Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I had tried every diet out there, like most other obese people, I did many attempts at weight watchers, Jenny craig, Medi fast, Nutrasystem, you name it I did it. Yes, I'd have great results, losing fast, only to gain it all back, and more. I had 5 children, and with each successive child, I'd gain more weight, finally topping out in the mid 250 range. Now for 5'3 that was almost as wide as I was tall. I always continued an active lifestyle though many things I couldn't do such as ride on rides at Disneyland, due to blood pressure issues, not to mention not fitting in the little seats well! We all know what that's like! My motto was "And since I'm taking mine with me, instead of two dips make it three". (from a poem written my Nanci King) I was a closet eater! I ate in secret, in my car, was a hostess junkie, fast food junkie. But usually cooked healthy meals for my family at home, never eating much, probably because I had to "taste" everything I cooked! I was the typical overweight person that had the mindset "why am I fat, I don't really eat a lot". Not until weight loss surgery did I realize how much I actually ate! I finally realized that If I didn't lose weight, I wouldn't live to see my precious grandchildren grow up, with diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure. That's when I made up my mind to have surgery.
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
Everything!
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 ride roller coasters! Even at 55, I love them, something I had never done before. I can ride my horses without them sighing each time I got on them. I LOVE clothes shopping, something I dreaded before. Now it's so much fun to shop a size 8 instead of a 24!!
I went from 250 to 132 within 8 months. I have maintained in the mid 140s for near 5 years now and am loving life. My BIGGEST regret was that I waited until I was 50 to do something serious about my weight problem, so many years being thin, healthy and happy wasted.
Janis2009
