For the first time in my life, I am trying really hard to lose weight. Or at least get to a spot where I am controlling my weight. I’ve cared before but it wasn’t ever much of an issue.
Many months into dating Wonder Boy I reached one of my highest weights. (The result of eating out and spending too many days having TV marathons with Wonder Boy.) I’m lucky in that I have almost 6 feet of places to hide the weight so I don’t think many people noticed. Then work got crazy and at the same time I was planning a wedding and, very unintentionally, I lost 20 pounds way too quickly. That people noticed. It was enough that I had to go buy a new bathing suit the day I left for my honeymoon because all of mine were falling down.
I know there are people who really struggle with their weight. And they’re probably reading this and thinking, “Bitch.” Keep reading.
So over the last several months I’ve been gaining weight. Not a ton but enough that some really cute jeans no longer fit. It all began as I started a new job. I thought maybe the stress I had at my old job was the reason I kept the weight off. Also happening around this time was increased anxiety. I deal with anxiety all the time, but what I was experiencing was worse and more frequent. Then, and this is the kicker because I am … vain, my hair started falling out. Lots of it. Hairballs were rolling around our house and it wasn’t from the cats.
During all of this, I just kept addressing each issue individually. I thought my body was failing me. I thought age was catching up with my metabolism. I thought I was going crazy.
And then one blood test later, I found out I wasn’t so crazy after all.
It turns out I have hypothyroidism. That means my thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormones so my pituitary gland is working too hard and, basically, everything is thrown out of wack. Treatment is hormone replacement taken in the form of a pill every day.
I’m still processing this. I’m still pissed about it. It means I will be taking medicine for the rest of my life, both for the asthma I’ve had since grade school and now this. I’m happy my hair will come back (please, please, please). I’m grateful that my weight might be easier to control (the regular workouts coupled with a 1,200 calorie diet is killing me and making me crave really stupid things … like Nerds). Supposedly, when I hit the right dose of my medicine, my appetite should increase and my weight decrease. Have you ever heard of something so glorious!
Next week I have an appointment with my doctor and I’ll learn more. Until then, just working on acceptance.
Mandy
Sorry to hear this! I’ve had a few new “health discoveries” as well in the last month. Getting old sucks!!!