I was very athletic growing up. Volleyball, softball, beach volleyball. All day everyday. I played coed flag football in my mid to late 20's. During a football game I tore my ACL. From there it went down hill. I had surgery. Out of work 3 months. Even back to work I used a cane and my brace (I'm a nurse I looked stupid!) I had plantar fasciitis bad on both feet but mostly my right. After I went back to work I got pregnant right away with twins. Ended up in bed rest for 7 weeks and they were still born early at 32 weeks. Gained more weight. Was exhausted caring for twins and ate a lot. Gained weight. Tore my other ACL but opted against surgery for now because the doctor said that knee looks so bad on MRI it will probably need replacing. He thought it was injured longer before my ACL test.

Had a baby girl and lost from breast feeding. Still heavy but was able to do a Warrior Dash with my girlfriends. But not enough. Gained it all back plus the minute I stopped breast feeding. Decided that I wanted to hike the JOHN MUIR trail alone or with girlfriends as a girl empowering trip. Started to work with a personal trainer to lose weight, tore my meniscus in the knee with the original ACL tear and meniscus tear. Had to repair that one for sure. Down for 8 weeks and gained more back. That was summer 2014. I asked my sons this summer if they wanted to go kayaking with me. They are 8 years old. My one son told me he was too afraid to go with me because he figures I'm too fat for the boat and the boat would sink. That killed me. I failed at my goals to hike the trail and now my kids don't want to kayak with me because I'm too fat. That was my last straw. I needed to do it not just for me but to do the fun amazing things with my sons and daughter!! I wanted my life back. I'm tired all the time. Joints hurt. I miss sports! I miss hitting a home run, spiking a volleyball, diving in the sand. I feel the mountains calling me to hike them. To get in touch with myself. To prove to myself I can do what I set my mind to. I want to be a strong woman for my daughter and my niece. So now I am 1.5 weeks post op. I'm 20lbs down and my sons told me I'm already looking skinner. (The one who was afraid I'd sink the boat said it!! ) made me so happy!!

I had the surgery as a part of my 5 year plan to work on finding my self! I started therapy and realize that I do everything for everyone else (I'm also a nurse) so I'm working on my weight, schooling (BSN), my marriage, my stupid social anxiety... Etc. I also have an active mind and the heart of a child. I want to climb trees, paddle board, kayak all Summer long, go hiking with my husband, be able to dance all night long without being tired, and I want to run!!!

When I was 40 (im 42 now) I found myself pregnant. Shocker but at the time I had been married to the same man for 20 years, we have two wonderful kids. We were starting over. Sadly we lost the baby. They said My blood pressure was too high. I remember my family doctor saying. "You need to get healthy and be here for the children you have". Ok, saying this to a woman who just had a miscarriage is not ok, but she was right. Keep in mind I have PCOS. I was on fertility meds to get pregnant with my children who at the time was 16/18. What are the chances? I got pregnant again! We hadn't used b/c the whole time we've been married. I thought what is my body doing? What am I doing? Sadly again we lost the baby. They couldn't tell

Me why this time. This made me determined and I started looking into WLS. My PCP said I didn't weigh enough. Yeah the one that said I needed to get healthy.. So I got a new DR. I was about to turn 42, emotionally I was better to make this decision and never looked back, I'm now 2 weeks post op. I can't wait to get healthy and do things with my husband & now 18/20 year olds. (And future grandkids). I WILL be healthy!!

Edited January 25, 201610 yr by cindyw41

I am what my surgeon told me was considered pretty young for the surgery, 27, and I really just wanted to get my weight under control now before it had a chance to hurt my health. I am fairly healthy, and would like to keep it that way. I felt nothing but support from everyone in my life and that helped tremendously.

I had been on a constant Quest to maintain a healthy weight since I was 20 years old. I began gaining at about 17. This life long battle has seen me balloon up and diet back down many times in my life culminating in 5 major transformations. (40 lbs or more). Every time I thought I had lost the weight for good. Every time my weight came back, usually in 6 months or so. At around 55 years old I decided the battle was futile and I'd just be satisfied with "the way God made me". That was the point my weight really got away from me. At 61 years old, instead of being overweight at 240, I had ballooned to 270 and moving on up. At 275 I KNEW I was in trouble. I had sleep apnea, had been on crutches twice in 6 months due to knee issues, pre diabeted, elevated blood pressure, and general depression. Because my BMI was only 39.5, my insurance wouldn't cover, but I made the decision to self pay. Like my regular doctor said (he had the surgery as well), it's like a car payment. It was the best decision I EVER made.

I was 27 and 265 lbs. Even though I wore my weight really well (my profile picture is actually a before picture) I just knew it was going to catch up to me and I was going to end up with serious health problems. I already had serious joint pain. What made me call a surgeon is when my dad came to visit. He's about 500 lbs and can barely make it up the 2 steps in to my house. He needs joint replacements, has serious heart problems, sleep apnea.. I felt like I was looking at my future. I'm 8 weeks out from surgery and 50 lbs down from when I started and I'm SO glad I called my surgeon when I did.

Edited January 26, 201610 yr by tmcx28

The stories so far are wonderful !

For me ... I've been overweight my whole life ... it's genetic for sure ... BUT ... having ALL the teeth in mouth be SWEET ? I was doomed for sure ...

My highest weight was back in 2011 - 384 ... I thought I'd die ... have bone on bone arthritis in both knees .... lymphedema out of control .... high blood pressure ... but I just kept going and going ... till one night ... while laying in bed eating sugar Cookies with frosting that I kept stashed in my nightstand ... I was flipping channels and came across a show on TLC about the largest man in the world ( think he's since passed away ) ... I cried and cried ( while still eating the sugar cookies ) .... Then my husband took the dish away and said tomorrow we look into getting your knees fixed ...

I thought that made sense ... if they were fixed THEN I could move around more ... I'd WANT to move around more ... then I could lose weight! Great idea!

But , the surgeon had other ideas ...

He said I was too big to have the replacement surgery because he couldn't move my leg/knee the way it needed to be for the surgery ... so he denied me

I told my husband then that WLS was going to have to happen first ... so began my journey ... from 2011 to July 8, 2015 ... Finally had the sleeve done ... and I've not looked back ....

Well, I take that back ... I do look back .... at old pictures and say "why didn't anyone tell me I was THAT big?" ... I cry at them ... sad for the girl who THOUGHT she was living right ... THOUGHT she had it all together ... the girl that MISSED out on SO MUCH of life ... because of something sweet to shove in her mouth ...

I am no longer that girl.

I am now the girl that actually gets up on stage and sings karaoke! IN FRONT OF PEOPLE !

I am now the girl that actually LIKES to go clothes shopping!

I am now the girl that actually WANTS to get up each day!

I am now the girl that is living life ... LIVING LIFE ...

And what a beautiful, blessed life it is!