*Girls* Did you experience a huge impact on your self-esteem and confidence after WLS ?
RNY on 04/08/13
You're going to get some cheery, gushing answers here so I'm just gonna be real. I had serious self-esteem issues before surgery, and guess what? I still do. Losing weight is not a magical panacea that will cure all your emotional problems - and if that is what you think, you are in danger of becoming even more depressed. If you struggle with these issues, I highly recommend some counseling to help you work through them.
Not trying to be negative - and I have heard people say losing weight did, in fact, cure all their mental problems - who knows? I do wish you the best in your own journey.
Not trying to be negative - and I have heard people say losing weight did, in fact, cure all their mental problems - who knows? I do wish you the best in your own journey.
Debbie
Keeping track of my progress without a scale...Starting size: 28-Current size: 6-Goal size: 14
SAND...it's not a club...it's a frame of mind...
I didn't have poor self esteem or low confidence pre-op...so that did not change. What did change was what I could physically do and how much healthier I am now.
Liz
Liz
Duodenal Switch (Lap) 01-24-11 | Surgeon: Stephen Boyce | High weight: 250 in 2002 | Surgery weight: 203 | Lowest weight: 121 | Current weight: 135 | Goal weight: 135
My self esteem didn't change much when I lost weight. In most cases, I don't think low self esteem is merely caused by being overweight. Some overweight people have great self esteem, and some people with low self esteem are skinny. If you have poor self esteem, I would not count on WLS to fix that. I would get some therapy and work on fixing it now, regardless of your weight.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
RNY on 04/08/13
at 7 weeks post-op, I still have a long way to go.... but I can tell you that, at the moment, I am more self-conscious about my scars than I am about my body. Only one person aside from emdical professionals has seen them- and that was with a great deal of reluctance on my part. Did they look at them and go "Ewww, gorss!"? Of course not. But that's what I think when I look at them!
I am a very outgoing person pre and post op. I had low self esteem on the inside and communicated it to hubby but no one on the outside would know. at only 3 mo I don't have to fake it any more I am even more outgoing and my self esteem is truely what I always portrayed it to be to others. When I hit my goal weight I will be going skydiving to celebrate, but heck I went ziplining in Honduras at my heaviest so that isn't a big step I don't think. I always did what I wanted just slower than most people.
I was very self conscious about my body prior to surgery, I am not any longer, I know I look relatively normal now so that makes me feel better. I guess I do do some things I would have been embarassed to do before, its been such a long time I really have forgotten what the old me was like in that regard. It has become my new reality to be size 6. I know yesterday I was in Wal-Mart looking for a hoodie and I went into the women's sizes and I got I stink eye look from one of the customers. It probably didn't help I had on tight jeans and over the knee black boots and a cute tank top and sweatshirt on. Yes you will get looks. I think its great actually. **** the haters. I bought a camo hoodie in the mens dept and a Scooby Doo hat. Yeah I guess I really do some things differently now.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!