Let's congratulate those who have succeeded in their weight loss journey and encourage those still on their's. The amount of shaming I see, smh... You CAN do it!

Here I was in 2011 before I had a gastric bypass, I was 353lbs. My PCOS made it near impossible to lose weight and super easy to gain it. I never comfort ate, I was active and had a varied diet - no one believed me. In 2010 I had a miscarriage which threw me for a loop and I gave up and gained a load of weight. About September 2011 I finally got my head back in line and asked for help, was identified having PCOS and put on Metformin. I lost 4 stone in 3 months with the same diet and level of activity. The only difference was the addition of Metformin. I was told that to get help TTC, I'd have to have a BMI under 35. I think mine was in the 50's. They said the only likely way I'd lose enough weight without having to be on Metformin for the foreseeable future (it made me ill) would be a gastric bypass or band. I didn't like the idea of injecting myself to inflate/ deflate the band all the time so opted for bypass. I am holding one of my hand-reared guinea-kids in the picture, called Pancake. Also apologies for the horrid sight of my cheating ex in the background- I only keep the pic as I miss my piggy who died the next year.

I had the bypass in Dec 2011 and had to be rushed back in after 2 days as I collapsed because the stitches in my stomach had burst. I was in a coma with multiple organ failure, septicaemia, peritonitis and on life support machines with injections to keep my heart going enough to give me a readable blood pressure level. I woke up in intensive care on the ventilator and had to teach myself to walk and use my hands again, even to sit up or roll over required help. I was in hospital for a month, bed-bound needing home visits from nurses for 3 months and ill needing to visit my GP for 2 years in total before I could go back to university.

In this picture taken last year, I weighed (and still weigh) 12 and a half stone (175lb). I have lost over 13 stone, got married this Sept just gone and will hopefully be starting IVF soon with a BMI within the normal range having just finished my 6th/ final round of clomid with my husband.

That's my journey. From 353lbs, depressed (and oppressed by 170lb of cheating dead-weight I couldn't be happier to have dropped), literally nearly dying and my family being called across the country as the doctors didn't like my chances of survival, being ill for 2 years all to get to a steady weight of 175lbs (though I do still have minor health issues to this day and can't say I'd recommend a bypass to anyone from my experiences) and waiting on my OB/GYN to begin IVF. What would I say is the moral of my story? NEVER GIVE UP! Keep fighting to get where you want to be with who you want to be there with

What's your story?

California

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