Colleen M.

Here is my long journey I feel the need to share with this awesome supportive group. For my whole life I’ve been wanting to change the way I live. I’ve worked hard to be where I am today. I’ve failed over and over again. I’ve gotten up, picked up the pieces and kept getting myself stronger.In 2008 I was a stay at home mom with a baby daughter. I decided it was time to make a change since I was weighing 265 lbs. I spent thousands on a diet called Medifast to lose 55 lbs weighing in at 210. Then I joined weight watchers and a gym. Although I was following ww and working out at the gym 6 hours a week I was not losing. I had lots of time back then. I’d gain 20 to 30 lbs and then start losing it again but the weight would never come off no matter what I did. I was in shape but 230 lbs which is considered morbidly obese. I climbed the tallest mountain in NYS and I was morbidly obese. It was frustrating. From 2009 to 2014 I never gave up. I joined a Zumba class and was there constantly plus I did other classes like body attack, step aerobics and yoga!In 2015 I left my abusive husband and stopped caring about my health. I went back up and ended up weighing 283. Right before I left him I almost attempted suicide. I knew something had to change and suicide wasn’t the answer. I started to get back on track but I couldn’t lose the weight. I did Zumba to try and cried because of the pain I was in. People said just keep going and it will get better. I did but the weight wouldn’t come off.So I decided to get WLS in June 2017. I now weigh 201 lbs! I’ve lost 82 lbs! I’m smaller than I was in high school! I went back to Zumba and feel amazing. So much I almost cried in class. The last time I did Zumba I walked out halfway through because I was in so much pain from the weight. Legs and ankles were swollen and my feet felt like they were going to fall off. When I was 220 before WLS it took extreme dieting and spending hours at the gym to be that size. I just want to live a normal life and now I am! I have a wonderful boyfriend and a great career, (which I worked very hard to get). I failed and got back up and never stopped looking towards my end goal. It’s such a mind fuck.Every day is a challenge. But here I am living through each day and kicking ass at it.  I’ve been through domestic violence and rape and almost suicide. But here i am killing it! My point is that no matter what you’ve been through, you can succeed when you keep fighting. Don’t ever give up! I almost did and so happy I didn’t!