Replies to 'Obesity'

Quote From: sharperk

Greetings, I am 50 years old, our entire family has a problem with being overweight, my Mom's side! Some are more overweight than others, 4 out of 5 of my siblings, including me have had thyroid surgery for goiters, growths, nodules, also have border line hypothyroidism, etc... In 1999 I weighed 255 pounds, I lost approx 76 pounds from the year 1999 to 2003, I don't own a scale! I did not actually believe I had lost that weight! I knew that my clothes were bigger, just stretched out! I had cervical spine surgery in Minneapolis in 1999 and then lumbar surgery in 2003, medical digital scales! I was shocked! happy too, I had decided to halve what I ate, and ate what I wanted, I walked from 1 to 3 miles per day, depending on pain level, I walked as far as possible! after 2003 I did have a fall and tried to "walk off" the pain radiating down my leg,  I just had another surgery on lumbar spine,Sept. of 2005, collapse of vertabrae, following the fall! but I continued to walk at least 1 mile per day, when I couldn't walk down my drive way, or turn for the toilet paper I called the spine center again, so I still walked a mile or so 4 days prior to my last surgery! But, since the nerve pain continues, and I should not have walked as much as I did, I am now taking it very easy, according to the doctors. Since the physicians had told me to walk as much as I could, they didn't realize I was not the "normal" patient who did not want to move from pain, I thought I could get better and stronger by walking! yes not a good thing, but so far so good! I consider myself blessed, and if I can lose 76 pounds, following 5 spine surgeries for DDD, and osteoarthritis, at age 50, anyone can  & begin slowly! But the thing for most persons who are overweight that I have spoken with, is, that food is an oral pacifier for pain, known or not to the person at the time, most often, child sexual abuse at a young age! Where the guilt felt, is reinforced, "as a persons body responds as a good sensation, with or with out the permission of the bodies owner!, continuing the feelings of self guilt!" (Daniel Diller, MSW.) Sharon. Michigan