I’m Beans and this is BeansLite. Because less Beans is a happier and healthier Beans.
I’ve kept weight loss journals before, and the last time I updated this one was in 2011. Decided it was time to resurrect it!
Anyway! I’m going to just hop right in here.
Height: 5’1″ (yeah, I’m a shawty)
Highest Weight: 242.3
Current Weight: 231.5
I was never a thin person. I always had a tummy, but I felt that I was fairly healthy and active. I ran track in junior high but couldn’t really keep up with activities like that as I got older due to my chest size. Running became painful, and honestly…you can’t really get good momentum going when you’re holding your arms crossed tight around your chest to keep from bouncing around. I had a breast reduction when I was 20 and have never once even come close to regretting it. It was far and away one of the best decisions I’ve ever made about my body. I was so heavy up top that after my reduction, I felt like I looked like I had lost 40 or 50 pounds. I was finally able to wear shirts that actually fit me instead of over-sized shirts that had short sleeves that hung past my elbows.
As I got older, I became deeply depressed and mix that with the birth of not one, not two, but three (absolutely amazing) children…and the weight just packed on. Being my height, it’s much harder to hide your weight and when you’re also not happy with your life or yourself, it doesn’t matter what you do…you just aren’t going to look great. I never realized how tightly the two are intertwined until I got a bit older.
In addition to suffering from depression, I also have high blood pressure, asthma, and anemia. It’s a super recipe for motivation, don’t you think? (Not really!)
Three years ago, I was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a rare neurological disorder that currently has no cure. IIH causes severe headaches (that last for days, weeks, and months and if left unchecked, can lead to blindness). One of the best ways to keep IIH in check and the symptoms at bay is to lose weight. The catch-22 for this is that it is actually harder to lose weight due to the mix of medications that IIH’ers are put on. I finally did reach a point that I was able to wean myself off of medication but I’m afraid if I don’t get myself in a much healthier state, I’ll be right back where I was to begin with!
If you’re on a journey of your own, please feel free to leave a comment on the blog and let me know how you’re doing or how you’re traveling!
–Beans
BeansLite 