Taking the easy way to lose weight

IMHO)- work in progress- cross post from blog

I've been thinking about this one for awhile
- taking the easy way to lose weight

When friends/family/coworkers/strangers or even some of us talk about being perceived as or even accused of-
- taking the easy way to lose weight

There is a very nasty subtext to this statement- how dare we- take the easy way to lose weight? The message is that  obese people are weak or sinful or dirty and must be punished for gaining this weight, for doing this to themselves. - Taking the easy way to lose weight- means obese people are not suffering enough in penance for what they have done to themselves.

WLS seems effortless to the uneducated- people on the fringes of your life see the weight falling off but don't see the daily details of your life that make WLS successful.

Why don't people celebrate that - an easy way to lose weight
has become available to obese people? what in our society or upbringing reflects the need to "punish" obese people as wrongdoers?

Every time I hear that phrase or see it posted I get angry. WLS is not easy.The path to make the decision is not easy. relearning to live is not easy. and I'll be damned if I let some judgmental,  self-righteous buffoon tell me I am - taking the easy way to lose weight.

that is fantasic, thank you for sharing. I had someone this morning tell me I took the easy way.  Punching her would have been the easy thing to do...lol  but I said we all have our opinions, and walked off Bethany

And why on earth should it be hard???   It is hard, but why would it be bad even if it were easy?  I don't know of a soul who would do things the hard way if there was an easy way to do it.  It is not easy, but with WLS it becomes possible.

Exactly! why should others want it to be hard?  (ramblings) I really believe that some people think that an obese person should have to suffer in penance- because we have done this to ourselves and we should be punished for our lack of self-control. I think that idea stops a lot of people from seeking WLS. there is so many years of self- recrimination and self-doubt from failing to keep weight off-  I think it is almost a "battered person" syndrome- told often enough that you are a failure and a bad person for allowing yourself to get this way and you start to believe it- therefore the person feels they must be punished. or i could be full of sh*t.

VERY well stated!!! Seems like no matter what we do isn't right for some reason!!  Poo-poo to them!!! I bet they say those things, have that attitude, then go off and eat and drink whatever they want...then in a decade or two, will really be "paying" for it!!  At least we took a proactive step to improve our lives and our health!!!  Thanks for the post!!!

how i view it is this is a way that works, if we use the tool correctly. it is a tool that gives us a 'leg up' to climbing out of the pit of obesity and its co-morbid conditions. there is no one, and i mean NOT ONE OF US, who has not had a long, hard road in dealing with obesity. doctors do not give this surgery to people who have not had a struggle with weight loss or other major conditions. our lives have not been easy. it is about time we had a level playing field!! i have found that those i have known with obesity problems also have huge hearts and are very nurturing people. which means they have a lot to give, and we need more people like us in this world. everyone who is struggling deserves a chance at a better life. THIS IS OUR CHANCE! in fact,  i feel so grateful for the helping hand this surgery has given to me, i am working (mentally) on an idea of how to give more people this opportunity, those who would be self-payers. i will post more about it when i have something concrete, but feel free to ask if you are curious; maybe you can help me work it out... cin

Trust me it isn't easy.  I am only 4 weeks out and I am barely eating because I have been having a bad case of acid reflux and because of this along with having to watch my family eat whatever they want...I am constantly doubting my decision to have surgery. IT IS DEFINATELY NOT EASY.

Nano once put it very well...

"i've tried the hard way for the past 15 years, now I'm taking the other route" 

oooh! I like that! I'm stealing it!

One retort to someone who says that to your face might be "You know, they say ignorance is bliss.  You must be the happiest person I know."  LOL.   A more serious response could be:  If they came up with a minor surgery that could cure any other life-threatening disease, you would be happy about it.  Obesity is not all about behavior.  Studies have proven that genetics plays a huge part in it, so thinking that obese people are inferior is blaming someone for something they were born with.  And studies also show that people who struggle with this problem have less than a 3% chance of getting to a healthy weight and staying there through diet and exercise.  By contrast, these surgeries have a 90% success rate.  After surgery, we still have to watch what we eat, but this gives us the tools we need to do it successfully.  So I think I made the smart choice, and I'm not going to feel bad about it." Lisa