Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I ate when I was happy, I ate when I was sad. I thought of food as a reward, not a necessity.... probably because growing up, I was always rewarded with food instead of library trips (like my sister got!). And even though I knew I was in charge of my food intake, I was not in control.
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
I was always winded, always tired. I thought of myself as the pretty "fat girl", always the "pretty girl's" side-kick. I couldn't do so many things I wanted to do because I physically couldn't. I hated it when people said, "but you have such a pretty face". I hated having to shop at certain stores. My students called me "Miss Fatsimmons", and I knew it. I was tired of limits.
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 don't need a seat belt extender on an airplane anymore. I can ride any ride at the amusement park, and I ride the ALL. I can walk up my 3 flights of stairs and not have to take a break between floors. I can shop at whatever store I want and buy clothes that fit. I feel sexy and pretty.