Good Morning. The easy way out?

 Gina, you've done it again. Yesterday I said you made me cry. Today you made me proud. I'm still shaky about believing this is really happening to me. I have struggled all my life. First diet went on my bulletin board at 11. How sad is that? I come from a normal weight family, except for one grandmother, so I have lived with comments about weight all my life. 

I'm proud that I did surgery. Suddenly, I can have better health. And yes, some vanity buying regular size range clothes. For once in a life of yo-yoing, I know I can keep my losses off with lots of work, but lots of help from my restriction.

GOOD POST GINA!!! Let's celebrate our journey and success, I dont care if it is the easy or the hard way out.

I know that the only thing that makes me a lightweight is the timing of my surgery.  My weight had been climbing over the recent years and I knew it was going to continue to climb if I didn't deal with it once and for all.  Having diabetes, with all the meds involved made it next to impossible to get the weight off, and when I had a mild success, I couldn't keep it off.  So I had the surgery to put my diabetes into remission.  I'm so grateful it worked.  I don't care if anyone thinks I took the easy way, the only thing I care about is my health.  Thank you for a great post. Gina.

Thank you for this post!!!1  I have been so apprehensive  about telling to many people!  I went to my first support group, as recommended by my surgeon, and the first thing one lady said was "are you even big enough to have surgery?"  I couldn't even answer!  Thankfully another kind lady said "she's where I started"  One huge fear done!  I had been worried about how people would react and worried that I would be an outcast since I wasn't at a higher weight.  I'm still very nervous about telling to many people just because I find it irritating/sad that I should have to explain myself!  I would not be having gastric bypass if I did NOT qualify!  Health issues are my main reason, a family history of almost every disease out there is a main reason and living a happy healthy life for myself and my family is a main reason.  Did any of you feel that keeping it a secret was best?  How did you overcome the fear of all the ignorant comments you knew were coming???

I only told close family at first and have never told people at work, and never will if I can help it. Bunch of know it all retired colonels.

--g

Gina, I just love your posts! Its like you have a looking glass into my world!
Easy? I dont know.
But I do know that my life was insanity when it came to my health. Lose 30, gain 40, lose 70 and regain. Fatty liver, diabetes, htn and poor health in general was my reality. I thank God that I have been given this chance to regain my health instead of unwanted pounds. I kept doing the same things expecting a different result = insanity!
I am open about my surgery and I hope to educate people. Most people are usually positive, some say just diet and exercise! I am like, been there and done that at least a dozen times! If I could have done it and kept it off I would have by now! duh!!! Sometimes I will just smile and not say anything more. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
I am so glad I took this step, and hope to enjoy good health for the rest of my years! I love my RNY!

No one has said this to my face.  Most people have been extremely supportive because of the years of up and down with me.  I'm sure some people think it is the easy way out.  Heck, I even thought that to begin with because it was so easy for me at the beginning.

I don't think anyone realizes the amount of time that is required to keep up with everything such as organizing vitamins, preparing food, weighing & measuring food, labs, learning all about your new body and all the other things we have to maintain.  I do not see how anyone with small children handles it all. 

It has certainly been the most effective, efficient way for me.  After 1 1/2 years I would have already gained my loss back plus some.  I'm sure the sleep apnea and diabetes would be back. 

I love it and am so thankful everyday for it.

Linda

Some of these replies made me laugh, some made me sad, but all of them have one thing in common.  We all hate being judged.  Why do people thrive on judging others?! You have to be thick skinned to survive in this world. I wi**** was easier to develop thick skin.  There would so much less sadness in the world. This makes me think of all those young gay kids committing suicide because they're being judged and made fun of for who they are.  That's not too different from the mean comments people can make about us taking the easy way out... Talking to a colleague about us within earshot of our hearing... or even directly to our faces.   Even our LW community with our LW creed are not immune to judging fellow LWs - whether it's overt or by omission of support. Gina's right when she says you even find out who your true LW friends are. (But I digress) I wonder if people are not aware of the signals their judging sends off.  And I am not saying I am immune to judging... I always self-righteously believe I'm judging someone who is asking to be judged, like a Snookie from Jersey Shore or when I'm watching The Bachelor and laughing at the dopey girls (and this season's dopey Bachelor! lol).  But is the act of judging a slippery slope?  Should we just try not to do it at all, because it is habit forming?  I don't know.  I try to be kind and not judge most people, because I for one have very thin skin and I really hate to be judged myself.  Something to think about.
Thanks for the meaty topic, Gina.

Gina,

Thank you for this topic. There isn't anything easy about WLS. I think, we all work very hard to take in enough quality nutrition and supplements, as well as exercise. When I tell people that I weigh and measure all my food, take vitamins, keep a daily food log, and exercise, their eyes glaze over. This is a lot of work, but I never want to be heavy again. I did this, so that I wouldn't develop full blown diabetes and other assorted complications that accompany obesity.  I also wanted to get rid of the sleep apnea.

I had some complications in the beginning, so there wasn't anything easy about this procedure. There wasn't anything easy about spending 2 weeks in the hospital. I hope that I never forget how difficult things were in the beginning, so that I never abuse the gift that I have been given. WLS has been a gift to me, the gift for a healthier and well-lived life. I feel like, I am getting my life back.

Before surgery, I did feel a bit of judgement in my support group, by heavier members. Like, "Do you really need surgery? You are so "skinny." Yeah, skinny at 210 lbs on a 4'11" frame. Give me a break!! I am so glad that my PCP suggested WLS to me. It wasn't on my radar at all.

WLS has given me hope that I can stop the constant yo-yo that I have been on for most of my life. I feel so much better and healthier. The smaller clothes are a benefit, but the physical and emotional feelings of being a healthier person are just priceless.

morning Ginaaaa,
great post.....
in regards to taking the easy way out
as Lee mentioned
1, nothing easy about going to the gym every dam day and working out 2 hrs a day

2,nothing easy about seeing other people eat anything they want and knowing that you cant
3,nothing easy seeing the 5 gashes on my tummy every day
(we all know there is a trade off for everything )

4,nothing easy about paying back thousands of dollars to pay for this wls (i was self pay)

pffffoooooy on those people that say "we took the easy way out"