBS. – REGAINED HEALTH – MY STORY SILENCED”

“I LOST 137 LBS!”

Successful Weight Loss – Health Returned – Story Silenced because of one four letter word!

In mid to late 2007 I began a regimen that would alter the course of my life. By Mother’s Day 2009 I had accomplished a weight loss of 135 lbs.

Prior to mid 2007 I had tipped the scales at 261 lbs., been diagnosed with morbid obesity and the physical ailments were many. My doctor had been on to me about dieting and the need to lose weight; so much so that he made me angry.

I would show him a thing or two. I determined that I would do a 1000 calorie per day intake and boy was I in for a surprise. I began keeping a calorie count of every thing I put in my mouth. I would have counted the calories in water if it had been possible because I was desperate. I was so physically unfit I could barely get around. Shopping carts were a great source of support and I leaned heavily on them while making my way through store isles.

Talking about my experience with weight loss usually makes people curious enough to ask: “How did you do it?” And “Did you have surgery?” “What diet did you follow?” That’s where the story changes and interest decreases. You see, I never believed in diets because it’s a known fact that diets are prone to failure resulting in and subjecting individuals to emotional upheaval.

I experienced and survived chemically induced physical and emotional exhaustion.

My life as a Christian began when I was about 10 years of age. Having been exposed to Christian Principles from birth and as an innocent little girl it was an easy decision to live my life for Jesus. As a young teenager (about age 14) my decision to follow those Christian Principles was reaffirmed and I was once again baptized as a public confession of that commitment.

Being a woman of age now I believe it was most common in the 1950’s for girls to marry fresh out of high school. On my wedding day I was 9 months and 17 days beyond 17 years of age and “very intelligent about life and living” or so I believed! I would be part of the generation that finally “got it right”!

Family living would begin just seven months and eight days into my eighteenth year on this earth. I would go on to become a mother of five; four sons and a daughter. In my book they rank top as the most beautiful, intelligent people to ever walk this Terra fir ma; they do me proud!

As with all living, life would deal its nasty blows so it should be no surprise that my family experienced childhood diseases, accidents worthy of emergency medical care and . . . . . ! Being “very intelligent about life and living” themselves, they all survived childhood and took on their own challenges of married life.

As I was attending the “school of hard knocks” things were happening that would eventually turn my life upside down. Childbearing introduced me to calcium deficiency and I began losing my teeth at about age 20. I was introduced to an upper denture prior to the birth of my fourth child in 1969. I cannot begin to describe the strain on my self esteem resulting from having to deal with a mouthful of plastic for the remainder of my life. And due to being prone to tonsillitis from early childhood a tonsillectomy became necessary in the late 1960’s. I was a mother of three when the surgery was performed.

The late 1970’s brought the first high school graduations as the children were about to embark on a whole new world.

The 70’s presented unique and difficult challenges. I was just shy of age 33 when I was diagnosed with Endometriosis severe enough to require a Hysterectomy. This was a very private subject that received little discussion; knowledge about the long term effects was basically non-existent. The surgery put yet another strain on self esteem and was a serious blow to the marriage relationship. A lot of tears were shed as the hysterectomy remained a very private experience. The hormonal changes that ensued were difficult to balance and induced emotional conflict. Hormone therapy was started and a “little nerve pill” was added to the order of the day.

I began waking up with my heart racing at 2 a.m. on the dot. After a few times of having that happen I became terrified about a possible heart attack, and paranoid about sleeping on my left side. When terror would strike in the night I would feel as though the blood coursing through my veins had turned to ice.  I will spare the details because they open up the subject of psychiatric intervention and that isn’t the purpose of this article.

Serious events involving family members became overwhelming so in June of 1986 I fell beneath the load and expressed my concerns to my doctor. He suggested a few days rest at the local hospital would benefit me greatly, I agreed.

While in the hospital I was visited by a doctor who determined I needed certain medications to get me through . . . whatever it was that I was about to experience.

And with that I went from 135 lbs. down to about 98 lbs in a very short time. The prescribed drug had set me on the path to chemical physical exhaustion and I would experience chemical manipulation of my life for many years to follow. While it was determined that my condition was continuing to deteriorate, there was never any professional acknowledgement that side effects of the prescribed drugs were having a major effect on my affect.

As time passed, I walked, I ran, I slept for days, I was unable to sleep for days, I lost weight, I gained weight. I was diagnosed with and treated for multiple physical ailments including Fibromyalgia and Sleep Apnea. I was also diagnosed with and treated for multiple psychological maladies.  I ended up being diagnosed with Morbid Obesity and tipping the scales at 261 lbs.  Before leveling out I would lose a total of 137 lbs.  I feel fantastic!

My success story involves major weight loss impressive enough for people to say I would make a good motivational speaker. However, in order to disclose the details about how and why I lost the weight and kept it off, I must use a four letter word that no one is fond of. As soon as that four letter word is used in describing how “I DID IT” their interest on the subject of weight loss is diminished by at least 50%. And my influence as a motivational speaker becomes like that of a prophet in his own country; without honor.

My success story will not be sensationalized because I am not a celebrity and I did not depend on a Diet plan.  Instead I worked my fanny off using the tools that God provided. I have been told several times by members of the medical profession that it was impossible to do what I did, it just doesn’t happen.

Successful Weight Loss and return to Healthy Living – The unwelcome story because of one four letter word, “work”!

I thank God for the strength to recover what rightfully belonged to me.  For that  I am most grateful!