A Wake-Up Call that Came in Her Sleep

24 April 2016

 

Anne always considered herself to be average sized until she began putting on weight around the age of 20. The weight gain seemed to accelerate after her first pregnancy, and then with the birth of two more children, she found her weight had crept to over 300 pounds. 

She did the yo-yo dieting that is typical of so many, but she always seemed to gain back a little more than what she lost.

Anne’s wake-up call came in 2010 when she developed sleep apnea, a condition commonly related to carrying excess weight. With sleep apnea, breathing starts and stops during sleep, which makes getting the proper amount of rest difficult. She frequently felt tired, would find herself falling asleep during the day, and felt like everyday tasks were taking more and more effort. 

Anne admits that she looked into gastric bypass surgery. She attended an informational meeting and was told she had to lose 30 pounds on her own to even be considered for the surgery. So she watched what she ate and started moving a little more, and slowly but surely, she lost those 30 pounds. 

“Every pound was a struggle. But I thought, if I can lose those 30 pounds, I can lose another 30.” Anne stayed determined and lost 75 pounds. Then she thought again, “Well if I can lose 75 pounds, I can just keep going on my own.”

And that’s exactly what she did. Anne took group exercise classes at the Y, spent time on the elliptical and treadmill, and learned how to improve her nutrition. Over the course of two years, she lost over half her body weight! She also gained more self-confidence, energy and good friends through all of her time spent at the Y.

When asked what advice she would pass along to someone just beginning or coming back to a healthier lifestyle, she says, “Be realistic about what you can manage. Set goals for yourself that are attainable.” When Anne began her journey, her goal was to walk one block in her neighborhood. In March of 2016, she completed her first marathon! Needless to say, she never had that surgery, and she’s sleeping more soundly than ever before.