I Met a Woman at Starbucks ....
I met a woman at Starbucks this weekend and wanted to share exerpts of the conversation with my WLS friends. I ordered my usual Oatmeal with 2 scoops of protein and the nut medly. I add 1 packet of splenda for some sweetness. This little baby packs 22 gms of protein, 5 gms of fat and 200 calories in 1/2 cup (in case anyone is keepin track).
Anyway - the woman behind the counter said that it was interesting and that she had never thought of putting the protein powder into the oatmeal. She went on to tell me that 3 years ago - she was beside herself with being 40 (FORTY) pounds overweight and didnt know how to get it off. She had 'heard' of the gastric bypass way to get these pounds off and looked into it. She went on to say that she was disappointed when 4 different docs told her that she was not big enough for this option and that she needed to be at least 100 pounds over weight.
SO,,,,this woman says she went on an eating frenzy and gained the 60 pounds she needed to have the surgery. (IM NOT KIDDING HERE). It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and keep asking questions and not let her know that I have had the surgery myself.
I asked her why would she gain 60 to loose 40 - that seemed a little crazy to me. She said that she knew quite a few people who actually gained 40 - 60 pounds to be able to qualify for the surgery. She said that its a "VERY EASY" way to loose weight and not to believe all that you hear about it. "The risks are minimal, not everyone has trouble with sugar and most people can go right back to they way they used to be within a year." She said that its very easy to gain the weight right back - but that its not really a concern because she can always find another doctor who will do another surgery if her weight gets out of control again.
She went on to say the only change she made was that she walks 3 times a week now where before she did no form of exercise.
In shock - I was left speechless and took my non-fat, decaf latte and oatmeal and left the store. How dare this woman or anyone make light of obesity! This woman actually made WLS seem like a walk in the park...and it infuriated me. This actually happened on Thanksgiving morning - and I have been so angry - that only now am I calm enough to write about it. I know many of you are just like me. The surgery was not a cake walk - nor was being 342 pounds most of my adult life. I literally work my tushy off every day in the gym and I work for every inch and pound I leave behind.
Have any of you heard of people like this??
Kim Z
Anyway - the woman behind the counter said that it was interesting and that she had never thought of putting the protein powder into the oatmeal. She went on to tell me that 3 years ago - she was beside herself with being 40 (FORTY) pounds overweight and didnt know how to get it off. She had 'heard' of the gastric bypass way to get these pounds off and looked into it. She went on to say that she was disappointed when 4 different docs told her that she was not big enough for this option and that she needed to be at least 100 pounds over weight.
SO,,,,this woman says she went on an eating frenzy and gained the 60 pounds she needed to have the surgery. (IM NOT KIDDING HERE). It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and keep asking questions and not let her know that I have had the surgery myself.
I asked her why would she gain 60 to loose 40 - that seemed a little crazy to me. She said that she knew quite a few people who actually gained 40 - 60 pounds to be able to qualify for the surgery. She said that its a "VERY EASY" way to loose weight and not to believe all that you hear about it. "The risks are minimal, not everyone has trouble with sugar and most people can go right back to they way they used to be within a year." She said that its very easy to gain the weight right back - but that its not really a concern because she can always find another doctor who will do another surgery if her weight gets out of control again.
She went on to say the only change she made was that she walks 3 times a week now where before she did no form of exercise.
In shock - I was left speechless and took my non-fat, decaf latte and oatmeal and left the store. How dare this woman or anyone make light of obesity! This woman actually made WLS seem like a walk in the park...and it infuriated me. This actually happened on Thanksgiving morning - and I have been so angry - that only now am I calm enough to write about it. I know many of you are just like me. The surgery was not a cake walk - nor was being 342 pounds most of my adult life. I literally work my tushy off every day in the gym and I work for every inch and pound I leave behind.
Have any of you heard of people like this??
Kim Z
Kim
No I have not met anyone like that. But I have heard of people like that. She is not enlightened of motivated and will most definately gain the weight back. She will also be very dissappointed when she finds that Doctors arent just going to keep operating on her each time she needs to lose a few.
You are better than me. I would have been a YOU KNOW WHAT to her. I would have told her to keep all that to herself because she is going to give WLS patients a bad name. UGH
No I have not met anyone like that. But I have heard of people like that. She is not enlightened of motivated and will most definately gain the weight back. She will also be very dissappointed when she finds that Doctors arent just going to keep operating on her each time she needs to lose a few.
You are better than me. I would have been a YOU KNOW WHAT to her. I would have told her to keep all that to herself because she is going to give WLS patients a bad name. UGH
gosh, I woulda been bleeding down my chin from biting my tongue.
Would have wanted to tell her about my experiences throughout the last year.
How I had to fight tooth and nail for months to get insurance approval, and finally get it two days before my surgery date, how I had to give myself shots in the belly for two weeks after surgery, pushing 400 and lucky to be alive.....how my mind has been on a roller coaster from hell many days, all the crap my family went through because of my weight and surgery, etc.
What an ignoramus.
Would have wanted to tell her about my experiences throughout the last year.
How I had to fight tooth and nail for months to get insurance approval, and finally get it two days before my surgery date, how I had to give myself shots in the belly for two weeks after surgery, pushing 400 and lucky to be alive.....how my mind has been on a roller coaster from hell many days, all the crap my family went through because of my weight and surgery, etc.
What an ignoramus.
Here's my question.........
WTF is wrong with her Dr or the rest of her medical team for that matter? Did the dr, the nut, the psych not see that this woman, their own patient, weighed X amount of weight, tried to have WLS, didn't qualify, was told specifically she was 60 lbs too light, "suddenly" gained 60 lbs, and then inquired about the surgery again?? Were her medical records which would clearly show this chain of events not reviewed?? Or did all of them just not give a sh*t? Any honest and self respecting physician never in a million years would have recommended her for WLS.
I apologize for my potty mouth but it's this sort of sh*t that really p*sses me off because it's people like her that are going to cause some serious problems down the road for people who truly need WLS as though we didn't have enough problems already. We have so many people out there that have to jump through hoops trying to get approved. They follow every single freakin guideline that they need to and sometimes have to struggle for years or hire an attorney to get approved and even then, there are still people who get denied the opportunity to save their own life with the surgery and this woman makes a mockery of the entire thing by purposely gaining weight and then flaunting what she did to other people? It's sickening, just sickening.
I'd say she should be ashamed of herself for what she did and the things she said but it's obvious that she has no qualms (sp??) about any of it. I just hope she's prepared to deal with that wonderful little thing called karma when it comes around to bite her in the ass because eventually it will.
Edited to add :
Kim - You my friend, have the patience of a saint because I personally have no tolerance for such ignorance and I'm not sure I would have handled it as well as you did. Kudos to you!
WTF is wrong with her Dr or the rest of her medical team for that matter? Did the dr, the nut, the psych not see that this woman, their own patient, weighed X amount of weight, tried to have WLS, didn't qualify, was told specifically she was 60 lbs too light, "suddenly" gained 60 lbs, and then inquired about the surgery again?? Were her medical records which would clearly show this chain of events not reviewed?? Or did all of them just not give a sh*t? Any honest and self respecting physician never in a million years would have recommended her for WLS.
I apologize for my potty mouth but it's this sort of sh*t that really p*sses me off because it's people like her that are going to cause some serious problems down the road for people who truly need WLS as though we didn't have enough problems already. We have so many people out there that have to jump through hoops trying to get approved. They follow every single freakin guideline that they need to and sometimes have to struggle for years or hire an attorney to get approved and even then, there are still people who get denied the opportunity to save their own life with the surgery and this woman makes a mockery of the entire thing by purposely gaining weight and then flaunting what she did to other people? It's sickening, just sickening.
I'd say she should be ashamed of herself for what she did and the things she said but it's obvious that she has no qualms (sp??) about any of it. I just hope she's prepared to deal with that wonderful little thing called karma when it comes around to bite her in the ass because eventually it will.
Edited to add :
Kim - You my friend, have the patience of a saint because I personally have no tolerance for such ignorance and I'm not sure I would have handled it as well as you did. Kudos to you!
WOW, is there anyone we will not run into, who is just SO clueless that you want SO much to do a mindmeld and have her see your reality?
Unfortunately they are out there and they're talking to people and people are believing them. Kim she probably got some of this babble from somebody else.
Not to worry. You know the truth and you now it because you cared enough to find it. We all did. And those that care will usually find the truth. Those that get fed up, will usually find the truth. Those that know they need a solution so they can start living will usually find the truth. Those that don't, may never see the light and that's a shame. Tthere is nothing you can do to them that is worse than what they are doing to themselves. We all know that song all too well.
Dennis
Unfortunately they are out there and they're talking to people and people are believing them. Kim she probably got some of this babble from somebody else.
Not to worry. You know the truth and you now it because you cared enough to find it. We all did. And those that care will usually find the truth. Those that get fed up, will usually find the truth. Those that know they need a solution so they can start living will usually find the truth. Those that don't, may never see the light and that's a shame. Tthere is nothing you can do to them that is worse than what they are doing to themselves. We all know that song all too well.
Dennis
My goodness.
I'm actually left quite speechless. I've heard of people joking about gaining weight to qualify...but to actually do it...well heck now.
And I agree - I have worked my arse off every single day and struggle with so many issues it's not even funny.
And we wonder why GBS gets the "easy way out" route. It's because of these ignorant people.
Pam
I'm actually left quite speechless. I've heard of people joking about gaining weight to qualify...but to actually do it...well heck now.
And I agree - I have worked my arse off every single day and struggle with so many issues it's not even funny.
And we wonder why GBS gets the "easy way out" route. It's because of these ignorant people.
Pam
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. 
I totally believe there are a lot of people that think WLS is the "easy" way out! I've had a few people tell me (after I've told them I WLS to lose my weight)....Oh, I should do that, I really need to lose weight too. They say this very nonchalantly! Makes me soo mad. I think to myself, do you know how hard I worked to get to where I am now, 3 months out?! People like this irritate the crap out of me!!! 
There are never any problems, only solutions. quoted by a dear and special friend!!!
My stats:
Starting weight 234 lbs Height 5 ft 6 in
Goal in 7 months (127 lbs)
Currently: 120-123 lbs
Tops Small Bottoms size 2!!!! UPDATED: 11/11
You're a better person than me, Kim, because I think I would have had to set her straight right there and then about WLS and how much we put into it BEFORE and AFTER the surgery- and that does not include gaining extra weight just to have the surgery. Ignorance is everywhere.
I love HGTV and the other night Vern Yip did his 'Deserving Design' show for a girl who lost 150 lbs with diet and exercise - I was very happy for her, until Vern and this girl talked about how she didn't take the 'easy' way out by having surgery - that she did it the good old-fashioned way with diet and exercise. They said this more than once and by the end of the show I was fuming!! I've looked at the HGTV website to see where I can send Mr Yip a bit of info on how NOT easy WLS is but haven't been able to.
You know how hard you've worked and how much you put into losing all the weight you have - hold your head high and ignore the ignorance of others.
Kathy
I love HGTV and the other night Vern Yip did his 'Deserving Design' show for a girl who lost 150 lbs with diet and exercise - I was very happy for her, until Vern and this girl talked about how she didn't take the 'easy' way out by having surgery - that she did it the good old-fashioned way with diet and exercise. They said this more than once and by the end of the show I was fuming!! I've looked at the HGTV website to see where I can send Mr Yip a bit of info on how NOT easy WLS is but haven't been able to.
You know how hard you've worked and how much you put into losing all the weight you have - hold your head high and ignore the ignorance of others.
Kathy
'One shoe can change your life'...Cinderella
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