Getting Started--Background

I thought I would start with a little background about me. This blog is intended to track the trials and tribulations of the Medifast diet and my success (or failure) on the diet.

A little about me. I am a software engineer. I have a B.S. in Computer Engineering. I married my husband in 2001. He's a great source of support for me. I am currently finishing a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics (August!) and will be changing jobs at the end of February. My husband I have one daughter, who turns 3 in March.

I have struggled with my weight since I turned 10 years old. I know now that I suffer from hypothyroidism, so that is possibly why the shift occurred when it did. I was a chunky kid growing up but lost weight in high school so I could have breast reduction surgery when I was 18. I lost down to 130 and had the surgery. I went from a size E cup to a size C. It was definitely a good decision to have the surgery.

Anyway, over the years, I have struggled with huge weight fluctuations. My weight slowly rose to the 150s during college, then into the 160s when I started working. I am a software engineer, so I have a sedentary job. In 2001-2002, my weight rose to around 200 pounds. I tried to lose the weight, but failed to do so. Finally, in 2003, I was preparing to get pregnant with our first child, my wonderful OB/Gyn did some blood work and found that my TSH (thyroid stimulation hormone) was 26. Anything about 5 indicates hypothyroidism, or a lack of thyroid hormone in the body. I was put on medication and lost back down to 160 pounds. Then I got pregnant with my daughter in 2004.

The pregnancy was great, but I ate everything in sight! I gained 90 pounds in my pregnancy and ballooned up to 250 pounds. I gained 40 pounds in the last 4 weeks of the pregnancy in fluid and developed pre-eclampsia. This led to a last-minute C-Section to deliver my daughter. After she was born in March of 2005, my weight fell to the 220s, but didn't go any further. In the past 3 years, I have lost as low as 190, but that is as much of the weight I have managed to lose. I've gotten discouraged in losing the weight and have fluctuated between 190 and 225 constantly. I've tried the Zone, Atkins, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig. The Zone and Atkins were great, but I didn't have the accountability to stick with them. Weight Watchers is a wonderful diet as well, but it is slow and is better if you have 20 pounds to lose, not 80. Jenny Craig frustrated me. The counselors refused to drop my calories below 1500, and my weight loss reached a standstill that they didn't seem to be concerned about. I finally threw in the towel when I lost 1 pound in 4 weeks and they didn't take any action.

So, a week ago, I had finally reached the end of my rope. What can I do to fix this constant problem in my life? My family has a history of diabetes and I don't want to develop the disease. After a lot of research, I discovered the Medifast diet plan.

More info on the diet in the next entry.