How it all began

This year I turned the big 30. I have been struggling with my weight for the past 10 years. As a teenager I never struggled. My first job was an aerobics instructor and I was very active with dance and other sports activities. When I first started college I lived in the dorms; signed up for the all you can eat plan. I'd go to the SUB for meals and I could choose a scone or a bowl of raisin bran. What do you think I chose? The scone. Nevertheless I gained about 25 pounds my freshman year. I was engaged to be married the next summer and began taking birth control. I thought the Depo Provera sounded convenient. One easy shot every three months. However, my body hated the Depo shot and I instantly gained about 30 more pounds in a time period of three months. I went to the doctor and he said that my endocrine system had went nuts and he suggested that I get off the Depo and contributed a lot of my weight gain to the shot. Also over the years I have been careless with my eating and gained a few pounds each year. Over a period of 10 years this resulted in another 30 pounds. Then throw two pregnancies into the mix and that caused me to retain more weight. So here I am a good 100 pounds over weight and desperate to lose it. When I graduated from high school I weighed 117Lbs. When I delivered my baby two weeks ago, I weighed 252 Lbs. Yuck. While I feel that 117 Lbs is unrealistic I am trying to lose 100 pounds from my delivery weight to put me around 150. This would be much more healthy and help me to retain a better lifestyle and the ability to be there for my kids. I think that most people would describe me as highly self motivated and usually an over achiever. I am highly competitive and I cant figure out why this has been such a struggle for me. Most things that I attempt to conquer, I am able to with vigor and speed. Yet, my weight has been my crutch and no matter how hard I try it seems as though I have not been able to do anything about it. I will be off work for the next four months and thought there would be no better time to jump start this program; while I have some extra time and flexibility. Here goes nothing!