I think about how little I eat daily, how much I still weigh, and how fast I think the weight "should" be coming off and then the reality of how much it has slowed down..and I HAVE HAD surgery!

-This is also so me. I have a friend who has lost in excess of over 100 lbs this year with WW and exercise. I am proud of her. She is averaging about 2.5 lbs per week WITHOUT the surgery.

The last time I did the math, I lost 2.25 WITH SURGERY WITH DIET AND WITH exercise.  I am losing LESS than her and I have had surgery.  With this fact in hand wiht the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, I dont know how I EVER expected to lose anything reasnable withut the surgery....especially considering that with surgery I ONLY get reasonable results (not extraordinary results).

I swear, my progeny will be able to survive ANY famine with my genes!

So I am one of those people who lost more than half their body weight and kept it off for over ten years. So was I a success then because I didn't gain it all back for twelve years? The fact was that the lifestyle I had to maintain to keep the weight off was unreal. I couldn't let up for a second or I would gain it all right back. I was miserable all the time, felt guilty about anything I ate, and was ashamed to even let anyone see me eat. My lifestyle post surgery is a whole different thing. I finally feel in control. Like maybe I finally got this beat. While I think that losing it on your own is a good idea for those who have a small or reasonable amount to lose I think that major weightloss while possible for those of us with significant amounts to loose it just isn't a permanent solution. I had to pay out of pocket for my surgery not because I didn't meet the qualifications but because I was excluded due to the fact I had lost more than half my body weight previously on my own. Do people really believe I would spend $30,000 on a surgery that I wanted only because of laziness?

Angel

I luv you and your points!

I don't let magazine covers get to me.  If you are going to let that one get to you then start actually looking at fitness magazine covers next time you are standing in line at the grocery store.  Women are frequently posed in submissive or sexualized positions with men.  

People magazine has one objective--to sell magazines.  They will put whatever they have to on the cover that will sell the most magazines without creating legal liability.  This is not journalism at it's finest.  It's not even journalism.  

Brilliant take!  You are right...it is NOT journalism.  It is more like the "weekend interest"section in a monthly periodical form.

It's funny because it took having WLS to realize that I had an eating disorder before. I think I might have been worlds fattest anorexic lol. It took me FOREVER to believe the diagnosis. I would hate other women to beat themselves up the way I did over something that can be fixed. I love this forum it's been such a tower of strength 

I don't like the fact that they imply surgery is a "gimmick" I wish they just said, "Lost 1/2 their weight without surgery" period. We all have the right to have surgery or not. I do not like it that articles like this persuade people NOT to have surgery *****ally need it. When people ask me about weight loss surgery, I share my story and tell them to do their own research.

I understand that articles like this add to the bias against surgery, but I don't let that upset me. There are real problems in the world and this is not one of them. As others have said, they are trying to sell magazines. I live my life everyday as a positive example of weight loss surgery. That is what i focus on.

Signed it.