Over the next couple of years weight continued to pile on and over the course of four years I had gained 77 pounds. Every time I visited a doctor during those years they "gently" reminded me that I needed to lose weight. My reply was always the same, it seemed that no matter what I did I couldn’t seem to lose any weight and I wondered how I put on so much so fast. No one ever seemed to have an answer for me on that. They kept blaming it on my eating habits rather than thoroughly looking into it. I must admit I did not eat the best. I certainly indulged in way too much pizza and even pasta in our dorm facilities, however, even under those circumstances the weight gain was substantial. I recall during this time that I switched OBGYNs and at my first appointment she mentioned that my weight was a concern. I explained to her that I was now having irregular and nearly absent cycles. She determined that it was due to all of the weight I had gained and decided I needed a low dose of birth control pills called Junel. Looking back now I should have asked more questions and she should have too. She wasn't very thorough and due to my own ignorance of weight gain and absent periods I believed her. My cycles did become regular with the use of Junel, however, nothing changed about my weight. I suffered from thinking that maybe this is "how I'm just supposed to be." I thought about all the folks in my family that were overweight and the fact that I was never really small anyway and decided to live there for awhile. Oh, and the other syndrome many plus size women face, "I'm cute so who cares if I'm big." I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression here because I'm still plus-size, however, what I'm focused on is Simply Health. I’m focused on knowing my body. I’m focused on asking the right questions of my doctor and not becoming stuck in these attitudes that can very well become a matter of life or death. Learn from me and be proactive.
