Total Newb Joining the Ranks

[Zophiel]

Hi! I'm Zophiel (not my real name but close enough for gov't work), from the Maryland DC suburbs. I'm a born geek, raised by a science fiction author at the MD Renn-fest and Balticon (among other local Cons), Sorted into Slytherin and Horned Serpent on Pottermore, and fanfic-addict. I've got a long way to go to be where I want to be, but I've made some good strides on my own, and am hoping the Rebellion and the Academy can help me get farther along the way. So, here's my story:

 

I was always "heavy"-- but I also went to Junior Olympics 3 times in my youth for fencing, so while I was "heavy", I was still active and generally-healthy. But right after college, I was suddenly diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, which took 12 months of chemo every 10 days followed by a solid month of radiation every day. Clearly, I lived through that (yay!) but it really messed up my metabolic system (boo!). And I was generally out of shape from 12 months of not having much energy to do much of anything aside from "Keep Living" and "Keep re-reading Lord of the Rings". I followed the doctor's advise to loose the extra weight which, at the time, was still the low-fat, high-carb diet. Didn't work. At all. And when I only got larger and larger (and larger and larger), instead of considering that the diet was wrong for me, the doctors accused me of "cheating", of not being completely honest with my food logs. Which explains where my unfortunate distrust of doctors came from.

(Bitter? Me? Nooooo . . .) (And I realize this isn't all or even most doctors. I recently found a good general practitioner that I think I'll stick with-- very competent, actually listens to me, etc)

So I started doing my own research, seeing as the medical establishment of the time wasn't exactly helpful. This was right about the time that the Atkins program was starting to get recognition. I tried that, and was successful, but . . . well, it went against all the nutritional advise I'd ever gotten. Hard to go low carb when your hind-brain is screaming about the cholestorol in eggs and everything high in protein.0

For several years I would on and off try, but never with much success (and getting more bitter and cynical with every failure). Looking back, I can see I had a lot of "mental sorting out" to do. Finally, a couple of years ago, I got so tired of hating my reflection-- of seeing someone that wasn't me in the mirror (someone cue Mulan)-- that I really sat myself down and thought it all out. I decided that I needed a goal for myself that was theoretically possible, probably always just out of reach, and so cool and awesome that I'd never get bored with it.

That's how I came to my Life Goal: Be A Freakin' Ninja

Yes, that's why I'm in the Assassin's Guild, lol. (Well, one of many reasons.)

I'm not sure what weight I topped out at. I do know that I'd already lost a pants size by the time ( a year ago) I was finally weighed at my Endocrinologists office at 425 lbs. (I'm 5'6", so yeah, it was pretty rough. Still is, to be honest). We estimate, based on that, that I must have been close to 450, if not higher. At that appointment was also when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and prescribed Synthroid to try to get my hormones balanced.

My most recent weigh-in was at 390 lbs, and the pants that I once couldn't fit into are threatening to fall off my hips. I've been walking quite a bit, thanks to joining the Hogwarts Running Club (I don't run much, though, because it would be very easy to injure myself), and I've always responded well to strength training.

 

So yeah, I've got a long road still ahead of me, but I've been making good progress so far, and I'm think that the Academy will help me push myself even farther. That's my story in a nutshell!

 

 

[Scatterbunn]

Welcome to the Rebellion. Sounds like you are off to a good start. Slow and steady is the way to go, small changes can have HUGE results over time with patience and persistence as you have already discovered. The forum is a great place for advice and support.