Worries unique to an LDS person

Hi, I almost never post here. I was wondering if anyone has ever had a negative reaction from ward members to their WLS. Has anyone ever said anything to the effect of "You're not following the Word of Wisdom," or, "You body is a temple and you are desecrating it." When I was doing the Atkins diet I got the Word of Wisdom speech thrown at me a lot. Also, given the fact that the church believes in preparedness and given the fact that we are obviously in the Last Days, what happens if I find myself in a position where the only food I have to eat is the fourteen hundred pounds of wheat I have stored in my basement? I think non LDS assume that things will go on the same as they always will but I think we who are LDS know better. We have to take the whole preparedness issue into the equation when deciding to go ahead with WLS. We know there will be wars and rumors of wars. We know there will be natural disasters. We know there will be plaques. Is it wise to alter my body knowing these things can and will happen and I must be prepared. This is one of the struggles I'm having. I'm not so worried about the opinions of my fellow ward members but I am worried about what should happen if I have to eat nothing but rice, oats, and wheat for a year. One other thing, did anyone pray about the decision the have WLS? and did you get an answer? I've done lots of praying but the heavens are silent on this one. I don't know what that means. It may mean "no" or it may mean "whatever, do as you like, makes no difference to me." Oh, what a connundrum! Lynda D.

First of all... Do you know how many people do not follow the Word of Wisdom??!! In verse 13 it says "And it pleases me that you DO NOT eat these EXCEPT in winter or famine." It's about meat. People try to justify by saying it means sparingly. It says what it says! Period! And how many of these people have peirced ears? My ward in NJ is behind me all the way. Every 2 months I even get assistance with the protien. They assisted me with getting the 2 evaluations my insurance didn't cover. Also, you do not eat rice oats or wheat for a long time. Protien is the main thing. I did this not for the fact of losing weight, but, to extend my life by 30 years or more. I have diabetes. My BS was between 250 and 350 every day. I was taking so many pills, the Dr. was going to put me on insulin. Since surgery, I have not taken one pill and my BS is about 100 everyday. Tell your ward "judge not.." You can talk to my Bishop, my whole ward. They are SO supportive. I SUPPORT YOU! If you want to talk, call me 732-793-8043 Or I am in Utah right now visiting till the 22 of April...801-280-6356 Carol

" I think non LDS assume the things will go the same as they always will but we who are LDS know better" ??? From the beginning of time there have been natural disasters, plagues and wars and rumors of wars. The only difference today is that we are informed of them immediately by the media. As a inactive member, this is what bugs me with some LDS members thought processes. Gloom, Doom and get in line. Okay, sorry, had to say it. Here are some thoughts.... I used to sell food storage. There are companies out there in Utah County that sell food that is dehydrated that you can normally find on your dinner plate. Plenty of protein foods. So if we honestly ask ourselves if we are going to eat wheat, rice and grains for more than a week..........you're kidding yourself. PermaPak I think is one company. I can't remember off hand what company i worked for. It's worth the investment and it'll keep the family happy if something were to happen like your husband loses his job or your house gets swallowed up from the earthquake that's just itching to hit that fault line which runs thru Utah County. lol. Changing your food storage is the ultimate answer. Secondly, ask your judgmental friends if they have taken headache medicine, cough medicine, had facelifts, breast enhancements, make-up tattoo'd, botox or for that matter had their ears peirced? Your body is a temple......how dare they? God has given you, Lynda, the opportunity to have a life changing surgery. God wants you to live the life that you were destined to live and has given you the tools to accompli**** Everyone has a "poison" in life whether it's sex, drugs, alcohol or yes even food. Some stronger than others. My wife happens to love smoking. I can't understand it and it repulses me to no end but she can't under stand how i can eat and eat and eat and never be satisfied. She loves and supports me to no end but can't understand why i dont' just go back to the gym and eat better. You see Lynda, they don't comprehend. Everyone on this website understands each other though. We fight this everyday. I get up wondering about what i'm gonna eat rather than what i should be accomplishing. Okay, enough already. I feel like i'm "on one". Stepping down from pedestal. lol. My sister had the operation done. I was skeptical and downright negative. Thought she was taking the easy way out. She went from 252 to 138 in 9 months. She's almost 1 1/2 out and doing great. She's very LDS and believes that God made this available to her so that she can not only start loving life again but also herself. How nice it is, she says, to feel sexy and get looks from her husband that she hadn't seen in years. You'll make the right decision. Now go buy some real food storage. Best regards, Andre

Hi Lynda: I understand what your saying....here are some of my thoughts. Wards Opinion ~ I live in a Ward where gossiping is the favorite pastime and unfortunetly I've been on the receiving end of that. So I choose not to tell anyone in my Ward or nieghborhood. Mine is a little different than your situation as I didn't want to get the usual stuff people say, but then add the fact that I went to Mexico to have my surgery since my insurance didn't cover anything. If you tell people I think that's great, just don't let THEIR opinions get you down. I agree with the comment that most people don't live the word of wisdom, so they have no room to talk. Food Storage ~ I started to stock up on Tuna during Harmon's case lot sale and canned chicken at Costco. Also protien powder, instant milk...and the comment about lots of dehydrated foods full of protien is right. Don't let anyone get you down and the Lord will bless and guide you what to do as far as the food storage goes. Hang in there!!! Tami~

I had my surgery November 29 2004. I told some ward members. Others found out thru the ward gossip grapevine. No one had said anything to my face about it. I do remember one enrichment meeting about a year ago that was focusing on proper diet and exercise. One of the ladies bore her testimony that it was so easy to get caught up in fad diets but that if they conflicted with the Word of Wisdom then we would be held accountable. Well, I am also diabetic and for my disease, I need to be very careful about carbs. I just told myself that perhaps her strong feelings about this was nothing more then perhaps personal revelation for her own cir****tances that she was trying to impose on us. You have to let it go. Unless Heavenly Father is telling you NO (and you know it when it happens) maybe he's telling you to use your own judgement and take responciblily for your choices and descisions. When I was researching RNY every time I prayed about it I got a very real bad feeling about it. I kept trying anyway and everytime I was going to move ahead with RNY something happend to stop me. Finally I gave up. Then a year later I got curious about lap band surgery, did some research, went to some seminars, got informed, then I prayed about it. I got nothing. No bad feelings, but no good ones either. I made the choice to have lap band anyway. When I prayed that everything would go well and that my family would be at peace, that is when I got the burning feeling. So far, I have not regretted my surgery. In fact, I am saving up to have a full body lift and breast reconstruction in the summer of 2006. It's not about looking hot or sexy...but more about getting my body to look and work like Heavenly Father intended to begin with. I am the one who took a wrong path and didn't take care of my body. Now I am paying for it...literally. First with comorbidities, and now by forking out several thousand dollers to fix it. Incidently, one of my friends is the food storage specialist in our ward and she told me that storing 1400 lbs of wheat isn't what food storage is all about. She has special lists for food storage for those with special dietary needs. She knows my situation and help me start mine. Anyway....don't worry about what the ward thinks. You don't have to answer to them. Tammy Shaw

I am sorry you are getting this sort of negative feedback. I don't know you, but I support you 100%! April =)

I was directed to this surgery by the Lord! It was not something I ever wanted to do, but after many years 100% committed to balanced weight loss programs I could not lose another pound, and the Lord understood. One night in my prayers I was pleading for anything else I could do that would help me lose weight, and that's when I received my answer, as clear as anything that's ever come to me. In fact, if I hadn't received such a strong witness that it was the right thing for me, I'm not sure I would have gone through with it. It's scary! As far as ward members - I have chosen to keep this private from everyone but my immediate family. I have absolutely no desire to be lectured, judged or a topic of conversation in the ward grapevine. It was between me and the Lord anyway. As far as food storage - food storage does not have to consist of only the basics! Look at what you eat now, and stock up! I'm only 9 days post-op, but I'd consider stocking up on vegetarian chili, canned meat, fruit canned in their own juices and more. Be creative! I feel a little uncomfortable sharing all this, which is highly personal to me. But I felt impressed to check out the Utah board today for the first time, so I figure maybe there's a reason....? Best of luck with your conundrum!

Well. . . there are a lot of factors in play. It has been the end of days for centuries. Each generation thinks theirs is the last. You could die tomorrow in a car accident. The point is, God gave us this time to make the best of it. Do you feel you are making the best of life you possibly can or will the surgery help you get the most out of this short life? The truth is. . . no one knows when our end or the world's end will be. I refuse to live my life with plagues, disasters, rumors or war and actual war guiding all the choices I make. I do what I can to make things best for the most amount of people possible at the moment. I prepare when I can, but truly, you can't focus on doom and gloom and expect to live and happy and full life. When I prayed about this, I knew it was the right thing. I weigh 346 pounds and have to use a cane in the mornings to get into the bathroom. I'm only 32 years old and am missing out on the opportunity to meet a good man and have a family because of my weight and health. If I had less to lose, I probably would not have the surgery, but time is very precious to me. Maybe God is not giving you the answer until you make your own decision first. ON my mission, I found that once I made a decision, I could get my answer (even if it wasn't the one I wanted). God can't tell you what to do, but he can tell you if your decision is the wrong one. As far as members, I have found most religious people in general to be fairly judgemental. I have listened to their comments and reminded myself they have good intentions; however, NONE of the people who lectured me had ever been overweight or obese and knew NOTHING about it. Good luck to you!!

Thanks for your post. It was precious. My ward members know what a struggle I have had with my weight, and see that my activities have been so restricted by my weight and diabetes. For many years I was scoutmaster, and now I am in scouting again, but my activities are so disappointingly limited. Everyone *****ally knows me has given me lots of support. I prayed hard for an answer to my weight and health issues, and this is the answer that came to me. I know it is right for me. As for the future, I won't be around to see it without the surgery, so why not take my chances with the surgery if I can get it? I will take my chances and be around to enjoy my grandkids. As for the WOW, what you need in your life right now is a famine, right? And what do you eat in times of famine? Do you know that the church employee's insurance, DMBA, pays for this? A BYU friend who was morbidly obese had the surgery about a year ago. I saw her at a conference in Colorado and introduced myself to her--I purely didn't recognize her, though I had known her for years. You will know what is right for you. Get good advice and counsel. My surgery is in 9 more days, and I can hardly wait. The surgeon, the hospital staff, the bariatric coordinator, the nutritionist, and best of all the other patients waiting for their surgery have been great. And greatest of all has been my wife. If I get down about it, she reminds me--It will save your life!

I am in the process of considering the lapband surgery. Last Sunday when I took my grandkids to church I noticed how heavy most of the women were. Just an observation. Also, I have heard that Utah is the Prozac capital of the USA and that doesn't say much for "good" LDS living. I would think that if obtaining a healthy body by the means of this surgery is right for you then hurray! you will be so much further ahead than all the overweight women out there who if they were truly living the word of wisdom probably wouldn't be overweight. AND that is just an assumption on my part because I don't know anyone that lives it strictly. All I am saying is do whatever feels right for you. It doesn't matter two hoots what anybody else thinks just you and your loved ones and your heavenly father. Sincerely, Linda