I'm new here, finally deciding on this group after joining one where everyone else only needed to lose 10 pounds. I am looking to lose 70-80 so I needed a community where I can identify with people a little more.

 

Here is the background on my weight issues: I've always had a poor body image for as long as I can remember. During junior high and high school I wore baggy clothes and never wore shorts or short-sleeve shirts. I was always comparing myself to my 2 best friends who were stick thin and very popular with the boys. I gained a bit more self-esteem as I got older and upgraded my clothes but I still always thought I was fit. It didn't matter how often people told me I wasn't fat, I refused to believe it. I met my now husband when we were both sixteen and I wouldn't even listen to him when he told me I was pretty. I don't really remember what I weighed in high school, but during my first 1-2 years of college I weighed 130-138.

 

About 4 months before my wedding, I was feeling exhausted so I went to my doctor to get a mono test since I've had it before. Instead, she insisted that I was depressed without doing any tests and put me on an anti-depressant. Being an idiot, I took the medicine because my doctor promised it would increase my energy. Instead I gained about 13 pounds before my wedding - not exactly what a bride wants for her wedding day! My weight escalated from there. I was sleeping 15+ hours a day. My work, personal life, and marriage was suffering. I finally figured it all out and had another doctor take me off of the medication. This doctor, and the doctor I now see, both told me that the medication was known to cause patients to gain massive amounts of weight and was especially bad for young women.

 

SO, long story not really short, it is now 2 1/2 years later and I went from 135-183. It's definitely time to get rid of this weight and get my life back! However, it has made me realize how very tiny I was in high school, especially when I look at the clothes I used to wear! I am actually very thankful for the weight gain in a strange way because I have a better idea of what a healthy body is now. I don't have a goal weight per se, I think I'll know when I get there. I just want to feel healthy again!