No, actually, I am not. Surgery for weight loss is a very valid option for me. I am not lazy and have tried other weight loss methods – they did not work for me long term. I have no major comorbidities like diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, etc. Some people that have weight loss surgery are on death’s door. Thankfully, I have my health.
Unlike some weight loss surgeries, I am not having my stomach removed…I am having it restructured – made smaller. In time, I will still be able to eat most “normal” food, just in smaller portions. That is part of weight loss success. The other is exercise. For anyone that has known me for a while, you know that I have been very active most of my life except for the recent past with my achy joints. Getting my exercise in will be fun! I love to play sports, hike, bike ride. Don’t worry…I’ve got this.
My final point is that surgery does sound scary. Going under anesthesia, getting cut open, days in the hospital. I have done it before with my spleen surgery and shoulder surgery so I know what I am in for with a surgery and hospital stay. BUT as drastic as surgery sounds, think about the crazy shit people do all the time to lose weight…
Take HCG pregnancy hormones to trick their body into metabolizing fat differently
Drastic yo-yo dieting where you are allowed cabbage soup for 3 weeks
Consuming amphetamines that cause heart damage
Barfing (gross)
Eating a pound of bacon a day and swearing off carbs to force their body into a foreign state
Surgery is a big deal but it will not damage my body like the list of things that many others do to lose weight. It makes sense to me. Smaller stomach & less food = smaller Monica.
So just like you don’t talk to a pregnant woman about miscarriages and dead babies and just like you don’t talk to the stage 4 cancer patient about chemo that doesn’t work – don’t talk to me about your co-worker that got the lap bad and gained all of their weight back, don’t talk to me about your pal that had the surgery and ate ice cream all day and stretched their stomach back out and don’t talk to me about failure.
I am Monica. I am stronger than you know. I’ve got this. And I will see you in October 2012 as a lighter, more fit Monica because I am having weight loss surgery that is going to be a huge success for me.
Good luck Monica! Just stop all the nay-sayers before they can get their negativity in.
Don’t let anyone steal your joy or focus! On my last day of work prior to leaving for my surgery time off, someone asked me if I was afraid that I’d be the only person who would never lose weight with the sleeve! Come on, people, really? And so today, 6 days post-op and 12 pounds lost since, um, I’m going to be successful no matter what anyone says! Don’t listen to the nay-sayers.