azuredreamer1

I think I’ve fallen off of the “health bandwagon” the hardest I ever have. I managed to get my weight down from 220 to 198 in 5 months. However, after I moved to Miami in mid-2007 and started a high-stress job teaching middle school science, I retreated back to emotional eating. Since then, I have had family, financial, and job problems that I have let distract me from taking care of my body. Over the past two-and-a-half years, I have put on about 60 pounds.

It finally hit me when my sweatpants (always my baggy, only-wear-at-home pants) stopped fitting. It was the first time I went clothes shopping and had to buy a 20W or 2XL, and I cried in the dressing room. I ended up starting purging again the next week, but I stopped myself and am trying to take care of this in the proper, healthy way.

I want to do this so badly, and I want to do this for myself. I’m just having a tough time staying away from the purging—every time I tell myself how much it made me sick, I also remember how thin I got doing it. I guess this is just going to be a difficult battle for me.

Got mine done about 2 months ago. The procedure took about 5 minutes total. Granted, I tend to not bleed much (I have rather low blood pressure), but it was quick and didn’t hurt much more than your average syringe prick sensation.

Afterwards it was sore, and after you hit it with your cell phone the first time, you’ll never make that mistake again. However, totally worth it! Now it’s healed to the point where there’s no oozing, no soreness. I love it and can’t wait to get a second one criss-crossing through it.

PS: the pic is from about 2 minutes after the piercing was finished.

It’s been 3 weeks and about 12 pounds since I started getting myself in gear again. I’ve been overweight since I was a little kid, and coming from a Polish family, we always had to clean our dinner plates growing up.

My freshman year of college, I dropped close to 50 pounds in a not-so-healthy way (ended up in the hospital). And since then, I was in a 3 year relationship…with someone who had horrible eating/exercise habits and wasn’t supportive of mine. I made the mistake of eating what he did rather than insisting on healthier options, and when he wanted to watch a movie instead of going to the gym, I’d cave in. I put all of the weight back on during that period.

Now that I’m free from that, I’ve started going to the gym regularly and also started Atkins (worked amazingly for a family member of mine). Sometimes it gets a little tough to stick with (I miss chocolate!), but I’ve already dropped a little over a pant size, lost at least an inch everywhere, and that’s great motivation to keep going.

I started at 221 (eek, I know), and my final goal is somewhere between 140 and 150. I’m 5’7” with a big frame from my Dad’s side of the family, so I know I’m never gonna be a Callista Flockhart :-P. I’m also hoping to be under 200 by graduation in May. If I keep up this rate, I think I’ll make it. Just have to stick with it!

Best of luck to everyone!