Treating obesity when you are no longer obese
The further I get out from surgery, the more I see a pattern emerging: one I want to avoid.
I see a lot of people, despite their declarations of undying passion for all things health related, slacking off in the years after their weight loss surgery. Then, when the weight starts to creep back on they panic and rush back into the arms of the very people they seemingly wanted to discard when they thought they were “skinny."
Snarkiness aside, I think one of the things that presents a long-term struggle is finding a delicate balance between our old selves and our new selves. While we change dramatically (both physically and mentally) as a result of surgery, we do also have to remember an essential fact: we come from obesity and we can, with the right combination of actions and inactions, return to it.
So how do we do it? This is not me asking a question to give you an answer. I’d love to get a thought process started around this. How DO you continue to treat obesity when you are no longer obese? And how do you do that without feeling like you are chained to your former self forever?
Because, in my estimation, part of being successful in the long-term depends on continuing to treat our obesity for life. But if you are anything like me, you know that having to carry the “weight" of your obesity around forever is sort of like having a corpse in your living room for eternity: it kinda stinks.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
Laura
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
It scares me too but I think for me the key has been transitioning from exercising/eating right because I'm trying to lose weight to do it because it is the right and best thing to do for me as an overall human being. I feel better when I take care of myself and that's powerful.
For some reason, this empowering message doesn't always translate when it comes to my vitamins. I need to work on that...
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
But, I live in fear. I fear that I will wake up one day and this new me will be a glimpse of a memory, just like when you know you had a good dream but can only remember bit and pieces every morning. I live in fear that one day it will be too hard, and that I will simply just give up on myself, and it is so very scary because at that point no one will care, because if we don't care, why should anyone else should?
I feel that I will have a daily struggle for the rest of my life, and in a way I have come to tems with that because I guess it is the price I will have to pay in order to stay healthy.
Sel affirmations get me through the days too- saying no to unhealthy things is easier because I am not this hungry mosnter anymore lol- excercising is moe enjoyable because I can actually keep up and I actually feel happy and energized right after and not like I just been run over by a train. So what I can control is continue to battle, continue to eat to live, continue to excersize for fun, and not let myself get in my own way. Let's hope this plan is succesgfu since as of right now, is all I have.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Right now though I'm dealing with LOTS and LOTS of family stress, it's been a difficult year and although pre-op I would have stuffed my face with food to try to deal with the stress what I'm finding is I can barely eat and I continue to lose weight. This morning I weighed the lowest I've weighed since WLS and I'm hearing some very negative comments from co-workers that hurts. I wish people would just keep their mouths shut, they aren't offering any support by saying the things they say. It's crazy how people think they have a right to discuss ones weight (whether obese or small).
Yes carrying the weight of obesity around forever stinks. I currently see no way around it though. I'd be interested to hear how others deal.
Like Laura mentioned I know quiet a few RNYers and Lapbanders that have gained a significant amount of weight back. It's heartbreaking to see the negativity they feel about themselves when this happens.
Proximal RNY Lap - 02/21/05
9 years committed ~ 100% EWL and Maintaining
www.dazzlinglashesandbeyond.com
I am a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. I have been for 12 yrs. I do have to think about my choices and what triggers I have, but as the years have gone by, it has become a lot easier. It doesn't change the fact that I will ALWAYS be a recovering addict.
I will always be morbidly obese. I am just a recovering obese person. I will have to think of my triggers and my choices for the rest of my life. It's no different.
