Hi guys, wondered if anyone watche GMA today? I saw a snippet of a woman who lost close to 200 lbs. but was STILL unhappy & kinda miserable about herself.
I was really interested in it, it's kind of my "thing"! I was always a weirdo and was happy fat, and I'm happy now. But I see so many people who are desperately unhappy and think the magic fix is to be skinny - then when they get there, they realize all the other stuff came with them
I didn't get her name, or the book title - wondered if anyone had made a note of it!
I didn't see GMA but read her story on the Internet, I believe she has more issues than being overweight. I am not a medical person but it seems like there might be mental issues in her case.
Well, yes, it seems obvious just from her assumption that weight loss would be the magic pill to solve her problems.
And she went, it seems, from one sort of body abuse to another - alcohol (not uncommon).
At the end of the GMA clip the journalist asked her if she was happy and Jen answered that she was. Her body language and tone weren't convincing.
And, as an aside, and I'm not trying to bash people who have done bariatric bypass surgeries (though I've seen first hand through my uncle and my mother what it's put their body's through), but if the prescription after the surgery is to eat right and exercise... how do the doctors really think that these patients are going to do that?
If they could have done that, they wouldn't be morbidly obese and needing the surgery.
Yes, OK there are some circumstances where they are so profoundly obese or disabled they can't exercise, but anyone, if they wanted to, could control portion size...
So, Jen here admits, I didn't exercise and I ate crap and the weight kept coming off. She was TRYING to sabotage her weight loss effort... so yes, I would say there are much bigger issues going on here.
My understanding from the couple of my friends who have gone through the surgery is that the physical changes make it fairly easy to limit food. At least at first. But you can "eat through" the discomfort and dumping and such, until your body gets used to it... and you can go back to bad habits.
I have one friend and a cousin, both of whom took their surgery very seriously, and did it because they had medical issues where they REALLY needed to lose weight. They still, years later, maintain a healthy weight.
I also have two friends who lost a lot the first year after their surgery, and have been steadily regaining since. They pretty much eat what they want, only smaller amounts. And they push that amount so they steadily can eat a little more and a little more.
My doc has mentioned surgery a couple of times to me. It shocked me the first time. Angered me. Denial. Then I did some research.
I've seriously considered the surgery. But when I looked at the MFP log of one of my successful-surgery friends, I realized that I could limit my food calories to that level (1200-1400 calories), and still keep the flexibility I need, and not have to do all the figuring and supplements she has to do.
So I'm back to calorie counting, and so long as I do low-carb I can deal with the limited calories without cravings and ravenous hunger.
I've given myself a year. If I can eat like a post-surgery person, and lose weight on my own, I will.
If I can't, I will reconsider the surgery.
My mobility and my blood glucose are at stake. My health. My life.
I don't care so much about the emotional aspects. That's what hit me when I read about this woman's book (from the OP). She was so focused on the emotional changes, and her poor reaction to them. I'm more interested in the physical changes.
sure, the physical changes are the main thing, but those emotions/emotional aspects are what drives them... and unfortunately if they're ignored completely they'll find a way out somehow
My doc has mentioned surgery a couple of times to me. It shocked me the first time. Angered me. Denial. Then I did some research.
I've seriously considered the surgery. But when I looked at the MFP log of one of my successful-surgery friends, I realized that I could limit my food calories to that level (1200-1400 calories), and still keep the flexibility I need, and not have to do all the figuring and supplements she has to do.
So I'm back to calorie counting, and so long as I do low-carb I can deal with the limited calories without cravings and ravenous hunger.
I've given myself a year. If I can eat like a post-surgery person, and lose weight on my own, I will.
If I can't, I will reconsider the surgery.
My mobility and my blood glucose are at stake. My health. My life.
I don't care so much about the emotional aspects. That's what hit me when I read about this woman's book (from the OP). She was so focused on the emotional changes, and her poor reaction to them. I'm more interested in the physical changes.
This is pretty much my story too. My doctor's suggestion was weight loss surgery as I needed to get the weight off fairly quickly due to medical issues and WLS would have come after some other serious stomach surgery. I panicked, saying I didn't want the first surgery nevermind the second (a full hysterectomy).
When I left her office that day in July, I got in contact with a nutritionist at my PCP's office and started a medically supervised diet (I had to have some standard tests to make sure I was a candidate, it's not just about weight). I have lost just as much weight in these 7-8 months as someone who had the surgery, except I can do it with a full exercise routine (no recovery like someone with surgery would have) and without the body trauma of surgery (smaller stomach, dumping, etc). It was a blessing to me! I also heard that some insurances require the medically supervised diet for 6 months before approving the surgery so why would I stop now to switch to surgery? I am plugging away learning to eat with lower calories and then will up them gradually as I get closer to goal. This is all with the guidance of a medical team. Seems silly to have all this medical attention just to lose weight but I needed it. The accountability and support I get from them is priceless. There is psychological help available to me too through them but I declined it so far at this point.
And...my weightloss has allowed me to delay my hysterectomy due to the significant changes in my body. It's a double blessing. The 3rd blessing will be if I can get pregnant now!
I looked into the surgery as well -- actually for lap band -- and the doctor told me that I would need to lose 60 pounds first. Well, it finally dawned on me that if I could lose 60 pounds, then I could just continue down that path and lose the rest on my own. I've got 3 friends who have had the actual gastric bypass. One gained back almost all of the weight, but has since begun to lose it again (by dieting!). The other successfully kept off her weight, but said that the restrictions, medical problems, and other issues that she has experienced have convinced her that this is not a path that she would recommend to others. Lots of different stories out there and this is probably a case of the treatment for each person is different. One thing that I think should be part of this type of surgery -- and maybe it is -- is that psychological counseling prior to the surgery should be a requirement.
Good Morning America today...a book?
