dd7154

Hi, I'm Debbie.  I am now 57 years old.  My lapband surgery was June 2009.  My beginning weight was 235.  I am now at 180 and climbing.  I did great the first year.  I reach my lowest weight of 165 by my first anniversary date in 2010.  The next day was my birthday and I celebrated with cake and icecream.  I had not had ANY sweets for a whole year and thought I deserved it.  I'm sure it would have been ok if I had just splurged that one time and stayed with my program.  But, I gradually began eating sweets and others carbs of all kinds.  I was exercising at the time so it didn't really show up quickly.  I stayed between 165 and 170 from July 2010 until Dec. 2010.  But, by today, July 17,2011, I have gained back up to 180. 
I was a healthy normal weight child, teen and young adult.  After my second child was born in 1975, I remember coming home from the hospital weighing 140 and thinking I would be back to my usual 128 in no time.  I had never had to diet and never really even thought about my weight very much.  I was 21 at that time and had an 18 month old son and a new baby. boy.  I have always been a person who hides my negative emotions and I really think the stress of being a young mother with two babies in diapers and a rocky marriage started my emotional over-eating.  From that time on, I started a life of  dieting ; losing weight and binge eating; regaining what I lost plus more.  Over the next 35 years,  My weight gradually increased overall.  I was constantly aware of my problem.  I tried everything from the latest fad diets, to all the Weight Watchers, Jennie Craig, NutriSystem, etc. and diet pills. Each time I would lose some weight and once, I got down to 135 and stayed around that for a couple of years.   I was very active while my children were growing up and I was working.  But., I had little time for dedicated exercise programs. 
In the early 90's, in my 40's,  I started having a lot of health issues; the majority of which was caused by my obesity.  I developed overwhelming depression, chronic fatigue,  high blood pressure, high cholestrol, pre-diabetes, herniated discs, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.  By 1999 at age 45, I was so sick and disabled, I couldn't continue working.  Steriods and other medications contributed to more weight gain. I think I weighed about 250 at my highest.  I began physical therapy and water aerobics and started to lose some again but, it was just the same old yoyo rollercoaster ride.  
In December 2008, my family doctor told me I was pre-diabetic, my blood pressure and cholestrol was out the roof and that I had to do something about my weight.  He told me about lapband and Dr. King and my hopes were reborn.  The weeks before my surgery and the first year after, I was so happy and proud of  myself.  I was determined to use the lapband the way it was designed to be used and make this work for me.  I followed Dr. Kings instructions exactly by the book and started losing quickly.  Seventy pounds in one year is fantastic to me.  I was thrilled to say the least.  My life changed for the better.  After three months, I was off blood pressure and cholestrol meds.  After six months, I cut my pain meds in half.  And, after a year, I was taking even less pain meds for arthritis. Life was great! 
February 2010, my husband got very ill.  Stress, stress and more stress.  Although my exercise and my diet programs both suffered and I didn't lose any weight,  I didn't  begin gaining any weight back  until January 2011.  My husband had to retire early because of health issues, we had to sell everything and move in with family because we lost his income.  We had to file for disabiIity for him.  We had a death in the family.   My arthritis and fibromyalgia have flared up again.  I'm gaining weight and feeling tired all the time.  How many more stressors can I handle??? 
So, I haven't been to see Dr. King for almost a year now.  I'm really ashamed to go back because not only have I not lost; I've gained weight.  However,  I made an appointment for August 11.  I'm going to try really hard to get back on track and lose back to 165 by then.  I'm getting really scared and depressed and that is not helping my emotional eating habit.  I know I've got to get it all under control, or I will gain all of the weight back.  I need help!