As a youngster, I was always considered overweight. I was wearing adult-sized clothes as a young teenager. Growing up, all I would hear from my grandmother was “Mangiare, Mangiare” (Italian for “Eat! Eat!”). To her, it was an insult not to eat even if you just ate a five-course meal. So, of course, I had to oblige her. In my household, food was a symbol of love, comfort, giving, fun, fellowship – heck it stood for everything.
I think I graduated to the label of ‘obese’ when I was around eighteen years old when my doctor wrote that ghastly word on the billing slip you have to bring up to the receptionist. I was so embarrassed to hand it in to her. My doctor was clearly not a fan of obese people and made sure to tell me, with a look of disgust, that no matter what I did I was always going to be ‘FAT’ (this word seemed to boom in my ear like it was coming out of a megaphone). He offered me no hope like it was a death sentence and berated me every time I visited him so much that I despised going to the doctor.
Fortunately for me, I love to exercise. In fact, wherever I lived, I always belonged to a gym and did the best I could to exercise. I walked, swam and engaged in strength training. As far as diet, I tried all kinds of conventional methods to lose weight. You name it, I most likely tried it. In the early 90s, I had some success on a well known diet plan and lost 28 pounds, but it wasn’t long before those 28 pounds found me and brought along a bunch of their friends! I yo-yoed for years, caught in that vicious cycle of losing and gaining. I was always overweight but at times I was healthy – as they say ‘fit and fat’; at others times, I was just fat. I have always worked in the human service field in some type of counseling role and my life’s goal is to help other people improve the quality of their lives and be successful.
At the end of 1992, my whole life was devastated when I sustained a major back injury at work and herniated two lumbar disks. Over the next two years, due to my injury, I couldn’t do anything by way of exercise, became severely depressed and gained almost one hundred pounds. At my heaviest weight, I ballooned up to 287 lbs. and maybe even more as I stopped getting on the scale. Over the course of the next several years, I underwent three major back surgeries and had all of my lumbar disks removed and my spine fused with cages, rods, screws, and hinges. I was completely disabled and unable to care for myself. I lost everything – home, marriage, career, finances. My surgeon, like my general doctor, offered little hope for the future. He told me that I would be best off obtaining some type of home based employment so that I could roll out of bed when I felt up to it and lie in bed the rest of the time.
Seeing how I couldn’t fulfill my life’s goal from my bed, I didn’t accept that proposition. I fought hard to overcome my disability and miraculously returned to work in 1999. I can’t express in these short words the physical and emotional obstacles I’ve overcome and don’t know that any amount of words could convey them accurately. I have been through hell and back. I emerged from that time of my life with a tenacity and a faith that I could not have received any other way. Things were starting to get better but I was still severely overweight or ‘morbidly obese’ – another phrase that I despise. I tried again and again to lose weight to no avail.
Finally in 2005, I seriously started considering weight loss surgery and began to do research on the subject. I attended a weight loss seminar at Obesity Surgical Associates on 7/12/05 and as I listened to Dr. Kaul speak, a sense of hope and excitement for the future was instilled in me. The next day I began my journey to what we call in weight loss circles, “the other side”. At the seminar, Dr. Kaul had discussed some success stories and mentioned that some people who have had WLS have even gone on to run in marathons. While I was recovering from my back surgeries, I once had a dream that I was running unimpeded and unhindered. In my dream I even felt the runner’s high as the endorphins released into my system. At that seminar in 2005, I promised myself that someday I was going to attempt to run a marathon.
On 12/5/05, I had gastric bypass RNY and emerged on the other side – the same person but with a new life. Obesity Surgical Associates has been instrumental in my weight loss success. The doctors and medical staff have been wonderful – offering the most advanced and professional care as well as providing genuine concern and a personal touch. Janet, the nutritionist, is a wealth of knowledge and always ready to tackle challenging questions and situations. The office staff has been courteous and friendly. It’s like a family. I truly feel cared about and supported in every way. I have lost a total of 128lbs since my journey began. I’m wearing size 8! My back is strong and I am able to move so much better. I have boundless energy. I feel wonderful about myself. I have a new wardrobe. I can cross my legs, I can fit in an airline seat, I can breathe, I can do just about anything! And my dream of running? That dream became a reality!
On June 11th, 2006 I completed a full 26.2 mile marathon in Kona, Hawaii. And I didn’t stop there! Since then, I’ve completed 3 half-marathons and numerous organized walk/runs! The marathon training and experience so changed my life that I now coach others – especially those in the bariatric community – to do complete half-marathons and other long-distance walks/runs. To date, there have been more than 30 people who I have watched cross the finish line with tears of pride streaming down my face!
I am a social worker and have facilitated countless groups over the years. I formed Choose 2 Lose™ Support Groups in 2004 and things haven’t been the same since! I’ve assisted, watched, coached, encouraged, motivated, rejoiced with, and provided products and training to thousands of people since starting the groups and later opening Choose 2 Lose Bariatric Center, which I co-own with my business partner, Robin Zinaman. Choose 2 Lose Bariatric Center is a unique place that provides programs & products especially for individuals who have undergone weight loss surgery.
We carry all major brands of quality protein, vitamins & supplements, healthy snacks, fitness aids, cookbooks, housewares, and so much more! We maintain a brick & mortar store where folks can ‘Try It Before U Buy It’ and sample most of our products. We believe that offering a taste will help folks be more compliant as they will know and like the products that they are buying.
Come see our walls of hope filled with before and ‘other side’ photos. 2009 will be an awesome year as well roll out our new Make The Choice™ program. We are offering bariatric life coaching, counseling, weekly weigh-ins, Back On Track™ and Success Habits™ courses in conjunction with Bariatric Support Centers International.
Check out or annual OctoberZest Health Fair where you can meet leading bariatric vendors and professionals in the areas of behavior modification, vitamins, foods, and more! Visit www.Octoberzest.com for more information! Or visit our website formerly www.C2Linfo.com and soon to be www.C2LBC.com by the end of January 2009. Email me personally at LeeC2L777@optonline.net or Leefit@optonline.net or call me personally at 845-549-0527. To reach our store call 845-227-1949 or email us info@C2LBC.com or C2Linfo@yahoo.com. |
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