Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I always knew that weight loss surgery was an option, but I was afraid of it, and I was afraid of what getting it would mean.I budgeted my calories, I tried the south beach and tons of other tips and ways to change myself.Nothing ever worked. I always knew my weight was going to kill me but I never felt any pain until recently (5 years later).I decided on weight loss surgery after doing everything the "right" way.I exercised for 3 hours a day with my schools swim team, and after my 4 month season was over I excitedly stepped on the scale to find I had lost nothing. NOTHING!! Yes I did lose a few inches (3 to be exact) off my waist but 000 pounds.I felt like my world was crashing down on me, like everything I knew about weight loss and healthy eating was a lie and I would never lose any weight.Thats when I realized I couldn't do it alone. I need something, some kind of tool, and after researching I decided on gastric sleeve.The catch was I'm only seventeen so I need one more year until I can finally start my journey.I really hope this will be the answer I have been looking for, I just want to feel normal you know? I want to be healthy so I can dodge the cancer, mental illness, and diabetes that runs in my family.If you're wondering how I gained my weight, it all happened during a 2 year time frame, I gained about 70 pounds each year sixth and seventh grade. I didn't know it at the time, but I had been suffering from major depression and seasonal affective disorder, which makes you eat a lot in the winter/ dark season. My sad isn't that bad now, I believe it was heightened because I was going through puberty and a lot of stress at the time.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

It's when you get dismissed, by teachers, by peers, adults, employers, and guys because you're fat.To them the fat you have on your body makes you weak, it makes you immature, irresponsible, and unworthy of being in their life. They just don't know that all the weight you carry is a symbol of your life, the amount of pain you've been through, and all the lessons you've learned the hard way. It also hurts to be uncomfortable in your body, when sitting, exercising, or just doing everyday activities.What kills the most is that feeling I get when I look at my peers swimming the next lane and I think about how I could have been the star of the swim team if it was't for my asthma and weight slowwing me down.I think about how I can't have dreams like "I want to play college sports" or "I want to do print work as a model" and it kills me. I feel like my weight has taken so much from me.

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 haven't had surgery yet o...o