how can anyone say I don't need surgery?

I had this photo taken on Memorial Day. I was talking to my Grandmother. I cringe when I see this. Some of the friends I have told about surgery  have indicated that they were surprised I felt I needed surgery. OMG. Are you kidding me? Look at this photo of me - I fill the entire chair!!

I am so looking forward to the person I am going to become. (I hope this image appears!)

I see a beautiful woman talking to her grandmother. This time next year when you take a picture in that same chair, I will still see a beautiful woman talking to her grandmother.

I strongly suggest that you figure out what makes you cringe about this photo and put in the mental energy you will need to love the person in that photo right now, 3 months from now, in a year, 10 years.

The surgery is the easy part. The head **** is much, much harder.

Great advise!

Thanks! As I have thought about what you wrote this morning, I think it is more that I cannot believe I let it get this far and less that I don't love myself, although I did go through some pretty extreme self-loathing in the time of my appeal, and maybe that isn't out of my system yet. At the moment, the bod and I are on pretty good terms (aside from aches and pains this morning from rolling my rock crawling buggy yesterday). I have lost about 10 lbs so far on the preop diet, etc. so, I am optimistic that things are on the upswing.

I get that a lot from people too.  NO ONE believes me that I am "big" enough to have surgery until I tell them my highest weight was near 300 pounds.  It definitely opened my eyes to how my perception of myself is so different from other peoples perceptions.  

Check out the befores in my profile. I feel your pain. I look at those of me and just want to cry a little at how limiting being that heavy was. 

People now say "Wow! You look FANTASTIC! I didn't recognize you!" etc. and I just say "I feel normal now."

I'm in Atlanta too so feel free to friend me. I'll be out of town on your surgery date but I'll put some happy thoughts out into the universe for you.

 

 

Thanks, and to Slimpickins' point, beautiful then, beautiful now!

Good luck on your surgery and slimpkins is right beautful now and beautiful then; and what a treasure that you have your Grandma to talk to.

Wait until you get to goal, they will tell you that you are far too thin. ;) 

I have this theory.  Since 1/3 of the population is normal weight, 1/3 is over weight, and 1/3 is obese I don't think anyone knows what normal is supposed to look like anymore.  I remember when I was 20# away from being even in a healthy BMI range and people were telling me I looked sickly and ill.  I actually looked better than I had in 20 years.