[cocotbo]

Have you read catherine Ipcizade's blogs yet? It isn't too late to catch up!

1. Diary of an Overweight MOM: My Story
2. Diary of an Overweight MOM-Will I Lose The Weight? Will You Join Me? The CHALLENGE.
3. Diary of an Overweight MOM-Day 1: Ready or Not, Here I Come!Diary of an Overweight MOM-Day 2
4. Diary of an Overweight Mom- Day 3: Sayonara no-carb

I've started this thread so that we can get some conversations started by the things that Cathy brings up in her blogs. They're fresh, honest and really speak to a lot of us moms who know what it is like to struggle with weight loss.

So get involved. Leave comments on the blogs if you like, but lets talk about here where we can really get honest about what we're going through.

We'll be sure to post links to Cathy's blogs as they publish so you can subscribe to this thread and get all the up-to-date info!

[cocotbo]

I guess I'll get this party started.

Some of you know I had a gastric bypass in 2001. It was absolutely necessary - I'd reached a point where nothing was working and I was not goilg to live very long at 260 pounds. I recovered really well. I was good about everything. I exercised, ate right and really took advantage of the fresh start that the surgery provided. (My sister-in-law had the surgery a few years later and it was an outpatient procedure by that time!) BTW I'll always be happy to answer any questions people have about the surgery.

I got pregnant in 2004. By that time I was a very lean 170 (I'm 5'10"). I’d have been fine if my OB hadn’t told me that I had to increase my carbs while I was pregnant. I blew up like a balloon and gained 70 pounds. (There is a hormone that a pregnant woman creates that causes the digestive system to work very slowly so that every nutrient can be sucked out of whatever she consumes. This totally works against the gastric bypass and it’s like you never had it.) It wasn't easy to see myself get so close to my pre-surgery weight but it was all for my son and a few pounds are nothing when you are talking about bringing a healthy new life into the world.


I only lost 20 pounds after the birth of my son. Nursing didn't work for us, so I didn't get the benefit of a breastfeeding metabolism.



So, here I am, dieting again. My son will be 2 on October 5th and my goal is to weight 170 again by that date. I've got 7 pounds to go and 4 weeks to lose them!

What's your story?

[mommysqueek]

Wow, cocotbo what a great story.What a good feeling that must be to only have 7 more lbs to go. I have struggled with my weight on and off since I was about 21 I am now 36. I found a new diet that is actually working for me now. I have been on it now for 14 wks and I have lost 37 lbs. I still have about 60 more to go. I finially reached a point in my life where I became miserable, And now I am doing something about it. There are days I want eat everything in site and every carb I can find. Last week I fell off the wagon. But I started back on it strong yesterday.
Thanks for the encouraging words. No matter how you lose weight. It is all very difficult.
I will keep posting and hopefully soon will get back on here telling everyone I have reached my goal weight.

[cocotbo]

Originally Posted by mommysqueek

Wow, cocotbo what a great story.What a good feeling that must be to only have 7 more lbs to go.

Yeah, it feels pretty good, but now I'm thinking about another goal. I weighed 157 when I graduated from the police academy in 1991. I think 157 will be my next goal

Originally Posted by mommysqueek

I have struggled with my weight on and off since I was about 21 I am now 36. I found a new diet that is actually working for me now. I have been on it now for 14 wks and I have lost 37 lbs. I still have about 60 more to go. I finially reached a point in my life where I became miserable, And now I am doing something about it. There are days I want eat everything in site and every carb I can find. Last week I fell off the wagon. But I started back on it strong yesterday.

That is fantastic! First that you've stayed with it for 14 weeks and second that you've lost 37 pounds! That is really impressive! Good work!

[mommysqueek]

Originally Posted by cocotbo

Yeah, it feels pretty good, but now I'm thinking about another goal. I weighed 157 when I graduated from the police academy in 1991. I think 157 will be my next goal




That is fantastic! First that you've stayed with it for 14 weeks and second that you've lost 37 pounds! That is really impressive! Good work!

Well I believe you will be able to do it!


Thank you!

[mamaip]

Mommysqueek and Lisa, I'm so glad you shared your stories! It's not easy to talk about weight, but I can tell you it gets easier when you can hear other stories and know that you're not alone. Mommysqueek, it's great that you were able to get back "on" the wagon after falling off. We all fall off, but if we'd just pick ourselves back up rather than getting off for good and giving up, we'd have better results. Today I ate shortbread--do you KNOW how much butter that has in it? I'll likely pay for it on tomorrow's scale, and yes, I'll be embarassed to post it but I will. It's just a number. It does not define me. And saying that is liberating. I look forward to chatting more! Please keep sharing your stories with me, the ups and the downs.

[mamaip]

Hi everyone,
Hope you'll check out Day 4 of The Diary of an Overweight Mom. Don't forget to drop a note here and let me know how YOUR day went.
Day 4

[Misty]

Well, I am one of those people who thought I'd never have a weight problem. Throughout high school and my early twenties, I stayed around 130-135. Not too bad on a 5'6" frame. I could pretty much eat anything and not gain weight. But then, I started having fertility problems. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and endometriosis. I had surgery and then went on lupron. Long story short, I finally got pregnant-- and was put on bed rest. Of course, I gained quite a bit more than 30 pounds! The day my daughter was born, I weighed 181. I breastfed, but never managed to lose the weight. Getting pregnant again just 6 months later didn't help. And then another pregnancy on top of that. (My doctor had told me that I should have all the kids I wanted as soon as possible because I'd probably need a hysterectomy by age 30). Anyway, I got very close to 200 (196). I've lost a little bit here and there, by trying every diet known to man. Right now, I'm at 185. I'd love to lose 50 pounds. My problem is that every diet I read about sounds good! I don't know which one to try. Logically, I know I should just eat healthier and exercise more, but I feel driven to be on a "diet".

Congrats to all of you who have already had success and good luck to the rest of us.

[floridamama]

First off, I want to say that I know Mommysqueek, and have known her for many years, and she looks wonderful after having lost all of this weight! I am sooooo happy for her, and proud of her for sticking with this diet, too! I know it is not easy, and she is doing it, and everytime I see her, I can tell that she's losing more!!! It's great! Now I know that my friend will be healthier, and hopefully live a lot longer so that we can watch our kids grow up, and grow old, and become members of the "red hat" society someday! Hee-hee! Even if that "someday" is still a long ways off.
I've read your posts about weight loss, and gain, and for the first real time in my life...I can somewhat understand where you are coming from. I do not have a whole lot of weight to lose but the 10-15 pounds that I do want to lose...I just can't seem to get rid of. It's really, really hard. I was skinny my entire life up until my last child. I had a c-section with her, and the fact that I'm in my thirties now with a slower metabolism does not help either.
I've tried diet pills, walking, Slim-Fast etc...but I just can't seem to drop this extra weight, and it's driving me crazy. I carry it all in the front it a big old pouch!
I'm babbling now, but the bottom line is...it'll be nice to check in on these blogs & posts from time to time, and see how everyone is coming along. It'll also be nice to share my "journey" with everyone else, too!

[mamaip]

Misty, I know what you mean. That drive to go on the "diet of the week," is so overpowering sometimes. It's because they're everywhere--on the news, in the magazines. And people do lose weight on them. But the majority of people bounce from diet to diet all their lives and usually get nowhere. Or worse, they lose the weight only to gain it back. I'm trying really hard to cut down on portions right now and to include more fruits and veggies. So far I'm down almost 5 pounds this week. It's much easier to live with myself this way if I fall off the wagon. With a fad diet, you can gain all your weight back that you've lost that week within a few days! But this way, if I give in, it's not the end of the world. Good luck with your journey. I'm so glad you shared your story with us. Wow--what a lot you had to go through--I'm so glad you have three beautiful children. As for the weight, I hope you'll keep sharing with us--it's so nice to have "sisters" to go through this with. Good luck!