amylosesandwins
New member
Hi guys, my name's Amy, and I'm 24. I just joined the forums today! I came looking for a little support and encouragement from others going through the whole weight loss thing, as I don't have a lot of people around me who are also trying to lose weight, so it's nice to have someone to talk to. I also have some insight and advice I could give to others as well.
I've lost weight before, but I've not kept it off. When I finished high school, I was at my heaviest weight, 212 lbs., and I'm 5 feet tall, so while that might not sound obese to some, it was on my small body. I overate compulsively and had very disordered eating habits, all psychologically induced. I became very sedentary as my self esteem slipped. I stopped having a social life, stopped going out with friends, etc. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but the meds I was taking weren't a magical cure-all and I still gained weight.
I graduated high school in 2001, and in early 2002, I got tired of it and vowed to do something. I started walking every day. I started out small and built up my endurance. I started eating smaller portions and a better diet. It took me until early 2003, but I'd lost 50 lbs. I met my last bf in 2003, and got settled in to a very comfortable relationship with him. We moved in together shortly after we began dating, and were together for 2 years. During that time, I gained back up into the 200 lbs. range! It happened so fast! My ex bf was skinny as a rail and could eat a whole pizza and not gain an ounce! He would eat large meals, and naturally I ate with him. I didn't even think about it, I just slipped back into bad habits! I slipped back into my binge eating habits, and before I knew it I was really fat again! I became more sedentary and withdrew again! It was bad, and instead of taking care of myself I dwelled on all my failures and had self-loathing, and just sulked for another year like that.
So at the beginning of this year (2007) I wanted to change. So one day, I went walking with my roommate. We lived in a part of town within walking distance of some retail outlets, so we went walking around that part of town. We walked all day, and I was carrying things with me all day, and while it felt good at the time, I was working some muscles that hadn't been worked in a really long time - I was way out of shape. The next day I was really sore, but I had to work and there were some jobs which required some lifting, and I overworked myself that day instead of asking for help.
The next few days after that, my back hurt so badly I was practically in tears all day. I complained of the pain and took a day off work, and then after it had been a week and my back was still spasming and in tremendous pain, I got desperate for relief and went to see a chiropractor. Luckily they are what's called conservative chiropractic, a school of chiropractic which uses very simple, rehabilitative methods to relieve pain - these docs won't "crack your bones" like some will. I had a full diagnostic screening from the chiropractor, Dr. C I'll call him, and x-rays.
Dr. C. saw a slight curve in my spine indicating a very mild form of scoliosis, and determined that there was just too much strain for too long on those muslces due to the malformation of my spine, and that I'd need some corrective insoles, a small heel lift, and some comprehensive physical therapy. In the diagnosis, the word "obesity" came up. The words, "weight loss is a must" were also included in the report. I knew at that point the jig was up. I had to get serious and start taking care of myself or I'd pay the price with my mobility, and eventually my life.
In February, I started having allergic reactions to foods. When I was little, I had contended with an allergy to the proteins in dairy, but outgrew the allergy as I got older. My allergist I had as a teen warned me of the possibility of developing new food allergies over time and to always be careful. When I started having the unpleasant reactions, I did what my old doc had advised and went on a series of elimination diets, to rule out which foods were causing the reactions. Soy and dairy were the things I found giving me the trouble, and allergists' tests confirmed it. Thus, I gave both things up. Soy had been a staple to my diet for years, but I'd read some literature written mostly by thyroid disease sufferers, that indicated that soy can have adverse effects on people predisposed to thyroid problems. Also, repeated use of common allergen foods can cause people to develop new allergies. Dairy had been a huge staple to my diet as well, especially cheese. And we all know how calorie-dense cheese is!
So giving up soy and dairy meant giving up a whole bunch of processed foods. Most things you'd pick up off the shelf and eat without thinking of have either soy or dairy in them (usually in the form of whey protein, but sometimes in casein form as well). My options for eating junk suddenly became way less. As crazy as this sounds, I'm grateful for the fact that I became allergic to these things, as cheese especially was a huge trigger food for me, and now I absolutely cannot eat it.
All the allergy stuff has actually made my weight loss easier. However, I feel I will always contend with my issues with food, until I understand what makes me turn to food as a coping mechanism. It's very similar to an eating disorder in the fact that I always have to monitor myself. If I slip up, I really slip up. I keep a food diary because when I write down what I've eaten, it always makes me think twice before putting something else in my mouth, and makes me more choosy about what I eat. The funny thing is, after not having soy for almost a year, my thyroid hormone levels fall within normal range, without medication, so I'm no longer considered hypothyroid.
My goal is to have a positive and healthy relationship with myself, and with food, to be able to enjoy it but not go overboard or use it as a way to deal with things, and I want to forever conquer the urge to overeat compulsively. I believe in my ability to get there, one day at a time. I'm also, after almost a year of physical therapy, able to have more physical endurance. My body still aches and gives me trouble sometimes, but the farther I get, the better I feel.
I'm looking forward to offering my encouragement to others! I look forward to meeting all of you!
I've lost weight before, but I've not kept it off. When I finished high school, I was at my heaviest weight, 212 lbs., and I'm 5 feet tall, so while that might not sound obese to some, it was on my small body. I overate compulsively and had very disordered eating habits, all psychologically induced. I became very sedentary as my self esteem slipped. I stopped having a social life, stopped going out with friends, etc. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but the meds I was taking weren't a magical cure-all and I still gained weight.
I graduated high school in 2001, and in early 2002, I got tired of it and vowed to do something. I started walking every day. I started out small and built up my endurance. I started eating smaller portions and a better diet. It took me until early 2003, but I'd lost 50 lbs. I met my last bf in 2003, and got settled in to a very comfortable relationship with him. We moved in together shortly after we began dating, and were together for 2 years. During that time, I gained back up into the 200 lbs. range! It happened so fast! My ex bf was skinny as a rail and could eat a whole pizza and not gain an ounce! He would eat large meals, and naturally I ate with him. I didn't even think about it, I just slipped back into bad habits! I slipped back into my binge eating habits, and before I knew it I was really fat again! I became more sedentary and withdrew again! It was bad, and instead of taking care of myself I dwelled on all my failures and had self-loathing, and just sulked for another year like that.
So at the beginning of this year (2007) I wanted to change. So one day, I went walking with my roommate. We lived in a part of town within walking distance of some retail outlets, so we went walking around that part of town. We walked all day, and I was carrying things with me all day, and while it felt good at the time, I was working some muscles that hadn't been worked in a really long time - I was way out of shape. The next day I was really sore, but I had to work and there were some jobs which required some lifting, and I overworked myself that day instead of asking for help.
The next few days after that, my back hurt so badly I was practically in tears all day. I complained of the pain and took a day off work, and then after it had been a week and my back was still spasming and in tremendous pain, I got desperate for relief and went to see a chiropractor. Luckily they are what's called conservative chiropractic, a school of chiropractic which uses very simple, rehabilitative methods to relieve pain - these docs won't "crack your bones" like some will. I had a full diagnostic screening from the chiropractor, Dr. C I'll call him, and x-rays.
Dr. C. saw a slight curve in my spine indicating a very mild form of scoliosis, and determined that there was just too much strain for too long on those muslces due to the malformation of my spine, and that I'd need some corrective insoles, a small heel lift, and some comprehensive physical therapy. In the diagnosis, the word "obesity" came up. The words, "weight loss is a must" were also included in the report. I knew at that point the jig was up. I had to get serious and start taking care of myself or I'd pay the price with my mobility, and eventually my life.
In February, I started having allergic reactions to foods. When I was little, I had contended with an allergy to the proteins in dairy, but outgrew the allergy as I got older. My allergist I had as a teen warned me of the possibility of developing new food allergies over time and to always be careful. When I started having the unpleasant reactions, I did what my old doc had advised and went on a series of elimination diets, to rule out which foods were causing the reactions. Soy and dairy were the things I found giving me the trouble, and allergists' tests confirmed it. Thus, I gave both things up. Soy had been a staple to my diet for years, but I'd read some literature written mostly by thyroid disease sufferers, that indicated that soy can have adverse effects on people predisposed to thyroid problems. Also, repeated use of common allergen foods can cause people to develop new allergies. Dairy had been a huge staple to my diet as well, especially cheese. And we all know how calorie-dense cheese is!
So giving up soy and dairy meant giving up a whole bunch of processed foods. Most things you'd pick up off the shelf and eat without thinking of have either soy or dairy in them (usually in the form of whey protein, but sometimes in casein form as well). My options for eating junk suddenly became way less. As crazy as this sounds, I'm grateful for the fact that I became allergic to these things, as cheese especially was a huge trigger food for me, and now I absolutely cannot eat it.
All the allergy stuff has actually made my weight loss easier. However, I feel I will always contend with my issues with food, until I understand what makes me turn to food as a coping mechanism. It's very similar to an eating disorder in the fact that I always have to monitor myself. If I slip up, I really slip up. I keep a food diary because when I write down what I've eaten, it always makes me think twice before putting something else in my mouth, and makes me more choosy about what I eat. The funny thing is, after not having soy for almost a year, my thyroid hormone levels fall within normal range, without medication, so I'm no longer considered hypothyroid.
My goal is to have a positive and healthy relationship with myself, and with food, to be able to enjoy it but not go overboard or use it as a way to deal with things, and I want to forever conquer the urge to overeat compulsively. I believe in my ability to get there, one day at a time. I'm also, after almost a year of physical therapy, able to have more physical endurance. My body still aches and gives me trouble sometimes, but the farther I get, the better I feel.
I'm looking forward to offering my encouragement to others! I look forward to meeting all of you!
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