pam-u-la's Journal, 13 July 2012

This journal entry was inspired by my buddy W4!

Family, eating & exercise.

In my immediate family I share my parents with my baby brother. My dad was a big man (he has passed now) and my mom has weighed the same for as long as I can remember. My brother on the other hand although he is confined to a wheelchair and can not walk, he is solid muscle without an inch of fat to pinch (except his chubby cheeks that he has never lost). Now doesn't that seem unfair, I think so...
Anyways now the eating / exercise part of this... as a kid I was always active doing something but yet I was still obese. I had alot of tests done but there was no medical reason why I carried so much weight around with me. What people did not know is that I was a late night muncher, I would get up after everyone was asleep and fill my face with whatever junk I could find. I literally did not have a that OK you! You are full now stop. Plus I was allowed to eat the junk food around my dad as he had the bad habit of it too.
My weight had exploded so severly that at age 13 I was told I had high blood pressure and that I had to eliminate salt and decrease the amount of fat that I was consuming. My mom ensured that I did this and it lowered, but once it did then I was right back to my same old eating habits. Then my second year of college I was told I had hyperglycemia. So another strict diet that I had to follow, this time I did and actually lost a bit of weight. However when that was evened out then my eating returned to normal again, and again the weight came back on. Then one day I woke up and realized I needed to make some changes. I was in the process of making these when I was diagnosed with IBS. So that meant another dietary change, and my weight went down again. During this time it actually stayed down for quite the while. Until I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar and the medications that I was put on packed on the pounds badly. That in itself was enough to make all my mental health situations really bad.
Now adays tho I have finally begun to even out my weight. I still have days when I overeat badly and eat the junk food, but it is not a constant thing like before. I've also realized that I have the worst munchie attack when I am tired and trying to stay awake. I also need to do some sort of activity daily or my body will just want to shut down. I know when this happens that a dark spell is looming and I try to avoid these if I can.
To say this will be a lifelong battle is an understatement. But I am fortunate enough to have buddies who fight it right along side of me.
Wow this certainly helped clear my head...
Happy Friday the 13th everyone... Much love....