History....

So, I guess you could say the I grew up as the quintessential "fat girl". I started to get chubby towards middle school age, and just kept getting bigger. I struggled some with bulimia around age 15 and was terrified out of it when I learned that your esophagus can burst open because of the stomach acid. It sounded like a much too painful way to die.... So, at 16, I chose to follow the very popular "low fat diet". I restricted myself to less than 10 grams of fat per day. I exercised every day (Cindy Crawford aerobic videos!) and in two months I had lost 40 pounds. I weighed 185 pounds.

Then, I got sick...I was hospitalized with fainting spells (diagnosed as vasovagal syncope, a stress or trigger induced loss of consciousness), and I knew I had to stop starving my body.

By high school graduation, I was back up to about 230 pounds. Off to college... Typically, for females, college brings on the onslaught of the "freshmen 15", but as for me, I lost 15 pounds. I was eating at least three regular meals a day, and they were (relatively) healthy for me.

By the spring of 2001, I had ballooned up to 273. I started a high fiber, low glycemic index diet, and I lost 35 pounds.

And then I got lazy... I was feeling better, so I cut myself some slack... I kept the weight off for a long time, but I didn't lose anymore.

Then, in April of 2005, I (accidentally) got pregnant. Over the course of nine months, I gained only 10 pounds, and actually left the hospital after delivery at 15 pounds less than before I was pregnant, ending up at about 240. So, after giving up breastfeeding (my daughter was intolerant), I packed on the weight again. I never knew how fast a person could gain! Within six months, I was at 284 pounds, my highest EVER.....

After some half-hearted attempts to get healthy, I have lost some weight...

Currently, I weigh 265 pounds....