Surgery is not the easy way out it just levels the playing field

I have always been very open about my surgery. I'm not embarrassed by it or feel it was anything other than a necessary medical procedure. The vest, vast, vast majority of morbidly obese people can't loose and keep off weight without significant help. I know there are many who have achieved weight loss on their own and that's amazing for them but it's not a realistic goal for many. For a long time I held myself to the standards of those people that loss weight naturally and all it got me was an eating disorder and low self esteem.

After years of successful therapy and medication I was strong enough to keep my mind healthy and decided to have gastric bypass. Before surgery I was very secretive about it because I was ashamed and embarrassed. I believed all the stereotypes about lazy fat people who choose an easy out instead of exercise and diet. After I became educated on the reality of what this process is for, my mind set started to change. After the surgery and following my surgeons and nutritionist advice I realize I do as much work or even more than most healthy "normal" weight people. I exercise four times a week, walk often, and keep a balanced diet. I see people around me and most of them don't do this and yet I still will get those people that judge me for having surgery. Or I get people joke about whishing they could get surgery to loose those last 10lbs or loose their muffin top.

Ok say what you like but when was the last time you stepped in a gym or walked four miles? Do you even know how much sugar you added to that Iced coffee? Do you think loosing 10lbs to get rid of a muffin top is comparable to loosing 100lbs so that I can sleep without suffocating?

My gastric bypass surgery isn't what gets me up out of bed in the morning to go walking. For me it doesn't even take away my cravings. I make these choices on my own and push myself just like any other normal weight person would. Surgery just made is possible for me. Gastric bypass opened the door but I'm the one that has to walk through it.

I'm open about because I don't want to give the misconception that surgery is wrong or shameful. The people in my life see the hard work it took to get me where I am. What I'm most proud of is a few people I inspired to make changes in their lives.

This was a rant lol. I get so frustrated when I see all that fat shaming and surgery shaming because I feel it comes from ignorance and jealousy. This holds back so many people from doing what makes them happy and traps them in a prison.

I agree.  I am 5 weeks out.  I know that this is far from a magic bullet, but it seems like just the help I need.  I was simply not able to do it on my own.  But the way I feel now...this help I now have...I am completely confident that I can and will be successful.  It is not weakness...it takes real strength to admit you need help.

I'm very open about my surgery as well.  And I've received almost no negative feedback at all for it.  I found that by being open, I can help change people's minds about what it's all about.  Sure, I had surgery, but I also fight my food temptations daily, and I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week.  It's a tool, and I'm using the hell out of it!

I too am open about my surgery. I was also like you and the majority of the general public in thinking it was the lazy way out. I've been overweight since I was 12yrs old. Not obese, just overweight. Then I got hurt and found out what it means to be really obese. I was going to die. I couldn't move. I had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, sleep apnea, and suffered from severe atrial fibrillation. Was hospitalized 9 times in less than a year because of it. I have 3 stents in my heart.  Seriously was dying a slow painful death. The worst part was that my daughter was rapidly losing her daddy, and that her quality of life was diminished because of it. I couldn't even take a short walk with her. We spent 9 hours at the county fair yesterday, rode every ride at least once, and she got to see her first Rodeo. We shared a hand dipped corn dog for lunch, and a Tri tip sandwich for dinner. The fair only happens once a year and I was celebrating goal by eating a few bites of each.

This was my last ditch effort to stay alive. Thank God it worked! Has it been easy? Hell no! Was it worth it? Hell YES! Would I recommend it to everyone? Nope! You have to get your head on right, or you'll fall. This is NOT a cure all. At least on its own. I am cured of my diabetes and other comorbidities. I haven't taken metformin since before surgery and my sugar was 81 this morning. But I have worked very hard at staying on my plan. My exercise level has increased by 1000%. I must have walked 5 miles yesterday. I couldn't walk 100yds before. 

For those people who think fat people are just lazy and sit on the couch eating Bon-Bons all day, please rethink your conclusion. My metabolism was such that as long as I was an active hard working man, I could maintain my weight, but I was still heavy. Then after an injury I got heavier. I could not lose the weight, no matter how much I starved myself. It was only after the alteration of my stomach and intestines, which caused mal-absorbtion, was I able to stop the upward progression of my weight and start going the other way.