My 600 lb life -

YES to all of that!

I joke that I come from a long line of Eastern European peasant stock - bred to be healthy and hearty on a few beets and some stringy squab. Since we live in this time of plenty, my body thinks each day is Christmas and that the famine is right around the corner so "store baby store" all those excess calories! When I try to diet, my body will just match me calorie for calorie in a decreased burn. Of course I can lose weight, but each time it's significantly harder. I'm MO at 205lbs, and I'm living on less calories today than ever. All those diet or "healthy living" tips one sees out in the wellness world are things I started doing years ago! I gave up regular soda in 1985, I stopped using Mac n Cheese as my easy meal night in the early 90s. Even when the world was preaching "Fat Free" I was still eating a pretty protein forward diet of lean meats and lots of veggies. My thin sisters ate fat free baked goods and I kept on focusing on nutrient dense foods. OF COURSE I'm making many bad choices, but the extreme high calorie/ high carbohydrate eating showcased on shows like 'My 600-lb Life' are pretty unimaginable.

I remember working with a EO woman in the late 90s, and she would tell us she was just eating a salad for lunch. Her salad, from Bob Evans, included fried chicken and ranch dressing and she added honey to her side of biscuits. It was hard for me to take this because I would have LOVED to eat a lunch like hers! My tuna on whole wheat and a baggie of carrot sticks just didn't hold up next to her feast.

I was so thankful when the surgeon agreed that the RNY was the best choice for me. The center where I am being treated only offer the RNY and VSG to patients unless you're having a revision.

Thanks for your thoughtful response. I am so ready to get this show on the road!

This is why so many people do not share their plans to have weight loss surgery with others. If you are talking about it, you are giving others permission to give you their opinions. I suggest you stop talking about it or trying to explain yourself. Tell them you and your doctor have decided this is best for you. Or just nod and smile and hopefully they will get the message and shut up.

Many people drink after weight loss surgery. I decided to stop drinking completely, but some can do it in moderation. Others do have major problems with alcoholism post-op. Just be careful.

You are right about the alcoholism after WLS. I thought about it when I wrote my original post above but decided not to go there.

Food use to be our go to when we needed comforting, anxious, depressed etc. and when that vice went away we have had posters over the years get addicted to other things. I think mine was buying new clothes. I actually charged way to much at one point.

I'm planning on giving up my dear, wonderful, life giving red wine for good. If my doctor continues to say I can have it in moderation the second year, I /might/ consider it, but hopefully by that time I'll have moved on! I mean I would only want the red wine WITH my red meat, and if I'm not to drink while eating, that basically takes the motivation away :)

I think that the 'My 600-lb life' show reinforces the perception that WLS is only for extreme cases since the patient's families are generally more than qualified to have the same surgery and it's never really mentioned.