Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I battled weight all my life. As a young child my family and my friends kept telling me I was fat and I would eat to feel better. I would sneak chocolate candies that were always on display in my european home and rearrange the bowl so it would not look like I took any. I went to different family homes so I could eat and eat and not feel shamed. As I got older and was moving to Canada, food was not easy to get to an immigrant and that gave me a bigger emotional issue. Lack of food caused me to overeat when we finally were able to afford food. I would binge during every meal. I would eat and eat and eat until I could not breath any more. Then I lost weight, met my husband and started having children. I did not care any more about how I looked and ate myself to 215 pounds. I am only 5'1". I had 5 children, was divorced and feeling very depressed. I even had a tummy tuck to get rid of rolls of skin and fat . That helped my self-esteem but I was still feeling down as my weight was 195 and even though I did not have a flab, I kept eating, felt like I could not control my portions with my head. This is when I decided to have a lap-band.
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
The worst thing about being overweight is not fitting into seat belts on a plane when I took family vacations or rides at a Canada's Wonderland. We lived beside the park and walked there a few times a day. I was happy my kids were young and I did not have to go on "grown up" rides, that was my excuse. I also would not go in the bathing suit at the water park, I would wear long shorts and t-shirt.
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 now wear a 2 piece bikini and feel confident now. I can go on any rides or plane ride and buckle up with a regular belt and tighten it. I have more energy, I look great is size 9 dress!!!!
freespirit63
