Sharon S.
Hmmm...where to start? Well, I've been obese most of my adult life. I was slender until I was 21. I never thought I was thin - I always thought I should weigh 125 lbs. like all of the models did! Never mind that I was 5'10" and NOT a model! I weighed 150 lbs. and felt fat! When I look back at those pictures, I just want to kick that skinny girl and tell her to enjoy it. Ah well. Fast forward - I'm 48 years old now, the mother of 2 amazingly wonderful kids - a 20 year old daughter and an 18 year old son. They are both away at college, and I just started back to full time work last year after being a stay at home mom for 19 years. I'm married to a wonderful man, who is patient and loving. I've battled the weight for so long, I can't remember a time when I didn't. I have had a couple of successful weight loss attempts, including a time 18 years ago when I lost almost 100 lbs. on Weight Watchers (combined with joining a gym and working out regularly). Unfortunately, the weight came back on so fast it was frightening. After yo-yo-ing repeatedly, losing weight, gaining it back plus an extra 10-20 lbs., I decided to just give up and resign myself to being overweight. I've been lucky enough to be healthy, although I'm borderline diabetic and have arthritis in my knees and back. Last January, a friend of mine had gastric bypass surgery. My first thought was fear - way too drastic and dangerous for me, thank you! I started back on Weight Watchers, and did well for a few months, losing 20 lbs. My friend's surgery was successful, thankfully, and we got together monthly for pedicures for the last year. At each appointment, I'd be shocked by how much weight she had lost! She looked great, and felt great. I had stopped Weight Watchers and was no longer losing weight. She spoke to me about the surgery, but I was still scared.
