Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I have been concerned about my weight since I was in Junior High. My mother was always on a diet and took me along. I have been on just about every diet out there, I tried diet pills, aerobic classes, WW, Jenny Craig, NutraSystem, the like. I would lose weight, I lost 70 pounds on the Diet Center plan. But I would hit the plateau and eventually all would come back with more. I ate when stressed and bored, and being on a diet, obsessing about what I needed to eat, just made me more stressed. When I became full blown diabetic, unable to get it under control, and started having serious problems with my knee, I realized that just dieting was not going to help. As much as I wanted to be able to do it on my own, I couldn't stick with a diet that would allow my to lose a great deal of weight. Life keeps getting in the way: weddings, funerals, vacations, parties. It's always too easy to say, I'll get back on tomorrow, oh, but tomorrow is bagel day at work, so, the next day, oh, but my brother wants to have lunch. Oh but.....trouble. At this weight I cannot enjoy simple things. I'm afraid to go to a movie or a concert because I probably won't fit in the chair. Having to ask the flight attendent for a seatbelt extender is humiliating. I hide behind people when pictures are taken. I am extremely self conscience when standing before a group. I can't buy cute clothes at the discount stores. For some reason, the stores want to punish you with ugly clothes because you are overweight. I live near the beach but won't go with friends because there is no way I'm going there in a bathing suit or even shorts. I exist. My only contribution, it seems, to my social circle is cooking and baking. i am a really good cook, and I like to cook for people. But how do you lose weight when you cook yummy (fattening) foods for friends and enjoy with a nice bottle of wine. It just seems so unfair.
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
The worst thing about being overweight is missing out on the fun with friends and family. My size prevents me from doing some things and my bad knee keeps me from active things. I live in the mountains with giant redwoods and great hiking. I live near the beach. But I stay home because I can't join in.
If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?
I just had surgery on July 12th. My journey has just started.
mona95006
