Weight Loss Programs

At 5th/6th grade my parents started to get really worried about how big I was. I was the biggest girl in my family and at school. First they took me to our PCP which referred us to a dietitian. I remember going and seeing her, but all I remember hearing was blah, blah, blah. Next, my mom and I went to a place called Forum 3 weight loss center in Kent, OH. That program was interesting. Keep a food diary and eat their health shakes once a day. We did loose weight. I think this program cost between $300-$500. I clearly remember that I was in 6th grade because I went from wearing a size 16 to a 10. Just to give you a look forward to the present time, I can now wear a size 8. My weight loss in 6th grade was short lived I was back into a size 16 in no time. My parents also had me go with a close family friend to weight watchers. The most I lost with that program was 20lbs. Ok, that cost my parents about $200. I also tried Physicians Weight Loss before my wedding in 2001. My goal was to loose 20-30lbs. Overall, I lost a total of 5lbs. and it cost my parents $500. Before approving bariatric surgery, insurance companies want you to have a 6 month supervised weight loss plan/program. I think this is a great idea. During my six months I not only met with my doctor monthly, but also the dietitian. This time I hard more than blah, blah, blah. During this time Mike and I began to exercise regularly (3-5 times per week). We bought a gym membership. I seemed to be the biggest girl in the gym, but I got over it. I started out at 279 lbs. and ended at 250lbs. At the end of the six months I was approved for my surgery and was a day from all the pre-op testing when I wasn't feeling well and thought I was dealing with a case of food poisoning. To my surprise I was pregnant with Blake. Considering the fertility specialist gave me a less than 2% chance of getting pregnant without fertility meds, this was a miracle (more on the fertility issues in a later blog). Pregnant with Blake, I gained 45lbs. I was again close to 300lbs. After having Blake I was not going to have the bariatric surgery. I decided I wanted to try to get the weight off on my own. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with a large hernia. The doctor stated that he would be able to more easily fix it if I lost 50lbs. I didn't want to wait until I lost this amount weight on my own (if I even could). Thus I agreed to have the bariatric surgery. I lost the 50lbs in just a few months, but have put the hernia surgery off until now so I could have the cosmetic surgery at the same time. The cosmetic surgery is to remove the massive amount of extra skin I now have around my abdomin. For those thinking about bariatric surgery, remember the excess skin is a fact of life and insurance does not deem its removal medically necessary, so this part of my surgery is on my own dime. This surgery will take place on September 1st, so pray for me!!!

Lea

Nana and I. This was around the time I started going to weight lose programs.