So what brought you down this road??

[3-Sibe-Mom 26]

For me it was a lot of things over many years. I blame no one but myself for position I am in.

When I was very young I was a heavy toddler and always told I had a good appetite. I know chunky babies are cute though. As I grew a little older I was very thin and very active. A little older then that I got pretty heavy again. One summer I was about 3-4 grade when my father decided i was old enough to watch my slightly younger brother so he would not have to pay a babysitter. We were not allowed to go outside and play while he was not home 12-14 hours a day. So we ate as there was nothing else to do. That summer I was so embarrassed when school started back up and I had out grown my school uniform. I was forced to wear it anyway. My pants did not button or the bottoms of my shirts. About 7th grade I no longer had that responsibility and was back to being active. I slimmed out and did very well. Of course looking back on it I was never happy with the way I looked and always had very poor self-esteem. I was always called fat so when I was not I always found someone smaller then me I wished to be. Well at 17 I got pregnant and gained 60 pounds in just the 6 months I was preggo. My daughter was born 3 months early and was in NICU for 5 weeks. I never lost the baby weight and just kept going up from there. When she was about 4 I decided I had had enough and starved myself allowing myself only to eat baked chicken and veggies. Veggies for Breakfast and lunch no more then 100 calories. chicken for dinner only after I stuffed my self on 16oz of more veggies, then I allowed myself one or two bites of baked chicken until I felt very sick. I actually kept this routine up till about 2001. My mom came down with cancer. I ate for comfort. I gained about 25lbs from then till she passed away in 2003. After that I did not care any more. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted and did not give a crap what anyone thought. I used me being fat as a joke. Plus my job size is everything the bigger you are the less you get messed with. So my size had its benefits.

One day almost a year ago I realized I hate being big. However always wanted the T-shirt that said fat people are harder to kidnap. I went to a seminar for the band. I had done my research previously already. I told my 18 year old daughter at the time who is a model (another thing to kill the self-esteem..lol) that I could not wait to go clothes shopping with her where I did not have to go to the men's section of t-shirts and sweat pants. She put her arms around me and said she wanted nothing more and me being healthy was a bonus as she laughed.

[dgoertz1 120]

My weight history is so like everyone else! Had first baby at 18 gained 70 lbs(back in the 70's) lost so e weight before having baby2! Gained 72 lbs. Lost weight then baby 3. Yo yo dieted for ever. He's 33 now the baby. Decided it was time for me. I will be 60 on 9/22 and I lost all my weight since 11/6/12. But now all is see is wrinkles. Best of luck to everyone. I watch everything I eat. Love my lap band with p,ication. No fills and don't want any! Get stuck enough already! Eating too fast!

[Sojourner 2,446]

For me it was a lot of things over many years. I blame no one but myself for position I am in.

When I was very young I was a heavy toddler and always told I had a good appetite. I know chunky babies are cute though. As I grew a little older I was very thin and very active. A little older then that I got pretty heavy again. One summer I was about 3-4 grade when my father decided i was old enough to watch my slightly younger brother so he would not have to pay a babysitter. We were not allowed to go outside and play while he was not home 12-14 hours a day. So we ate as there was nothing else to do. That summer I was so embarrassed when school started back up and I

had out grown my school uniform. I was forced to wear it anyway. My pants did not button or the bottoms of my shirts. About 7th grade I no longer had that responsibility and was back to being active. I slimmed out and did very well. Of course looking back on it I was never happy with the way I looked and always had very poor self-esteem. I was always called fat so when I was not I always found

someone smaller then me I wished to be. Well at 17 I got pregnant and gained 60

spounds in just the 6 months I was preggo. My daughter was born 3 months early and was in NICU for 5 weeks. I never lost the baby weight and just kept going up from there. When she was about 4 I decided I had had enough and starved myself allowing myself only to eat baked chicken and veggies. Veggies for Breakfast and lunch no more then 100 calories. chicken for dinner only after I stuffed my self on 16oz of more veggies, then I allowed myself one or two bites of baked chicken until I

felt very sick. I actually kept this routine up till about 2001. My mom came down with

cancer. I ate for comfort. I gained about 25lbs from then till she passed away in 2003. After that I did not care any more. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted and did not give a crap what anyone thought. I used me being fat as a joke. Plus my job size is everything the bigger you are the less you get messed with. So my size had its benefits

One day almost a year ago I realized I hate being big. However always wanted the T-shirt that said fat people are harder to kidnap. I went to a seminar for the band. I had done my research previously already. I told my 18 year old daughter at the time who is a model (another thing to kill the self-esteem..lol) that I could not wait to go clothes shopping with her where I did not have to go to the men's section of t-shirts and sweat pants. She put her arms around me and said she wanted nothing more

and me being healthy was a bonus as she laughed.

My heart goes out to you...children should never be treated the way you and your brother were.

Best wishes for a successful journey to a healthier life!