Where it all Started

I have been struggling with weight issues, and food my whole life. Like others I was always the fat girl with the "Such a Pretty Face". When I was school age child I was actually a normal size but I had image distortion because of my Father. The little belly I was carrying no way had me in overweight or obese BMI but he called me his Baby Elephant, His Baby Hippo. When I reached my PreTeen years I became very curvy and tall at very young age like 12 and 13. I was 5ft 7 and worn a 36DD cup.

In the 8th grade my Father grounded me the entire summer, unless I stayed on Cambridge ( A Liquid Diet Supplement) and got down to 120lbs. I drank the Cambridge in his Face, and binged on anything I could get my hands in behind his back. Of course, instead of losing weight I gained weight, and became depressed from being isolated all Summer. My binge eating, and high carb, high sugar foods contributed to a continued weight gain, and My Father's emotional abuse added to my Image distortion. I was now in a Overweight BMI but I had a very curvy shape.

When I would showed him my Homecoming dresses he would ask me, "if I got them from a Tent Maker?" He never told me I looked pretty, or nice in my dresses. Always the jokes. All I wanted was my Daddy's approval. When I was 15, I entered a Psychiatric Unit for an my Eating Disorder. I was Diagnosed with Compulsive Overeating, and Manic Depression. I spent 6 weeks in the locked ward, eating very healthy foods, I don't know how much I lost but I know I was size 13 when I came home.

I was 5ft 9.5 inches tall. I'm guessing my BMI was probably back in a Healthy range. They taught us how to eat healthy in the Unit, and how to handle the urges to binge. I was on meds to handle the urge to binge, too. But I was weak and tired all the time, had no motivation to exercise. I didn't know at the time My heart was weakened by the Undiagnosed Cardiomyopathy, or a Weakening of the heart muscle. Over the next couple decades, I struggled to just function every day. I always felt very weak and tired. No motivation to do anything. I know now I had Cardiomyopathy and my untreated heart condition was a major factor in my weight gain. After a major health scare in 2004, I was finally clinically diagonsed with Dilated Left Ventricle Cardiomyopathy, Congestive Heart Failure, PVCs of the Heart, and Hypertension. The only reason I didn't immediately ask for a Lapband at this time was because of my Insurance I didn't think they would pay. I was definitely interested. I went on Topamax to control my Binge eating, it took away the physical hunger but I still had Head Hunger. I lost a small amount of weight on this medication, but mostly maintained my weight. When I had some Domestic issues in 2007 and moved from my Hometown of St. Louis, to a Small town in Georgia I became Isolated and began to Overeat and Binge again. The weight piled on. In 2 short years, I gained 100 lbs. That's whats brought me to Today, I want to get healthy and Kick Fat's Azz!!! ( I stole this from a Fellow Lapbander) I visited with my Doctor, and she agreed it was a great idea, and sent in the paperwork to get me insurance approval. I'm waiting on Insurance approval for the Lapband now. I'm so excited to get healthy I could jump out of my skin, I'm gonna Kick Fat's Azz! If you are a fellow Lapbander, let's do it together! Looking forward to the Journey!

• 1984 160lbs. Cambridge Diet lost the same weight over and over
• 1987 177lb. Picture Myself Morbidly Obese:-(
• 1990 210lb. Unhealthy Eating added the Lbs
• 1991 190 lb.Richard Simmons Eating Plan and Exercise Videos -30 lbs
• 1992 200lbs Traveling never eat right
• 1993 230lb Gained 30 lbs after tragedies in my life
• 1994 180lb Lost 50lbs while pregnant Almost High School size
• 1996 210lb Stop breastfeeding The weight came fly back
• 1998 250lb Fast food while doing a lot of roadtrips but 40lbs on me fast
  
• 1999- 250lb Stayed at this weight
• 2000 250lb Got Married Maintained
• 2002 250lb Stayed at this weight
• 2003 270lb Medication made me hungry another 20lbs
• 2004 230lbs Lost 50lbs while pregnant and breast feeding
  2004 230lbs Tried a healthy eating plan sent to me by Insurance Company, Lost 15lbs
• 2004 215lbs Diagonsed with Cardiomyopathy with an Ejection Fraction of 25% , CHF, and Hypertension
• 2005 250lbs Being very weak and unable to do move around is showing 20 more Lbs.
  
• 2006 250lbs Stayed around the same.
  
• 2007300lbsDepression sets in, binge eating now, plus Sedentary Lifestyle +50 lbs
  
• 2008320lbs Eating easy fix and lots of fast foods, very depressed about being over 300lbs just makes me eat more 20+lbs
  
• 2009 350lbs Very Lonely now, Feel like I will never get married. Eating for Comfort, High Carb, High Sugar Foods. Lots of Buffets. 30+ lbs.
• 2009 350lbs Time to make a Life Change, Spoke to Dr. about Lapband
• 2009 11/2 Waiting on Approval for Lapband!