My Story. . .

. . .as of April 8.

I’ve always had a weight issue. ALWAYS! I don’t think that I always realized it. I remember being at Girl Scout Camp—Camp Little Cloud, in the Whippoorwills group—in 2^nd grade and one of my tent mates, Stacy, asked why my stomach poked out like it did and hers didn’t. She was just making an observation, not being mean or making fun. That’s the first time I remember someone pointing it out. As I grew up, my weight increased—duh, everyone’s does. What I mean is it went up faster than I was growing. And when I stopped getting taller, around 7^th grade, the weight didn’t stop. I never really put on a huge amount at once, it just never remained steady, but rose steadily.

Flash forward to about 2008. I began going to a gym, had a trainer once a week, and lost about 15 pounds. Emotionally I was not ready to change my habits—of course I’m recognizing this in hindsight. And when I went to lunch with my family, who were in town for a visit, and I felt so good about myself, was wearing a dress that had fit snugly, but was fitting perfectly. Although I was 30-something, I couldn’t wait to hear my family tell me how good I was doing, but my father did not make a comment on how I’d lost weight, nor did my mother. (I found out later that she didn’t say anything because she didn’t want my father to say something hurtful or unkind, even though it would’ve been in jest.) I kind of lost the drive. I ended up putting back on the pounds that I had lost plus another 35 over the next 4 years.

This brings us to the summer of 2012. I had been having some issues, so I went to my doctor. I found out two things: my blood sugar was still high, despite being on a medication for it, and that I had cancer. After several ultrasounds and a procedure, it was confirmed that I had uterine cancer. I was stunned. A little over 30 days after being diagnosed, on Sept. 11, 2012, I had a total hysterectomy. Thankfully all the cancer was removed. I was still left numb-feeling all the time, and I had something new to contend with—menopause. (At least 7 years earlier than I had anticipated, I will add.) I was blessed with a positive diagnosis, but still reeling in the aftermath.

My Nurse Practitioner, after the surgery, wanted to put me on another medication for the blood sugar—I will not say I have diabetes, only that my sugar is high—and I told her I was determined to not need it. So that, complimented with what I read about how it is sometimes harder to lose weight after menopause, in addition to reading that diet, obesity, etc. may have played a huge role in my cancer in the first place, sent me into a tail spin. I was crashing. I couldn’t make it through the day without napping, which sometimes meant napping during my planning period at school, so I could make it through afternoon play rehearsal with my students. I didn’t see how anything was ever going to get any better.

Then in December, 3 months and 6 days after my surgery, my friend introduced me to some health and wellness products that have changed—and maybe saved—my life--Xyngular. I began using the products on December 27. I have not taken a nap since then. I have not gotten sick, except for 1 upper respiratory infection this winter. I have come off of 3 prescription medications, and am poised to come off my blood pressure medicine (that I’ve been on since college in 1990) and the medicine for my blood sugar by the end of summer at the latest. But best of all, as of March 27, 90 days into my new lifestyle, I have lost 35 pounds and 45 inches. I have broken my carb addiction and have changed the way I eat completely, and am loving the new lifestyle entirely. I cannot ever see myself going back to my old ways—ever.

So, there you have it, in a rather large nutshell. I am shouting from the roof tops about Xyngular and about how the products and the system have changed me. I still have soooo much more to go, the size of a small person, but I KNOW I will do it. The old Debb is gone, and I’m loving the new!

Tomorrow's post: Updated measurements, medical results, etc.