A few years ago Kleenex had a commercial that I absolutely loved! A man would stop people on a crowded street, invite them to sit down on the couch and just share their story. At some point everyone would be laughing or crying and Kleenexes were handed out.
Why love the commercial?
Whether it’s waiting in line, on the job, or at a social event, I enjoy asking people what their story is. After a few minutes, most people are honest and really share from the heart. It’s amazing the things you can learn about a person, and quite often the person is much different than my initial impression of him or her.
During the next several months I’ll be sharing my story with you. If you were to meet me in person, at first glance you would wonder why I’m so big.
You might discover that I’m a nice person, have a heart for people and that I have a fun sense of humor. But I want you to get to know who I really am. If you’re struggling with weight loss, then I hope my experiences will encourage you and inspire you to keep working at losing weight.
If you’re in great shape and just “don’t get” how a person can become obese, then I hope my story will provide you with some insight on the struggles of an overweight person.
So what’s my story? I have struggled with weight for most of my life. As a kid, my friends would refer to me as chubby. By high school, I was 170 pounds and scared that I would hit 200 pounds by graduation. Thus, began decades of yo-yo dieting.
I remember drinking chocolate Carnation Breakfast Drink for breakfast and lunch during tenth grade. I actually got down to 140 pounds, but wasn’t prepared for all of the attention that I was getting. It made me feel uncomfortable and I quickly gained weight back.
Like a roller coaster, my weight went up and down. When I weighed 240 pounds, I basically stopped weighing myself. Anytime I had to go to the doctor’s office, we both knew that I would refuse getting weighed. However, I had to have surgery and there was no avoiding getting weighed. I was embarrassed and shocked that my weight was at 285 pounds.
I later was diagnosed with the on-set of ovarian cancer and had to undergo chemo treatments. When the doctor told me not to lose weight, it sent a message to my brain to enjoy whatever food I wanted, whenever I wanted it. That message stayed with me for the next ten years.
Finding myself weighing almost 400 pounds, I knew I needed to change my lifestyle and habits. At that point I had lost my parents, a brother and my sister due to health issues. I knew that if I wanted to live to see 50, I had to get serious about losing weight.
I’ll be sharing with you the successes I’ve experienced thus far and the obstacles that I’ve stumbled across. I am determined to lose weight and exercise regularly! It’s not an easy journey, but it’s a necessary one. If you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, KNOW you can do this!!!
Click here for Part 2
Debbie Gates August 23, 2012 at 2:08 am
Thank you for sharing your story with us. You are more of an inspiration than you realize. I look forward to joining you on your journey as I make my journey also. May we continue to help and support each other as we grow.
Barb August 25, 2012 at 12:00 am
Thanks Debbie. For years I’ve felt as though my weight didn’t matter to me…but it does. I’m ready to jump back into the game of life and experience things that I’ve put on hold for years. Best of luck to you in your journey as well.
Kandy Hayes August 29, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Barb I am so inspired by your story. I have 50 pounds to lose and THAT seems overwhelming to me. Do you mind sharing your age? And your “start” date? When do we get to see updates? I’m so excited for you
Barb September 3, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Hi Kandy. I just turned 51 (although I don’t feel that old! lol) I started my fitness journey a couple of years ago which I’ll be sharing more about in my updates. Updates will probably be once a month. Did you join the 30 day walking challenge? Best of luck to you in losing your 50 pounds. You can do it!!!