Diet & Fitness: Weight Loss: Weight-Loss Success Stories:

 Angel

 As a child I was the thinnest in my family, to the point that I was actually picked on for being so skinny. But after I started having my children my weight steadily got out of control. Between my two oldest and two youngest (a space of eight years) I lost, not all the excess, but a good portion of it. Then, due to a combination of poor diet, health conditions, and decreased metabolism, after my last two were born I was extremely overweight. I was unhappy, unhealthy, and I survived rather than lived. I tried several diet plans, both medical and on my own, but was never able to take off more than 25 pounds or so. And it always came back, plus more. By the time my youngest daughter was 9 years old, my health had spiraled so low that I was living an almost sedentary life. I was depressed and life held no joy for me. I had genuinely tried so hard for so long, with little or no results, that I was desperate for a change. That's when my doctor said I needed to take drastic action immediately, and I began my journey.

 First and foremost was fear. Fear that I'd die and not get to see my children grown, or enjoy grandchildren. I was afraid because my brother had died two years previously as a direct result of his out-of-control weight issues, which finally caused his heart to give out. I didn't want to pay that ultimate price, because of my children, and because I had met and married the most wonderful and loving man in 2004. My doctor assured me I was on a similar path as my brother if I did not lose weight then.

 I started my insurance battle in 2004 to have a gastric bypass procedure called a Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y. It was ALL uphill and very frustrating. I felt like I was on a fight for survival from my deathbed. I was suffering from sleep apnea, diabetes, congestive heart failure and a myriad of other conditions. I had to do more footwork, more paperwork, attend more medical appointments & tests than ever imaginable. But I did it with the one hope in my heart and mind that if I could get past this last stumbling block and have this surgery, I would be at the beginning of a whole new journey. In November 2006 I was given a date for my surgery and everything was approved for the go-ahead. I had spent all those months since 2004 reading and digesting anything I could get my hands on regarding weight loss surgery, I felt more ready for this than anything in my life in many years. I had my surgery on November 27, 2006, and afterwards spent a day in ICU due to issues with anesthetic directly resulting from my pre-op weight. The following day when I woke up in my regular hospital room, my husband helped me get up out of bed and take my first of many walks in my brand new life. I was reborn that day and consider it my new birthday. I have spent the past 10 1/2 months strictly following a regime laid out by my surgeon and dietitian team. I get help every day in my online support group, which has provided me with a whole new mess of friends who are on similar journeys to mine. My husband motivates me every day by being my fiercest ally and constant support person. He changed his diet to match the same things I now eat so I am never alone. I exercise regularly. I still read everything I can find on food, nutrients, weight loss surgery success etc. I journal every morsel I put in my mouth, as well as my fluid, protein, carb, calorie & fat intake. I keep and look at old pictures of myself as a constant reminder of where I was, and never want to be again. I'm still losing and I KNOW I am alive.

 I journal everything, from my daily intake, my feelings, my weight loss, measurement loss, goals, hopes. You name it, it is in a notebook. I remind myself of the past by sharing my past, my present, and my continued success with family, friends, and even strangers. I use my ability to educate people who do not understand weight loss surgery and its aftermath to keep me on the path I need to be on. I make certain I get all my supplements, fluids etc. every day, on a regular schedule. I take support from my online weight loss surgery group, which I have been involved with since before I had surgery. I also stay successful because of my family, which is a great support system. I exercise regularly and change my routine often so I don't get bored with it. I rejoice every time I get into a smaller size.

 All WLS patients have the same chance of becoming derailed if they are not serious about a new lifestyle and all the things I mentioned above. This WAS NOT AND IS NOT EASY. It IS necessary, though. I believe I died (the old me) and the new me was reborn. I'm the strictest person in my life. I know this is my final chance for a healthy life. I never let those beliefs get far from my mind. I'm human, I do get tempted, but I KNOW if I want to keep what I have, then I MUST be vigilant every day.

 I don't really look at things at all the way I used to. In my mind there are no such things as setbacks, slips, mistakes etc. NOT when it comes to what I CHOOSE to put in my mouth. I spent way too many years making sad excuses for my unhealthy behavior. Back then I could've justified anything, I was an expert at it. Today is different: I'm an expert at one thing, LIFE. I chose life over existence, and I'm going to keep my life. There's no setbacks for me, I've just got to keep doing what works.

 Every day I wake up to the "new me" it's not really about moments, it's about a whole new life, but I understand the question. I'd be hard-pressed to pick out just one moment since I began this journey. I've had so much greatness in this past 10 1/2 months. I suppose if I had to chose one moment that would be my "best," it would be the moment I woke up and discovered I was still alive and had the whole world in front of me. My life now is my favorite moment. Each of us only has but one moment in time.