Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I was an all or nothing kind of girl. I was either full blown on a diet, or I was full blown NOT on a diet. When I was on a diet, I never cheated and I worked out everyday. I was strict and accountable and I was successful, but it never lasted. Then I would revert to the "old" me and I would eat whatever i wanted, when ever I wanted. I had a horrible appetite and I felt like I could never get enough. I had a major addiction to food. I used it for everything and denied that I had a problem. One day I noticed my sister had called me 5 times in the same day! She didn't leave a message, and it was strange that she would call me so often when she knew I was at work (I am a teacher and can not talk when working). I called her back and found out that my mother had a stroke. Due to massive high blood pressure and another failed attempt by her to keep weight off, she suffered 2 major brain stem strokes that thankfully did not take her life, but they took a toll. I knew that I was headed down the same road, and I needed to get control. I could not do another diet, I could not fail again. I had to be drastic this time, I had to do something different. The journey to WLS took years, and even when I got approval after 2 years I still backed off for another year to "try it on my own".
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
The worst part of being overweight is how you feel about yourself. I used to walk into any room and survey the people, just to see if I was the biggest person in the room or was there at least one person bigger then me. How horrible! If there was a bigger person I felt OK, that I wasn't alone, but if I was the biggest person I would sit there mortified that everyone was thinner then me and I was just this horrible person who could not control her eating. I would hate myself and then just eat more to feel better. It was the circle effect that they talk about, you feel bad so you eat, you eat so you get fat, your fat so you feel bad, so you eat......and on and on
If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?
I had my RNY on May 2, 2011. I have lost 106 pounds since my heaviest weight recorded in Feb of 2010 and 86 pounds since surgery. My current BMI is 22 and I wear a size 6 pants and small to medium shirt. I enjoy shopping now! To go into any store and pick up any size 6 and now it will fit. I went to the mall and I stopped into every store who's cloths never fit me in high school or college and I just started trying things on and it all fit! It was like I won! I finally got to buy something from Guess, or Nordstroms.
Lisa R.
