Lisa / Fr1endly2 is one of the most prolific posters here at RenewedReflections. Always with a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and patience she speaks from her experiences. Thanks Lisa for your continued work here at RenewedReflections. From 310 to 167 pounds, Lisa is proof that while everyone at Renewed Reflections walks a different path we can all hit our weight loss goals. We are all unique and special. The Renewed Reflections forum brings people from all walks of life together and helps us motivate each other as we strive to be healthy mentally, physically and spiritually.
Lisa was born in Manhattan, NY in the sixties. She battled with being an overweight child which followed her into her adulthood. Both her parents were obese and those genetics along with the addiction to carbs led to her weight problems.
She remembers moving to a new neighborhood when she was young and being teased by a boy on the school bus calling her Henrietta Hippo. Even though she pretended it didn’t bother her, it humiliated her and caused deep emotional pain.
In college she enjoyed the dorm parties including the carb laden foods and drinking that is a familiar college scene. Even though she was over 200 pounds, her self esteem wasn’t yet affected. She had lots of friends and was socially satisfied with her life.
Lisa fell in love and married. She was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (POCS). One of the side-effects is the weight gain when she tried to conceive. She frequented fast food establishments that fed her addiction to carbs. Soon, her cravings and weight were spinning out of control.
When she reached 310 pounds, she was miserable, grumpy and lived in constant fear of having a heart attack or stroke. She hardly smiled or enjoyed any activities outside her home. Trips to the malls, amusement parks or anything that required her to be on her feet for any amount of time were out of the question. Just a simple trip up the steps of her house made her huff and puff . Depression and lack of energy caused her to sleep far more than she needed. She didn’t want people to see how she had let herself go.
In January 2004, a friend suggested that she try Atkins to lose weight. She found the ADBB site and started her first clean induction on the Monday after New Year’s Day. As soon as she posted her introduction, she received numerous greetings. This gave her the support she needed to drop 40 pounds the first three months. Her cravings were in control and she had so much energy.
Lisa did great when the kids were in school, but as summer vacation arrived, carbs crept back into her WOE. With her weight at it’s highest, she frantically joined a ladies’ express gym. She was sure that the exercise - along with her new WOE would help her lose the pounds. Instead to her dismay, she gained weight. Her husband was diagnosed with some health issues and at the same time her father was diagnosed with cancer. Her marriage was having troubles and Lisa felt overwhelmed as her life seemed to spin out of control.
It was at this time that Lisa felt she needed more than an eating plan to help her focus on losing her excess weight. She consulted with a doctor who agreed that Gastric Bypass Surgery (GBS) was a possible solution for her to consider. One of the requirements to prove she was serious about losing weight and committing to good health was that she had to lose 10% of her body weight before they would perform the surgery. She immediately jumped on Atkins and did a clean induction.
Two weeks before her surgery date, her father took a turn for the worse and passed away. Her blood pressure sky-rocketed which almost caused her to lose her scheduled surgery. But, Lisa’s determination to get healthy won. Through Atkins, she was able to lose the required weight that enabled her to receive the surgery. The GBS together has made Lisa’s story one of success and happiness. Lisa attributes the GBS as a way to correct her birth defect of habitual overeating. GBS severely restricted her ability to consume large portions resulting in the weight loss. She is thankful daily she didn’t do this surgery sooner. Her decision for GBS was based on the many medical issues that she was facing regarding her weight. She was borderline diabetic, experiencing numbness in her legs from the large amount of weight she carried, suffered from constant fatigue, depression and fear of dieing from a heart attack or stroke.
Lisa had finally realized that in order to change her life, she must be willing to make her new way of eating a life-style change. Food no longer rules her life. She is not obsessed with what she is going to eat, instead she is enjoying life and having fun with her children. She admits that as a morbidly obese person, her chances of seeing her children grow up was greatly reduced. She has also learned that this journey is not an easy journey.
We have to deal with a lot of eating issues. She personally took a few months of psycho therapy with a group of gastric bypass patients and took weight loss management counseling. Lisa still had to learn to deal with emotional eating and head hunger. BUT its easy to do being down such a huge amount of weight. What is important to her now is helping others and making new friends. She wants to help as many people as possible to feel good about themselves.
Thank you for the wounderful story. Plus you look so good. 
Kim
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